My first concert here and I'm on the fence on whether I loved it or not. The entry was smooth and the staff were nice. They do have a clear bag policy so make sure you check that out. The space is very large and can accommodate a lot of people in the General Admission area. The paid seating area is nice because you don't have to stand for hours on end BUT the downside to having reserved seats is that you're far from the stage. This is where I'm conflicted. It was pretty hard to see the performers and some of the strobe lights hit you right in the eyes. There's no TVs to give a better view. The other thing was that the sound was a bit wonky. I'm not sure if its where I was sitting or if it was just off. Leaving was pretty easy and there's food immediately outside the theater. read more

WAMU Theater - View from DD row 22 seat 4 - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I've attended numerous shows at WaMu Theater over the years, including Miguel, Lamb of God, Baby Keem, Gunna, LANY, Boo, and more. The range of artists I've seen there shows how versatile the venue is. WaMu Theater has a beautiful ambiance and always creates an exciting atmosphere for live music. Whether it's a high-energy concert or a more intimate performance, the venue delivers a great experience. The staff are consistently friendly, professional, and helpful, which makes getting in and enjoying the show much easier. My only real complaint is the price of food and drinks. The concessions can be quite expensive, so it's best to plan accordingly. Other than that, WaMu Theater remains one of my favorite venues in Seattle and a place I always look forward to returning to. read more

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Best concert ever, but venue setup could have been better. It felt too much of a convention center than a real theatre/concert hall, which was disappointing to host an artist like RAYE. Food court should be upgraded, furniture and lighting could have been better to match the energy and music genre. Service was alright, line to food court took forever though. Visuals of the concert was phenomenal. read more

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Watched Lamb of God here and it was good because Seth and I got to pregame at the bleachers area. We then danced on the side before we went towards the middle in front of the stage to begin moshing, crowd surfing, etc. it truly was a good time with this performance, but I hate that they do not take vertical ID cards, including CAC IDs ._. I had to stand off to the side even though I am 21+ because they make it mandatory to hold horizontal ID cards. Thank gosh for the many bathroom locations on both floors. Each bathroom location had tens of stalls to use, too read more

WAMU Theater - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Parking and security checkpoint were super easy. Customer service yielded from attendees was good, we chose to stand verses going to our seats which was preferred allowing for dancing throughout the entire performance. The WAMU Theater was the perfect venue to host a live and very intimate concert. read more

WAMU Theater - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Had a good experience at the HAIM concert at WAMU on 9/18/25. Not sure why this venue gets such bad reviews. Sound quality was good, there was plenty of room to move around, and there was a seated section in the back which was nice. This is your reminder to not trust the AI responses that come up when using Google, because I was led to believe that I could bring an empty aluminum water bottle in, but it was not allowed. After reading the website, it does in fact say that you can bring a clear plastic water bottle, but NOT an aluminum or metal water bottle. They have tents outside the venue with locker rentals for $11, which is a bit steep but better than nothing! read more

WAMU Theater - Don't trust Google's AI summary!! - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Great place to attend for a concert or for EDM rave great place to tailgate before football great place to go to a car show friendly staff lots of parking as they have their own parking garage conveniently connected great sound system and very friendly staff read more

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Went here a few days ago to see LANY. I was a bit nervous because my daughter told me that this is the worst music venue in Seattle and they don't have very many seats. What did I do the day before the concert? Strained my ankle and knee when walking my dog of course ugh! I had pre purchased parking and we parked in a lot really close, very convenient. We only stood in line for about 10 minutes before we got in. The place was way bigger than I thought it was going to be! They had a cocktail bar set up with couches, tables etc. so we stopped for a cocktail. We both ordered the Super Far (vodka mule named after a song of the band) which was $17.49 each, way overpriced for a small drink. We sat on the couch, and people watched before we headed into the main room. I thought it was great! There were plenty of seats, enough that you didn't have someone directly in front of you or next to you. At least for this concert. I thought the sound was perfect, definitely a more intimate setting from the last time I saw this band at the Greek Theater in Berkeley. We did not order any food, I already had seen what they offered on their website and ate beforehand instead. The bathrooms were very clean, all the staff were very nice, overall very impressed! Just be willing to shell out the $$$, the drinks and merch for us was about $300, no food. read more

