We saw good neighbors and foster the people last night show started at 8 we got there at 7:15 and were able to get close. The shop attached was cool. Music sounded great. If was a great night. Can't wait to go on a warmer night when they have an outdoor show read more

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Glad to have finally tried this place. Great time. Food was awesome, obviously loved the beer and the selection! The place itself is pretty big, big indoor and outdoor area! Plus the views of the skyline were pretty dope, especially at night. We had a pretty large group and still and good service too, was impressed. Defiantly a place to check out! read more

The Salt Shed - View from patio - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

With a capacity of 3600 people in, 5000 people out, this new venue is quickly becoming a fan favorite. Goose Island are working on their space outside and say it will be ready spring 2024. A sprawling space with plenty of room to hang, entry is painless. Gift shop, Gear shop. It was cool seeing the different guitars and amps for sale. Merch is located not too far from the front entrance on the left, bar to the right, high top tables are available to hang, or you can level down, to yet another middle space where the bathrooms are located. Beyond that, you have the venue space with standing room only and stadium style seating. We were in attendance to see Jason Isabell and the 400 Unit. First thing I noted, the opening act got the shaft on sound mix. Jason and his band sounded great on the sound mix. Great show. The friend who I was with cut his finger on a pop top and I went out to the main area to see if I could get a band aid. The staff I flagged down was very respondent. Recruited two medics to accompany me back into the crowd to provide my friend with a band aid for his finger. Most importantly, after the show was over, departing was not an issue on foot. I did note that they only allowed you to depart through the main doors (east), the west side doors were off limits. For those that parked cars, there did seem to be some sort of line/wait. For pre-show, I highly recommend Piece. For after show, I highly recommend Dorian. \m/ read more

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This place is amazing! We came here for Tigercubs and Porno for Pyros for the first time (for either location or band experience). From my understanding, it's an old factory next to Morton Salt company here in Chicago. The place has been redone impeccably with valet parking and very thoughtful details of side shops and an outdoor experience. They have NAILED it! I cannot wait to come back for another concert!!!! WAY TO GO SALT SHED!!!!! read more

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Cool place to watch a concert. The staff was terrific...very friendly. The beer lines move quickly, but the drink prices are expensive. They have a nice setup for ride sharing. I was able to get close to the venue via Uber and grab an Uber pretty quickly after the show without waiting in line too long. read more

The Fairgrounds had everything I love to see and more at an outdoor venue. First of all, it looks AMAZING. There's a beautiful view of the city, the stage is big, the lighting was so cool. There were plenty of food options in an outdoor food court type area, and the food I tried was delicious. There are plenty of bars throughout, so I never waited in line for more than a couple minutes. They have free, self-serve water stations there. Why doesn't every venue do this? They have a few shops to check out as well. Which look like they may be rotating vendors. Very fun to get there a bit early, grab dinner and drinks and walk around. Big beautiful venue. Not too crowded. Very clean. Big clean bathrooms. Just an overall great experience! I can't wait to see what other artists they have lined up in the future. read more

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One of my favorite concert venues in Chicago!! So much space and the best part is the ceiling and the acoustics. I've been here 3 times and love it. Only downfall is that it's hard to get to via public transit, but the space is super new and nice, large clean bathrooms, and relatively easy to get in, out, and around with crowds of people. Definitely recommend seeing a show here! read more

The Salt Shed - Cold War Kids (Feb 2024) - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I may just be a bit too old for GA shows and to stand for hours and hours. But the venue is fantastic! Currently, there isn't much around the venue...one nice sit down spot that will require reservations on the day of a show, and a Mexican place a couple blocks up. Important info for people (and I know there are a lot of these people) who think "Let's just get a bite or a drink somewhere close to the concert before we go in!" They have a large outdoor area once you enter on the side street. There maaaay be open food trucks for pre-concert fooding...there looked to be a LOT of stalls for that but only one open on the day I was there, as well as the outdoor bar for overpriced pre-entrance drinks. There is also an outdoor stage, but the show I was there for was indoors. There are a couple little shops in the courtyard area as well...you can be nicely entertained while waiting for the doors to open up. The space itself is shiny and new and very welcoming. There is an area with seats but that is NOT part of the GA-ness of the tickets I was able to find for this show, as well as an elevated area for VIP seating. I ended up standing in various areas throughout the night and the sound was great in every spot. So despite my I-Am-Aging desire to sit, there didn't seem to be a bad seat/spot in the house and I could go lean somewhere while still able to hear the dulcet tones of my beloved band. The venue really blew me away and even though it would have been impossible for me to have a bad time seeing my favorite band, the space added many pluses to the experience. I would certainly return here for a show! read more

