How to use transit to get to Chicago area concert venues

November 11, 2025

As the birthplace of house and gospel music and a seedbed of blues and modern jazz, Chicago has always boasted a strong musical heritage. Today’s music scene is as strong as ever as musicians across genres visit every year. Don’t miss out on the show of a lifetime because of parking; take CTA, Metra, or Pace to get to the Chicago region’s venues.

United Center

The United Center, home to the Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Bulls, is the largest arena in the United States and hosts over 200 events every year.

Where: 1901 West Madison Street, Chicago

How to get there:

• CTA Green line to Damen and walk for 10 minutes (0.4 miles)
• CTA Blue Line to Illinois Medical District and walk for 12 minutes (0.5 miles)
• CTA Pink Line to Polk and walk for 20 minutes (1 mile)
• CTA #9 bus (Ashland & Madison) and walk for 9 minutes (0.4 miles)
• CTA #20 bus (Madison & United Center)

Upcoming shows

Soldier Field

Soldier Field, home to the Chicago Bears and Chicago Fire, has been a Chicago landmark since 1924. With a capacity of 63,500, the venue hosts an array of sporting, entertainment, and community events every year.

Where: 1410 Special Olympics Drive, Chicago

How to get there:

• CTA Orange, Green, or Red line to Roosevelt and walk for 19 minutes (0.8 miles)
• CTA #146 bus (Soldier Field & Field Museum)
• CTA #130 bus (Soldier Field & Field Museum)
• Metra Electric to 18^th Street and walk for 6 minutes (0.3 miles)

Upcoming shows

Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field, home to the Chicago Cubs, is the second oldest ballpark in the major league. Situated in the center of the Wrigleyville neighborhood, the park hosts concerts while the team is away.

Where: 1060 West Addison Street, Chicago

How to get there:

• CTA Red Line to Addison
• CTA Brown Line to Addison and walk 20 minutes (0.9 miles) or transfer to CTA #152 bus (Addison & Clark)
• CTA #22 bus (Clark & Addison)
• CTA #152 bus (Addison & Clark)
• CTA #8 bus (Halsted & Waveland) and walk for 6 minutes (0.3 miles)
• CTA #151 bus (Sheridan & Byron) and walk for 6 minutes (0.3 miles)
• CTA #36 bus (Broadway & Waveland) and walk for 6 minutes (0.3 miles)

Upcoming shows

Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom

Situated in the Uptown neighborhood, the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom has been a staple Chicago music venue for decades. Owned by Live Nation since 2017, the ballroom hosts artists from across all musical genres year-round.

Where: 1106 West Lawrence Avenue, Chicago

How to get there:

• CTA Red or Purple Line to Wilson and then walk for 8 minutes (0.4 miles)
• CTA #151 bus (Sheridan & Lawrence) and then walk for 4 minutes (0.2 miles)
• CTA #36 bus (Broadway & Lawrence) and then walk for 2 minutes (0.1 miles)
• CTA #146 bus (Marine Drive & Wilson) and then walk 16 minutes (0.7 miles) or take the CTA #81 bus (Broadway & Lawrence)
• CTA #81 bus (Broadway & Lawrence) and then walk for 2 minutes (0.1 miles)

Upcoming shows

Metro

Formally known as Stages Music Hall and the Cabaret Metro, the Metro is a smaller, standing-only music venue in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood. The venue is known for hosting a variety of local, regional, and national emerging bands and musicians.

Where: 3730 North Clark Street, Chicago

How to get there:

• CTA Red Line to Addison and then walk for 8 minutes (0.4 miles)
• CTA #22 bus (Clark & Waveland) and then walk for 2 minutes (0.1 miles)
• CTA #151 bus (Sheridan & Byron) and then walk for 10 minutes (0.4 miles)

Upcoming shows

House of Blues

Founded nearly three decades ago, The House of Blues sought to recognize blues as a truly American art form and the seed of all 21^st century music. Today the venue hosts concerts of all genres and serves as a "living museum" featuring permanently displayed collections of art from more than 150 untrained, self-taught, and mostly African American artists.

Where: 329 North Dearborn Street, Chicago

How to get there:

• CTA Orange, Blue, Pink, Green, Purple or Brown Line to State & Lake and then walk 8 minutes (0.3 miles)
• CTA #36, #22, or #62 bus (Dearborn & Marina City)
• CTA #156 bus (LaSalle & Kinzie) and then walk 6 minutes (0.3 miles)
• CTA #157 bus (Madison & Canal)
• Metra Electric or South Shore lines to Millennium Station and then walk for 9 minutes (0.3 miles)
• Metra UP-N, UP-NW, or UP-W to Ogilvie Transportation Center and then walk 20 minutes (0.9 miles)

Upcoming shows

Salt Shed

Formally the old Morton Salt Factory, the Salt Shed is one of Chicago’s newest music venues and features both indoor and outdoor concert space. Situated right on the Chicago River, the Shed hosts shows from artists of all genres and backgrounds.