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I've been this theater twice. Once for a Kendrick Lamar concert and recently for Jay Shetty's On Purpose tour. I felt the venue was a perfect size for Jay's show, it was smaller and intimate. I don't think I would comeback for a concert. They had two bars, one Starbucks and a concession stands. The fries were not good, probably skip them. If you buy a drink with a cap, the employees will remove the cap per their policy so just be aware of that. Hopefully you come with friends who can watch your drink. read more

WAMU Theater - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I saw Pierce the Veil here with openers by Sleeping with Sirens and Beach Weather on June 22nd, 2025. While the concert was absolutely spectacular, I will only discuss the venue in my review. I lined up at noon, for a show that had doors at 6. There was about 100 people there already by my guess. They organized people into multiple queues right away, to streamline when they did open the doors, which made things run quite smoothly. Most of the line formed around 3:30. There was no where nearby that I could run to grab food while waiting, except for greasy fast food. There was a café nearby that I bought a black coffee at so I could use their washroom- as the venue didn't have one for people in line. All of the staff were friendly and kind. There was one confusing moment where a worker ran around telling everyone they were actually going to open doors at 4:30, which was a lie. They let the VIP ticket holders in at that time, but told everyone to get ready? For the love of god, get AC in that venue please. It was ungodly hot (I was quite close to be fair). There was a medical emergency at some point during the show involving heat stroke, and many people around me left due to heat. They were struck in not letting people smoke cigarettes outside while waiting in line. But they allowed people to vape and hit weed pens inside? Not sure if this was actually allowed, but the staff didn't seem to care. Overall, a good venue. Just install some AC and make sure to tell guests the correct door time! read more

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FOR THE LOVE OF GOD RAISE THE STAGE. That stage is way too low sitting for it to be a GIANT general admission scenario. Couldn't see 85% of the concert acts and I'm not a short girl, 5'7 with 3 inch boot heels and I still couldn't see, like 6 medical emergency's, yall gotta be checking for intoxication signs letting people in it was nuts. One of the only venues I've been to of this size without screens to see the acts if you're in the back (we were in the middle tho). Either lift the stage or get video/screens. Loved the opening acts I saw. Bathroom lines aren't too long, not a fan that the alcohol section is so drastically far back and the line was so long didn't even attempt to get in. Parking was a lil rough in the area. read more

WAMU Theater - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Watched Katseye here and the sound system out front was protruding and blocking a lot of people's views. It also didn't sound amazing. I'm not sure if it's the space or the actual sound system but it doesn't sound anything like a concert at Climate Pledge. read more

Ease of use for those like me who are technically challenged. First time going to a concert at WAMU this year and found the website to be easy. read more

Attended Khurangbin concert in June. Clear bags only. Security was breeze. Bathrooms were clean and spacious. I had hurt knee before the concert and had a very limited ability to stand, walk or even sit long. The venue had a "mobility impaired" section to the right of the stage in front of the bleacher seats. We arrived early when doors opened so we were able to get two seats easily. Note: this section appeared to be based on a honor system and if there are chairs or space available. We had two separate youthful (mid 20s to early 30s) couples sit in the "disabled-mobility impaired" section that were able bodied and danced and stood the whole time making it kind hard for me to see at times. When I could tolerate standing, it was a great view. Merch line moved fast, especially liked the QR code menu posted midway to the counter. We stepped up knowing exactly what we wanted to buy. Food lines all looked a bit long but the wait wasn't too bad. Fries were amazing, chicken strips a tad dry especially on the ends. Pretzel with cheese was good. Margarita was way too tart and difficult to drink. We paid for WAMU theater parking and it was the easiest exit to the parking garage ever! read more

WAMU Theater - View of the stage from the "handicap-mobility impaired" section - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Pros: Ticket for Acts that perform here are typically more reasonable prices. Concessions include Wine, Beer, Bottle water, soft drinks concession food. Several performers' merch stands. Cons: The accoustics are wretched. Hard servaces everywhere, concrete floors with only thin black draps defining the audience area but incapabble of damping the sound making it harsh and muddy IMHO this is the worse place in the Seattle area to catch a mucical act. read more

Came for the Lindsey Stirling concert last night and had a pretty good experience! Paid for seated seats on the floor towards the center and they were pretty good! My only little pet peeve was when there were points on the performance we were asked to stand, I'm on the short side so I couldn't see much, so I felt like I missed on some of the performance. Definitely prefer the concert experience while sitting so I can see a lot better. We arrived 10 minutes before the opener started and security was pretty quick and easy. My only note was that I wish I arrived a bit earlier because their concessions line took awhile. Drinks were a bit pricey, but we expected that. Pretty much paid $15 for a Coke and hot Cheetos. Merch line was crazy long, but I didn't bother with that nor did I attempt to get any alcohol. Lots of bathrooms stalls inside with no wait. read more