Very cool venue for a concert. Lines for beverages went quickly. Crowd was great. Highly recommend for an intimate concert experience! read more

The Salt Shed - Modest Mouse at the Salt Shed Nov 2024 - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

You HAVE to stop over-serving alcohol. It's imperative that you do. I would get law enforcement involved if I knew the identity of the multiple women who sexually assaulted me countless times tonight on the GA floor, but I don't know them. They were all drunk strangers. We got there 1.5 hours early and were in the front 2 rows of the floor. Right before Father John Misty walked out on stage, the 2 women pushed through, stood in front of me, and continued to step on my toes, hit my breasts, and touch/ rub up against my pubic region countless times. The main woman doing it kept pushing her butt and purse into my crotch repeatedly. One of them started recording me, then FaceTimed someone and pointed the phone at me to call me a bitch for asking her to step away and stop touching my vagina. Security kept an eye on her but they should have been escorted (dragged) out and banned. Instead, I had to be escorted out by medics because of my panic attack. While they got to stand in my place that I waited an hour holding and watch the show. No one deserves to be sexually assaulted multiple times at a concert. And then have to leave because of PTSD and a panic attack. On our way out, a THIRD SEPARATE WOMAN swung her hand into my crotch while walking by. Obviously drunk. This is when we were standing in the back, no one else near us. What the actual f is this place? A woman going up the stairs holding a beer fell and almost busted her face, but luckily caught herself..... YOU HAVE TO DO BETTER. As for the venue, it's beautiful. The bathrooms are very clean. The staff is kind and the food is great. I'm so very disappointed because it began as a spectacular night. I am now traumatized. I hope you stop over-serving alcohol before something worse than sexual assault happens. (07-17-25) read more

Awesome venue! Saw Ric Wilson and Chromeo on the final night of my weekend in Chicago and couldn't have had a better ending to my vacation. Lots of standing room. Lots of seating in the stands in the back as well as the second floor along the sides. Multiple bar areas and a dedicated counter area for merch. The outside area also had some food trucks and seating to hang out before the concert. Overall a super cool venue and can see it being epic for all types of events. read more

The Salt Shed - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great concert venue but it's unfortunate to have to drop down stars because this is clearly more of a "going out, club" vibe than concerts first. I've been to 5 or so concerts and each time there are so many people who have no idea who the band/musician is, then just talk the ENTIRE TIME. We have stood close, far, had premium seats...mostly it doesn't matter because people just talk and talk and talk. Why buy concert tickets if you're not there for the show?! Go talk somewhere else. It's so annoying and ruins the ambience for everyone else who is there for the primary reason. read more

Whend whit a couple of friends to see ziggy Marley and Little shorty Beer food and weed all over the place ppl dancing just having fun also food trucks And vendors inside and out Nice venue I like it I be back soon again read more

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The old Morton salt factory was sold and then refurbished for a music venue. Food sold at the concert events is average. There's a brand new ramp for people that have difficulty with stairs. Plenty of security. Parking is tight ,public transportation or being dropped off is your best option. The salt shed opened in 2022 with limited events. Mostly just outdoors. Now they do have both. Check their schedule for upcoming events. There is a bar on every level. read more

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Swung by Salt Shed for the Labrinth concert and loved my experience here. They have both indoor and outdoor stages. We were at the indoor stage. The stage is big enough for a large crowd inspite of being indoors. The bar service was still functional mid concert so that is a big plus. The lighting and sound systems were great and we overall had a great experience. The outdoor stage seems way larger than the indoor one. The cherry on top is the amazing view of the Chicago skyline that you can see from Salt Shed. Post concert, they had a bunch of food trucks for us hungry concert goers. read more

