The upper section (we got tickets late and that was all that was available) are very difficult for short people to climb the stairs and for tall people to sit in the seats. The acoustics were wonderful.
You must enjoy this incredible experience! The seating space is tight for sure. So I do suggest people who have leeeeggggssss, to PLEASE get a box seat! Spend the little extra money for it lol. Other than that, or we'll be a magical moment you won't forget! They also have a gorgeous cafe and museum. Snack bars are available in your theater floor as well. They also have restrooms on 3 floors. I seen the phenomenal Gregory Porter last night and extremely glad I did!!
My son got a chance to participate in High School Honor Band here and it was an experience of a lifetime. Took a while to figure out the entrance door. Tickets on a pricey side (starting with $120). The only negative is why wouldn’t they let record, I’m not bothering anyone.
Amazing building and kept well. It was a bit hard for elderly to climb to the top floor. The front seats of the top floors are a bit scary as the safety could have been improve with sliding up bars when people are taking their seats. The view however was great and overall very positive experience
Beautiful venue; easy to navigate; acoustics superior, parking garages plentiful many nearby cafes and restaurants. Then there were the performances-absolutely unique, well combined and upbeat. Bernie Williams, Latin jazz guitar-soothing and sensual. Then there was JONATHAN TETELMAN- HE BLEW THE ROOF OFF OF CARNEGIE! The range , the length, the power of his tenor opera voice--OMG! Even when he sang in his native American, pure bliss. Where did this god of music come from? The other performers were delightfully mixed with these two talents! KUDOS to Carnegie!
I watched the Nier Orchestra at Carnegie Hall with my bf and it was truly breathtaking! The music was so beautiful and emotional. J'Nique Nicole and Emi Evans' singing was stunning. Their voices gave me chills. Especially on songs like "Weight of the World". The whole orchestra was incredible, and Yoko Taro's appearing at the end was surprising to me. Even with our not-so-great seats in section EE, the music was so powerful it didn't matter. It was an unforgettable experience and I'm so glad I got to experience it. The seats are tight and there's a column that blocked part of the view from where I was sitting. Overall, very good orchestra concert.
What an extraordinary place. It was a special treat to sit in a box. I still prefer the acoustics of David Geffen Hall in Lincoln center. The walls are Geffen Hall are all thick wood panels with scientifically designed undulating surface that enables the listener to hear the entire spectrum acoustically of the instruments. capturing, analyzing, or treating sound across its full range of frequencies, from low bass (infrasonic) to high pitch (ultrasonic), not just the limited range of human hearing (20Hz-20kHz), often using specialized acoustic panels to balance the sound in a space.
Best place to see classical music in NYC. So many good orchestras come here and the facilities are amazing. Line is not long to enter, and bathrooms are clean. The lines can get a little long after the concert or during intermission, like with all venues, but the lines are way more reasonable than many other places.
Very, helpful, friendly, and heartwarming staff. Coat check is available with a $2 fee. Make sure you come early if you plan to check your coats since it is only a small booth with one staff.
Broadway stars sing favorite tunes at Carnegie Hall! Presented by Molloy University! Led by showman Seth Rudensky with fabulous music by the South Shore Symphony Orchestra, this show was FANTASTIC!
Great venue to enjoy a holiday concert. The check in process was efficient and the staff were very friendly. It was super cold inside when we visited last Tuesday. We had to keep our coats and hats on. Not sure if that’s normal. Overall a great experience.
We attended the Nov. 21st NY Pops concert with Mandy Gonzalez singing a tribute to Lin Manuel Miranda. It was our first visit to Carnegie Hall and we are so happy we splurged on really great tickets where we could see and hear everything perfectly. A gorgeous setting with legendary acoustics, what a treat.
Carnegie Hall continues to be a place where the artistry onstage and the atmosphere in the room create something truly special. I went to the evening of Hayato Sumino. He delivered an absolutely stunning performance—expressive, virtuosic, and captivating from start to finish. Sumino’s artistry made the evening memorable. This was a performance that left the audience stirred, grateful, and reminded of the magic live music can bring. A strong five-star evening—elegant, moving, and beautifully executed. I truly hope Carnegie Hall has him back again in the near future.
The moment you step off 57th Street and walk into Carnegie Hall, you are shedding the frenetic energy of New York and entering a different dimension—one calibrated for pure sound. It's not the ornate, gilded opera house experience; it’s a temple built for acoustic truth.
The Ascent and The Weight of History
The lobby and grand staircase are simple, elegant, and heavy with history. As I ascended, I felt the intangible weight of every legend who has stood there—Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Callas, Hendrix. The Hall doesn't need external ornamentation; its grandeur is in the ghosts of the music it has hosted. There are no Cantinas or Energi Gaming here, just the hushed reverence of people anticipating a musical ritual.