WAMU Theater - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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When I bought tickets online, it only allowed me to purchase general admission (GA). It was my first time at this venue, and I'm familiar with the area from Lumen Field events. Great outside access to food trucks and drinks, storage lockers if needed. This is a clear bag venue, so check their website for bag and item details on what you can/can't bring. You go through a solid security check to get in. It's well staffed with security too, so I felt safe even with a packed venue of 6,500+ people. It's mostly floor, but there are some stands in the back to sit on. There are plenty of bathrooms, so I didn't wait in any lines, as a lady. There are some more food vendors inside too. We saw Simple Plan live and the sound was great! No audio issues and the quality of the acoustic's throughout was incredible. The lights and show features the venue allows the bands was great and added to the experience. At least for this show, they didn't allow alcohol in the floor area, you can drink in a beer garden type area. I love this, too many other venues I've been to where you can have alcohol on the floor just ends up a mess. It was easy to exit after the show as well. We usually pay for parking ahead of time in a garage about a 10 minute walk, or use the Lime/Bird scooters they have lying around everywhere. read more

WAMU Theater - Safety signage - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This venue was somewhere I hadn't been. We went to see Teddy Swims. The line was really long to get in but moved really quickly. I was super worried about getting a purse the right size and then they didn't seem to be very interested in exact sizing like they are at football games. An all GA venue was interesting, they did have bleachers set up but they were taken almost immediately. They have AC in the venue but once you get crammed in close to the stage it feels like no air is coming in....at minimum 5 people passed out and had to get wheeled away. We were close to the stage but eventually edged out to get air and still could see well on right of the stage near bathroom and concessions. Overall I'd probably go back but not sure all GA is my vibe and will depend on the artist. read more

Came here to see Miquel. It was basically a do as you please. This must have been what seeing Johnny Cash play a Folsom! Security? Ha. Show stopped every so often for a fake medical emergency. read more

Went to see Baekhyun the check in was smooth, the venue wasn't difficult to find and the view of the stage was above average since my seat was moved up like 10 rows so overall a good experience. read more

WAMU Theater - Baekhyun - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

A really solid spot to see a show in Seattle. We've stopped in here this year for both a Justice show and to see Sofi Tukker. Parking is pretty easy and you can park in the ramp right next to the building for about $20. The space itself is huge and there is always plenty of room to stand with space and some seating in the back for when you get tired. There is a booth up front where you can get a pair of earplugs if you forgot yours which is really convenient. Drinks are always abundant and there is usually some fun special cocktail to try, bar tenders are friendly and happy to make you a special drink of their choosing sometimes. What more could you want? Looking forward to more shows here in 2025 read more

WAMU Theater - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Just finished going to see Kevin Hart perform his comedy act and it was great but let me tell you the Wa Mu theater sucks. They sell everyone drinks food and as soon as the show is over they kick everyone out. No bathroom use for anyone. This is what a local bar had to deal with the aftermath. Bad planning skills. read more

WAMU Theater - Line at the local bar that was nice enough to let people use their bathroom. This is the ladies wait line. - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Went to the sold-out Gracie Abrams & Role Model show here, and it was a great experience. It didn't feel like they oversold tickets because there was plenty of room in the back of the venue. The high ceilings helped prevent any feeling of claustrophobia, which I really appreciated. The AC was blasting--so it can be chilly if you're in the back, but it feels great if you're in the crowd. There was only one row of chairs along the back, and they were always full, so a lot of people ended up sitting on the floor to take breaks from standing. I really wish there were 2-3 rows of chairs in the back to make it more comfortable for those who need a break. The acoustics were excellent, loud but clear. I always wear earplugs, and the sound was at a perfect level for me. The food was nothing special, just standard stadium food, but good enough if you're hungry. You can bring in your own sealed water bottle, but if they see the cap, they'll take it, so keep that in mind. There were a few people passing out in the pit, but the security staff responded quickly and efficiently. Overall, I would definitely recommend this venue if one of your favorite artists is performing here. Just be aware that the walk to the light rail (Link) is a bit long and has a lot of stairs. If you have mobility issues, this could be a challenge, but if not, it's worth it to take the Link. read more