Came here for a 311 concert and had a great experience! The Salt Shed is an indoor and outdoor venue, but this particular show was outside with amazing views of the skyline. There were so many bars located throughout the fairgrounds that there were zero lines the whole evening. In addition, the indoor bathrooms have a ton of stalls so again, no lines! These two aspects make the Salt Shed very enjoyable and better than most other venues. read more

The Salt Shed - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went to go see Chicago's own Lupe Fiasco who is a top 5 musician to me. Wonderful experience I mean all across the board. Right off highway and easy to find parking near venue. The salt shed is very well kept and staff did an exceptionally well job and getting everyone inside and doing an adequate security check. Venue was spacious and I had a front row experience which made it even better. Would definitely recommend going to see an act. read more

The Salt Shed - Lupe Fiasco - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I'll echo many of the other reviews here that The Salt Shed is an awesome place to see a show with lots of open space and modern amenities but there are a few kinks to be figured out with crowd management. Also, the bathrooms are way too small for a place this size. That said, I am very happy this venue exists and I look forward to seeing more shows there. The reason I found it necessary to write this review was to pile on with the other "poor sound quality" comments. I saw The Breeders with opening band Man On Man last night, and while both bands put on a great stage show, the bass was over amplified and distorted with heavy reverb off of the walls. You could hardly here a single vocal out of the opening band - which was a shame because I think they would have really blown us away otherwise. I assume there are many different sound techs there, but I really hope the next show I see at the Salt Shed doesn't have that tone deaf old man with a long white beard working the sound board. I question if he could hear the same show that he subjected the rest of us to. read more

Coolest venue ever. We saw Brothers Osborne on the fairgrounds. We got there nice and early because we weren't sure what to expect and we knew that there was a Goose Island right next door. Goose Island is a brewery that serves food as well, and sits right on the river. We grabbed a table on the outdoor patio for about an hour until the venue gates opened and then we headed over. We were like one of the first people in line. This was perfect because if you get there early, there's these huge, roomy bleachers in the back of the venue (so you can sit instead of stand the whole show) that are first come first serve so we got a great seat on the river side. From here, you can watch the kayakers and the boaters floating back-and-forth on the river. There's a kayak rental right next-door to this venue. Once the show started, the sound was great and watching the show with the river glistening to the left and the sky line in the distance was the coolest vantage point ever. The food at the venue is solid . Elevated concert food and good cocktail and drink options all over, including directly behind the bleachers accessible by steps heading North so you don't have to go all the way around. I also got a peek inside the shed and I'd imagine shows inside are just as cool. There is also a sweet merch selection and a guitar shop where I picked up some picks for my nephew. The bathrooms are the BEST. Anyone who frequents concert venues would appreciate the sleek, clean, enormous facilities. The bathrooms may have been the most impressive part, I hope they keep them up as time goes on. Parking was easy getting there early, too. We didn't even park in the lot, we found spots north of the venue on Magnolia just South of North Ave. It was a short walk and leaving was a breeze. read more

I've posted a good overview of indoor premium seats. Best seats but floor looked like so much fun. Not overly crowded despite being a sold out show. Everyone who works here is SO nice! Like literally every single person...so helpful, so nice, great place overall, places to eat/drink before or after show. Intimate atmosphere but really big. Easy in and out. My new favorite concert venue. read more

Love this venue, been twice this spring and am planning on a bunch more shows this summer. Here is a quick summary: There is a large GA section but also stadium type seating - I prefer the GA to the stands but both are great. No strict purse restrictions (under 12in) but they will look inside and you have to go thru a metal detector. Bathrooms have plenty of stalls and are clean. Drink prices are just ridiculous as any other venue so be prepared for that. Uber drip off/pick up is a couple of blocks away but pick up is a disaster afterwards. And taxis will charge ~$60 yo get out of there but you can find street parking a few blocks away or valet for ~$40. There are also food options but we never get there early enuf so I can't speak to that. Overall, fantastic addition to the Chicago music venue scene and definitely worth checking out! read more