The Room: A Study in Sound
The Stern Auditorium is a marvel of architecture because it’s a marvel of non-architecture. There is no gaudy fresco, no distracting flash. It’s a beautifully restrained space of red velvet and pale wood. I settled into my seat—a traditional theater chair, certainly not a Luxury Recliner—but the sightlines are perfect, drawing the eye directly to the stage.
The moment before the concert starts is the most profound: a silence so complete it feels like a physical blanket. You realize the room itself is the instrument, waiting.
The Acoustic Signature: Crystalline Clarity
The concert began, and the famous Carnegie Hall Sound revealed itself. It's not a romantic, blooming acoustic that flatters the orchestra; it is ruthlessly honest. Every phrase, every articulation, every missed entrance is delivered with crystalline, almost painful clarity.
During the slow movement of the symphony, the sound felt less like a wave washing over me and more like a set of perfectly cut glass objects being placed gently in the air. The detail was staggering. I wasn't just hearing a violinist, I was hearing the friction of horsehair on gut string. This is the MPX for classical music: high-fidelity, uncompromising, and utterly immersive.
Final Reflection
A trip to Carnegie Hall is a pilgrimage. You don't go for comfort (unlike the Maya Cinema recliners); you go for confirmation. You go to hear music as the composer and musicians intended, exposed and beautiful. The cost is high, and the focus is intense, but the experience delivers an emotional and intellectual impact unmatched by any other concert venue. It is, quite simply, the standard by which all other acoustical spaces must be judged.
The classics are classics for a reason. There’s a reason everyone wants to play here - the acoustics are great, audiences are generally well informed and respectful, the staff is professional, and you can feel all of the greats who’ve played there before. If you haven’t been, you will be surprised by the relatively modest size and lack of adornment, but the seating is wonderful with probably not a bad seat in the house. There is a broad array of programming, with tickets at many price points and discounts often available through TDF, TodayTix, etc. - so go see a show!
Carnegie Hall is gorgeous. We saw the Philharmonic on a Tuesday night and it was perfect. The prices are lower for great seats than Broadway. Absolutely lovely.
We finally made it to Carnegie Hall. Acoustics weren't as finely tuned as we expected. Box seat railing is real low. Intimacy makes it work. The little history museum is worth the (free) price of admission.
I went to see Sphinx Virtuosi with my two kids last night. The show was absolutely amazing and beautiful. Carnegie Hall is breathtaking and so aesthetically pleasing. I fell in love with the atmosphere. It makes you feel like you're in a magical palace. I will be returning!
On the suggestion of a friend, I booked a 11.30am Carnegie Hall guided tour. The one hour tour was informative and interesting. The guide gave an overview of the history of Carnegie Hall and various interesting tidbits including how Leonard Bernstein got his first accidental New York Philharmonic Debut at Carnegie Hall. I have attended a few Carnegie Hall concerts but had never seen the concert halls minus the crowd. The 2,790 seater Stern Auditorium/Ceremony Stage was stunning, and Carnegie Hall's newest concert venue built in 2003, the 599 seater Zankel Hall with its wooden almost bamboo like decor, was quite zen-like. The tour ends at the museum and one could easily spend an additional hour or more there. There is also a small gift shop in the museum and a nice cafeteria next door. The cafeteria has very good sandwiches.
Super elated to be here, performing The Symphonic Voyage from Indonesia at Carnegie Hall. Goosebumps knowing Dvořák’s New World Symphony premiered on this very stage — and we performed it here too.
One of the best venues to enjoy music in NYC. The acoustics are fantastic, especially for symphony concerts. I’ve visited for multiple events & it’s always a joyful time. Great music & artists!
Attending Evgeny Kissin’s solo performance at Carnegie Hall, was an absolutely unforgettable experience. From the moment I entered the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, I knew I was about to witness something truly special.
The venue itself is breathtaking—gilded architecture, soaring ceilings, and historic elegance that radiates from every corner. The acoustics are simply unmatched. Each note from the piano felt alive, resonating throughout the hall with remarkable clarity and warmth. Kissin’s performance was extraordinary, and the venue elevated it even further—every delicate pianissimo and thunderous crescendo was perfectly preserved and deeply moving.
I was seated in the Blavatnik Family First Tier, and I can’t say enough about the view and sound from this section. The tier seating offered an intimate and elevated perspective, close enough to see the expressions on stage, yet high enough to fully absorb the beauty of the hall and the music. It felt like the ideal place to experience a solo recital—both visually and acoustically.
The staff were organized and professional, guiding everyone efficiently, and the atmosphere was refined yet warm. There was a sense of reverence in the room, as if everyone knew they were witnessing something that transcended an ordinary concert.
Carnegie Hall is not just a venue—it’s an experience, and if you’re lucky enough to sit in the Blavatnik Tier for a world-class pianist like Kissin, you’ll remember it for a lifetime. I left in awe, grateful, and already looking forward to the next performance.
Great venue to experience a concert. I went to two shows and both times were amazing. Staff is friendly and nice to talk to. The merchandise sales are very organized and handled professionally. Entering and exiting was also a smooth process.
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