WAMU Theater - Role Model - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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WAMU will not provide water unless you pay $9 for a water bottle, which is then poured into a cup. They could provide the cups for free but I was refused by multiple people at WAMU "for inventory purposes." This is such a cheap, money-grubbing, and wasteful establishment that I will avoid it in the future. read more

I was worried about this place after reading so many negative reviews, but it was fine. I paid for seats and got seats! Lol. There were bleachers with cushioned folding chairs set up behind the floor area. The hardest part ended up being finding the seat numbers... they're underneath. We saw Erykah Badu. The sound quality in the place wasn't the best, but I appreciated being in a smaller arena. We enjoyed the show. read more

WAMU Theater - Erykah Badu entrance - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Wow, I was so hoping to have a different take of this venue. Especially after having a delicious soft pretzel. But unfortunately the general admission allowed for people to behave badly. A gentleman was so rude to me when I attempted to move forward I felt intimidated and uncomfortable. Being bullied at an ever and told to go behind an obviously taller (6'3" man) was humiliating. Nothing to do do but move behind him and his girlfriend hoping or not be reprimanded for singing. I stayed put to prove point and it was a good view. See my photos. But between those weird vibes I probably won't be back here unless I have a 6'5" boyfriend, lol, or am with a group of friends. Not a friendly concert venue for solo ladies. Just saying. Goodnight and happy yelping. read more

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Not the best concert venue. Standing room only can be done right, however this was not it. There was no incline/step to the floor at all so if you were on the shorter side (I am 5'3") you couldn't see the stage at all. The bar area won't let you take liquor out of the fenced off area, which would be fine if there ware adequate signs to point this out. There were not, so we were stuck inside the gate with our mixed drinks for the beginning of the concert. read more

Saw Wallows at this venue, this theatre was my 13th reason..... If you're planning on drinking ... drink your fill before entering the venue. You cannot have a vertical ID and drinks are $20.... read more

I've been to WAMU twice. The first time I saw nothing in the crowd of people. It's truly just impossible once the crowd gets too big and you're short. So choose to go for the more fun vibes in the crowd or the ability to see the stage from the seats is my takeaway from my experiences so far. I went to see Lauv and one of my friends had managed to hurt himself to the point where he needed crutches. This is where I want to shout out WAMU staff because we didn't even need to ask. The moment they saw him, they made sure we were in the ADA line. Now this was before door open so maybe it's different if you go later. It also meant that we were the first in lines for the ADA line and that's an interesting experience that I don't expect to see again. The group was too big to sit in ADA so we ended up taking up seats in the first row of the seating so no reviews of ADA beyond the staff were on top of ADA. I was just really glad the process was painless. Also their event parking is the Lumen Field Parking Lot, it's a flat $25. It jams up quickly but it is easy parking. read more

I'll start off my review with the 20 dollar chicken strips that were dried out and the fries were soggy, but not like normal, like they weren't even fully heated through, white, soggy and starchy/clumpy. The cashier rolled his eyes in a huff when I asked for a receipt then turned his tablet/monitor/pos thing a quarter turn and had me enter my phone number while reading from the side. I never received the text receipt. The cocktails are 17.50 for a maybe 10oz flimsy plastic cup, 10oz is generous, could be 8oz filled to the rim with ice and still didn't have the taste of having alcohol in it. Not satisfied with my first concert experience would rate 0 stars if I could. read more

I'll give WAMU a solid three out of five. It's a hit or miss type of venue depending on what event is going on. I will commend the fact that the amount of stalls in the bathroom is pretty good, especially how notorious it is for women to have to wait in line longer for restrooms. Since there's so many stalls, the line goes by pretty fast and/or is almost nonexistent. Security is MEEEHHH, but there's not much that can be done about that. I just wish I didn't have to throw away lip balm/makeup due to the fact that it might be fake and have alcohol in it. read more

Tomoko morrow was absolutely amazing. I bought tickets to go see Pierce the veil as a vip. Sadly i had issues with the tickets where it wasn't letting me claim the stuff i needed to get in. But when Tomoko saw me stressing about the tickets she helped me call to get the info i needed. She was a rockstar and im glad she was there to help make the whole experience better!! read more