First time here to see Sturgil Simpson (Johnny Blue Skies). Valet parking was amazing and the food is good. Service was excellent. read more

The Salt Shed - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I visited Salt Shed to see Goose perform and was thoroughly impressed by the venue. There are plenty of great activities and dining options. The service from the vendors we met was really good too! read more

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This has got to be one of the coolest venues in the city! The seating is really weird ish. I went to Rose on the River (amazing). GA - standing, I saw folks in bleachers, and premium seating as well. Those seats looked hard and can't imagine sitting on those. They had food trucks, a really cool area inside for vendors, restrooms, art, and more. I think it's right next to Goose Island, and the actual Morton Salt warehouse. I can't wait to come back! read more

Venue is alright, nothing special. What really killed it for me was the security upon entrance screaming stuff in my face at the same time. As an autistic person it's super flustering to have two people shouting commands at the same time. They didn't even give me a chance to process. To that older black obese lady, you ruined the grizzly bear concert for me. read more

What a fantastic venue - clean, fairly priced cocktails and tickets, free water - I was shocked! an amazing revamp on a vacant Chicago icon - I loved it there! read more

The Salt Shed - Iconic roof - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Really wonderful space. Open and accessible. Good food choices in the Fairgrounds outside and I like how you can hear the band play through a speaker when you sit on the patio picnic tables. Overall, even though there was a line to get in, it moved quickly and I like when you get past the gate where they just did a simple sign that notifies you of things you can't bring in with you you can actually step into an area where you can pick up a Lagunitas beer or some food and wait for the line to die down before heading inside. That is unless you're one of those hard-core people that needs to be in the front. And personally, I didn't buy my ticket my friend did but I found two friends walking in the line as I was waiting for them to arrive and was able to walk up with them and have a nice conversation before turning around and heading back towards the line, and then seeing another friend. I hopped in line with them, and then again dropping out of the line after before the fenced area. It truly just made the idea of waiting for a friend in real joy. And once inside, just realize to the right, there's a bar that sells liquor & straight ahead is a bar that sells beer makes cocktails and wine. Both have very friendly bartenders. As far as the band, I got to see Flaming Lips, I found the sound to be very good. It may be it was the crowd was all about watching the amazing stage show that they put on but it was easy to find a way closer to the stage later on in the show. Maybe it was because parents had to leave to go see their kids or they saw enough. And I was in GA and it was easy to maneuver around the tall people I couldn't see over. I think it might be the crowd and the type of band that's playing here that creates a space for any possible enjoyment. And sure parking is $40 in the lot and you either have to walk to get there from the division, blue line station or north ave red line or the Clybourn stop on Metra UPNW. I chose this option. I did walk by some divvy bikes along Elston that I could've picked up, but instead I opted for the beautiful walk and view of the city of Chicago on my first visit to this really great location. I also brought my water bottle to bring inside the venue as they have spaces to refill them and saw lots of bikers taking advantage of the marked bike lane on Elston. read more

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My best friend and I had the pleasure of attending a concert at The Salt Shed featuring Mei Ehara and Faye Webster and had a great time! It was a cool venue. read more

Been here for two shows: one outside and one inside. Both experiences were great! Quick to get in and get drinks. I think I prefer the outside shows though read more

Cool venue unless you smell the river... easy access to bathrooms and drinks. Always great to have another venue to see live music. read more

The Salt Shed - Outdoor stage - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a top notch venue. It's new and super clean in a very hip little corner of Chicago. We saw Ween back in September and the show was amazing! We really enjoyed the vendors as well as the super clean bathrooms and outdoor standing area. I highly recommend going to a show here. Only issue is the parking, as valet at this place is not so great, and leaving after the show takes quite some time. I'm sure the parking situation will get better over time but definitely check out a show at the Salt Shed! Super fun! I'd give the venue a solid 5 stars but the parking is the only downside. read more