Where: 1357 North Elston Avenue, Chicago

How to get there:

• CTA Blue Line to Division & Milwaukee and then walk 15 minutes (0.6 miles)
• CTA Red Line to North & Clybourn and then walk 18 minutes (0.8 miles)
• CTA #70 bus (Division & Elston) and then walk 6 minutes (0.3 miles)
• CTA #72 bus (North Ave. & Elston) and then walk 8 minutes (0.4 miles)
• CTA #9 bus (Ashland & North Ave.) and then walk 15 minutes (0.6 miles)
• Metra UP-N or UP-NW to Clybourn and then walk for 20 minutes (0.9 miles)

Upcoming shows

Chicago Theatre

The shining lights of the Chicago Theatre serve as one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Taking up nearly half a city block, the venue hosts everything from concerts to comedy to Broadway shows.

Where: 175 North State Street, Chicago

How to get there:

• CTA Red Line to Lake
• CTA Brown, Green, Pink, Orange, or Purple lines to State & Lake
• CTA Blue Line to Washington and walk 5 minutes (0.2 miles)
• Metra Electric or South Shore lines to Millennium Station and walk 5 minutes (0.2 miles)
• CTA #2, #146, #148, #29, #36 bus (State & Lake)

Upcoming shows

Riviera Theatre

Located in Chicago’s historic Uptown Theater District, the Riviera Theatre has been a central part of Chicago’s entertainment scene for over a century. The venue hosts hundreds of shows a year for all ages.

Where: 4746 North Racine Avenue, Chicago

How to get there:

• CTA Red Line to Wilson and then walk 6 minutes (0.3 miles)
• CTA #36 or #81 bus (Broadway & Lawrence)
• CTA #78 bus (Wilson & Magnolia) and walk 7 minutes (0.3 miles)

Upcoming shows

The Vic

The Vic opened in 1912 as an alternative to more expensive shows at Chicago’s downtown venues. It is now known as one of the city’s more adaptable and resilient buildings in town serving as a landmark of the Lakeview neighborhood and hosting a wide variety of shows.

Where: 3145 North Sheffield Avenue, Chicago

How to get there:

• CTA Red, Brown, or Purple lines to Belmont
• CTA #77 bus (Belmont Red/Brown/Purple Line Station)
• CTA #22 bus (Clark & Belmont) and then walk 5 minutes (0.2 miles)
• CTA #8 bus (Halsted & Clark/Barry) and then walk 8 minutes (0.3 miles)

Upcoming shows

Thalia Hall

Thalia Hall is a historic landmark located in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. It was founded by John Dusek at the turn of the century as a neighborhood establishment and now serves as an approximately 800-capacity music venue featuring three on-site bars and restaurants.

Where: 1807 S. Allport St. Chicago, IL 60608

How to get there:

• CTA Pink Line to 18th Street and then walk 15 minutes (0.6 miles)
• CTA #18 bus (18th Street & Racine)
• CTA #60 bus (Loomis & Blue Island) and then walk 5 minutes (0.2 miles)
• CTA #8 bus (Halsted & 18th Street) and then walk 15 minutes (0.6 miles)

Upcoming shows

Radius Chicago

Previously an old steel factory, Radius has been transformed into a modern artistic space with mural art, multiple unique rooms, and state of the art sound systems.

Where: 640 W. Cermak Road, Chicago

How to get there:

• CTA Orange Line to Halsted and then walk 14 minutes (0.6 miles)
• CTA Red Line to Cermak & Chinatown and then take CTA #21 bus (Cermak & Lumber)
• CTA Blue Line to UIC-Halsted, CTA #8 bus (Halsted & Cermak) and then walk 4 minutes (0.2 miles)
• CTA #62 bus (Archer & Canal) and then walk 9 minutes (0.4 miles)

Upcoming shows

Ravinia Festival

Ravinia is a 36-acre park in a gently wooded area of Highland Park that is annually used as a venue for performers such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The park has four separate performance venues and concerts run from June through December. Festival ticketholders ride Metra free.

Where: 200 Ravinia Park Road, Highland Park

How to get there:

• Metra UP-N Line to Ravinia Park

Upcoming shows

SeatGeek Stadium

Home to the Chicago Red Stars, Chicago Fire, and Chicago Hounds, SeatGeek Stadium is the Chicago region’s soccer-specific stadium. In addition to sporting events, the stadium hosts concerts and music festivals annually.

Where: 700 South Harlem Avenue, Bridgeview

How to get there:

• CTA Green Line to Harlem & Lake then Pace #307 bus to Bridgeview Transit Center Bay 1
• Metra BNSF Line to Harlem Ave. and then Pace #307 bus to Bridgeview Transit Center Bay 1
• CTA Orange Line to Midway and then Pace #386 bus to Harlem Ave. & 71^st
• CTA Blue Line to Harlem and then Pace #307 bus to Bridgeview Transit Center Bay 1

Upcoming shows

Allstate Arena

Opened in 1980, the Allstate Arena hosts everything from indoor soccer and professional wrestling to concerts and political rallies.

Where: 6920 North Mannheim Road, Rosemont

How to get there:

• CTA Blue Line to Rosemont, Pace #221 bus to Touhy Ave. & Mannheim Road then walk 7 minutes (0.3 miles)
• Metra UP-NW to Des Plaines, Pace Pulse Dempster Line to Lee & Touhy Station then walk 11 minutes (0.5 miles)

Upcoming shows