Went to a concert there last night. The whole experience seemed so unorganized starting at where to enter the building. From there only two bathrooms- one upstairs, one downstairs & two CLOSED on the main level- seriously?!? The lines at both bathrooms were at least 50 people deep all night. Then to get drinks- wow- about 75 people deep all night! It was so hot in there due to no A/C airflow it was miserable. Jack Harlow resorted to spraying the crowd with a water hose after medics had to rescue several people from heat exhaustion. On the upside the concert & sound was great! Seems like they tried to pack as many people in to make a buck that they weren't prepared for. I'll think twice before ever going back. read more

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For initial entry it wasnt clear whether different lines meant different things due to very unbalanced volume (some were extended around the block and some were literally empty) but at the end it was all the same type of lines. I luckily lined up at a very short line and made inside in less than 1 minute so i felt bad for those who were waiting in line for the same thing. The bar was very well kept and organized, they do have hard liquor but dont offer shots, meaning you have to buy a mixed drink if you wanted hard liquor. I think this is a good call especially at a venue this size so that people don't get rowdy. I was pleasantly surprised how clean the bathroom was too. It was my first time coming back to WaMu since 2012, and this time made me want to come back again. read more

This venue is too unnecessarily rule based. I just left the bar area for one song with friends still hanging out with my things left behind, and then they unnecessarily prevent people from reentering even though the show is still going? I understand that the bars are closed early, but there's absolutely no reason for me not be able to reenter with ID. They even denied people who went to the bathroom from reentering? Stupid rules that are not there for any other place. read more

After a couple concerts here, I'm kind of over this venue. The acoustics and bass are horrible throughout the venue. Very not pleasant to the ear. The employees are usually super nice and they're there just to have a good time and work. The bathrooms are clean, and have many stalls. The soap dispenser will run out though so be prepared with some hand sanitizer or wipes. I love the fact they do have a Starbucks as one of their permanent food stands. My boyfriend got their buffalo chicken wraps for $11 and it was pretty decent for what it is. They use breaded buffalo chicken tenders and is very flavorful. They have a pretty basic/ cheap alcohol selections for their $14 cocktails. The ones that will definitely give you a hangover the next day. Parking was $20 for the night and was a 2 block walk from the parking garage to the venue. read more

Terrible crowd control, bad food, and horrific ventilation. Multiple people had heat strokes. I myself almost did. I also almost got trampled after being thrown to the ground after they tried to make everyone to take several steps back. As someone who has seen 40+ live shows I can CONFIDENTLY say this is by far the worst venue I've ever been to. Don Toliver was amazing though. read more

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I assume most of the negative reviews are people that did not comply with concert policies or were not able to be wasted and spill beer on everyone. Now my review. I had a great time getting to WAMU Theater on Link. The walk was easy and safe. The venue had metal detectors and workers helping customers self scan tickets. The venue had well placed bathrooms away from the stage which helped keep the crowd moving. The acoustics were what any indoor, multi-purpose facility provides. I noticed quite a few bad acoustic spots on the general admission floor but if you move around, tons of spots near and far with great acoustics. Bottom line, if your goal is to double-fist beers or nit-pick rules (Similar to any other venue anywhere) created so all ages can enjoy shows, this may not be a good venue for you. If you want a venue with tons of clean bathrooms, reasonable refreshment prices and an overall quality concert experience, maybe this venue is for you. Many of the previous reviews talk about neighboring businesses, parking and other non-factors of WAMU Theater. My only issue as a disabled guy is, have more chairs for people that are ADA-friendly. I didn't want to sit with the alcoholics in the peanut gallery (Drinking area). Yes, beer is expensive at any event. Do yourself a favor, go to a concert and enjoy the performances and experience. Do not go to a concert and seek cheap micro-brews or VIP access when you purchase general admission tickets. Enjoy! Oh, almost forgot, the workers in every area were awesome! read more

WAMU Theater - View from the floor. Came back from the bathroom and was able to make it back to this spot twice for Gojira and Deftones without any issues. - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Gary Heinrich. working East Hall 10/4/2024 should immense sympathy towards me as i asked for only a PLASTIC CUP just to hydrate during my time here. all the other attendants were trying to charge me $6.00 just for an empty cup. thankfully Gary was thoughtful enough to give me a plastic cup that probably costs less than a dime just to hydrate. please teach other food and beverage attendants some sympathy when someone is begging for something small like a plastic cup read more

Cool venue, but staff is INSANELY RUDE!!! And no re-entry even for an emergency. What is wrong with Seattle? Is it hard for people to have an ounce of kindness here? Also don't eat the food at the venue, make sure to bring your own because food poisoning seemed to happen to both of us...and that was the only place we ate at that day. read more