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WOW. WOW. WOW. Chicago's newest music venue is firing on all cylinders!! Caught the always hilarious Viagra Boys here last Friday, and absolutely loved all aspects of the show. First off, it's MASSIVE. Great sound. Lots of seating, and the GA area in front is large and good to walk around and mingle. Nice large photos in the lobby area show the interesting and iconic history of the building. BIKE PARKING. MANY bars means not a long wait for beverages. Food truck food options will be even better in summer. Large, plentiful and CLEAN bathrooms. A cool wine bar upstairs! One improvement could be a branded SALT SHED tram or bus that runs to the major train lines after shows, to decrease the CRUSH of people vying for rideshares after a show. LOVE this new venue, looking forward to attending LOTS of shows here! read more

The venue is beautiful. However while security was going through my tiny purse (for several minutes, all while trying hard to distract me), the female working security, stole ALL my cash. So if you bring any money with you, DON'T keep it in your purse. read more

This is a great venue for concerts. Drink so pricey just getting your drink on before you get there.

Super cool venue. I went to see Galantis; Phantoms was the opener. Dope lights & really spacious area. All-gender bathroom ftw which was very clean. I only bought 1 beer but I felt it was a reasonable price. I had a great time & would be down to see another show here! read more

I honestly can't say enough good things about the venue. I've been super curious about The Salt Shed since it opened. This was my first time actually getting to take in a show. I saw black pumas with the dip. First off, both bands were excellent. Secondly, the venue itself absolutely top-notch. I was a little concerned with the general shape of the salt shed. I've been in similar buildings like that, where that long rectangular layout wreaks havoc on sound. Not the case here. The sound was phenomenal. I popped around to different parts of the building and didn't hear bad sound anywhere. Having worked in several large music venues over the years, I also look at a venue through the eyes of the employee. It's a nice, beautiful, clean venue, with several bars in several different areas. The bars are really nicely stocked, look very efficient and easy to get around. Any staff that I interacted with was super helpful. Concession prices were pretty standard. But not egregious like some venues. One incredibly nice thing that I've never seen at another venue, they were handing out water bottles to the people in the front. Which, of course makes sense, those people have been camping out up there and reticent to move from their spot. As a preemptive way to make the guest experience, the safest and best possible, the venue comes off a couple bottles of water. Really thoughtful, farsighted practices that I wish more venues would adopt. Another thing I wish more venues would adopt... They actually play the audio from the show in the bathroom!! It was a crummy, rainy night, so the outside area with the food truck wasn't really popping. But, I could see where that would be a cool stage to see something at, The only drawbacks were the main venue floor is very unforgiving. Just straight up cement slab. So for a general admission show, at this point in my life, I've got about two hours before the dogs start barking. Also, the main venue could probably use a little better signage. I can't wait for my next visit for another show. read more

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When The Salt Shed started announcing shows I was so excited to check it out and luckily was able to snag tickets to Iggy Pop before it sold out. The venue itself is nice and feels brand new (which it is) but could use some improvements. Getting into the venue was a complete mess. Lines were not organized and moved very slow. We got in line right before the opening act went on and got into the venue when they were walking off stage. There is amble bars that always seemed crowded but the bar staff moved quickly so 5 stars to them. The sound was okay but the stage seemed pretty low so you really had to push up front if you wanted a better view. The GA section was pretty tight but that's not unusual for a sold out show. Hopefully these are growing pains for a new venue and I'll be back but wouldn't say this is the best venue in the city for a concert. read more

Things to improve, but this is summer's hot new Chicago venue and I was here for the Iron & Wine / Andrew Bird show in the second week. Good: * The obviously cool history of the Morton Salt factory and the iconic rooftop outside (not visible from in the venue * Riverside location was better than I expected - this used to be industrial along the river so there's no real riverwalk yet but I'm hearing they are working on that. Some decent skyline views because of the angle * Huge bike parking corral! Biking is a great way to get to a show and love that they're emphasizing this. Tons of bikes so people used it (so did I). * Food trucks complimented a few food stands inside: almost all local food vendor choices and prices were reasonable for food (but the lines for some of the more popular places were long) * Provided recycling and compost bins alongside trash nearly everywhere, and even had a staff member by bins telling them that they could compost that - well done! * Uniformed staff and security folks were all pretty dang friendly and seemed like there were a lot of people to ask things or direct you. * Restrooms are just massive lines of porta-potties in the back. But except for the end of the show, the wait was reasonable and they were clean. * Sorta fun idea of having some shops along the side, which people browsed during the show and between acts. You can hear the music throughout * Water station Bad * Beer prices are in rip-off territory ($13 for a pour of many of the better options), and while you sorta expect this, it doesn't have to be THIS insane. Of course outside food and drink is banned. Speaking of craft beer - Lagunitas was only local draft available (Goose Island pretends to still be made in Chicago but is owned by Budweiser and made in New York). Would have been nice to see a few smaller locals available. * Standing-only venues are fine, but also sorta suck after 3 hours unless you're 22 years old. There is some very limited seating on picnic tables near the back,. The stairs leading to some of the shops were crowded as seats constantly cause folks were just trying to get off their feet for a few minutes. (Thalia Hall and other places are configured as standing room only venues too, but tickets usually aren't $60 either.) * Sound was very good for the show (and you could hear a decent way back), but sound booth was huge and high and in the center--music festival style, but it really blocked views if you were more than halfway back. * Standing only venues get crowded as get towards stage and it's hard to make a way. They should consider a "path" of some kind where people get in an out more easily. General impression was this gonna be a cool venue and going to get better. read more

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I like this new venue. It looks really cool and has a great ceiling. Outside, there are food trucks which is nice for before or after the show. They have a good drink selection, especially upstairs. The sound seemed to be pretty good, but I saw a show that had a simple sound setup. My only complaint is that the GA floor is nearly impossible for shorter people to enjoy. I go to concerts nearly every week and am 5'2" and I have never found it impossible to see no matter where on the floor I moved to. The stage appears to be pretty low and the floor doesn't seem to be angled at all. So no matter where I stood, I couldn't see. I decided to go upstairs and stand off to the side I'd the seating and that was better. But the vibe is always more fun in the floor...if you can see. If you are short: 1) get a seat, 2) wear heels, 3) or get there early to be in the front. read more

I had/have high hopes for this new venue but my first impression is that I was underwhelmed and they really need to get their shit together. The place has some good features but overall it's a complete cluster. The good: the staff was friendly and professional. The beer selection was good. The interior is visually pretty cool and it's a great repurpose of an old facility. The bad: well for starters, they can't seem to figure out how to get people in the building in a timely and competent manner. 45 minute lines around the building are unacceptable. Their metal detectors don't seem to work properly at all. Mine just kept going off even though I had no metal. I was not the only one either. Parking is non existent and seems to be something that was not taken into consideration. The ride share line was a disaster and bigger than it should be due to the fact that there is no parking. Which btw makes the ride share costs more expensive because the venue's lack of parking creates its own surge pricing when the shows let out. Inside, well for one thing they are letting in way too many people. The general admission floor was so uncomfortably overcrowded that everyone is squeezed in tightly. Not sure if they were even following capacity rules. Also, the stage was built too low, no pitch on the floor, made it so that for most people of average height, it is literally impossible to see the stage. I mean why??? Fix the height of the stage so people can see the expensive show they paid for. The sound was mediocre at best. They need a sound engineer. If you are up front, close to the stage, you really can't hear. There must not be monitors up there. Ridiculous. If you are on the floor in the middle, where you can kind of see, the sound is ok. But seriously, for a music venue, this needs to be fixed, like yesterday. There is expensive balcony seating where you can see. A little on the sides, but mostly in the back, which means that the most expensive seats in the place are actually the furthest from the stage. Most likely where the sound is the worst. Nothing short of bizarre. The bathrooms. What the hell???! There is only one set of bathrooms in the back. They are an ok size, but not big enough to accommodate the number of people. Also, there is only one entrance which also serves as the exit. The opening is only like 3-4 feet wide. SO, it is very very very difficult to get both in and out of the bathroom. At set break, it took about as long to get into the bathroom as it did to get back out. People wall to wall, simultaneously fighting to go both directions. I wish I had a video clip of this fiasco. Poor design and I have honestly never seen anything like it. So, it has potential. A few of these things could maybe be fixed easily but unfortunately a bunch of them are physical design problems that are just major screw ups. No idea what architecture firm did this but it just wasn't thought through on many levels. read more