There’s something magical about hearing music in a venue that’s been hosting performances for over 2,000 years, where the acoustics were perfected long before anyone understood the science behind sound waves.
From ancient Greek theaters carved into hillsides to Roman colosseums that once echoed with gladiator battles, these venues have adapted to host everything from opera galas to indie rock festivals. Here’s a list of 20 ancient amphitheaters still used for concerts, where you can experience music the way audiences did when the Roman Empire was just getting started.
Theater of Dionysus, Athens
Considered the birthplace of drama, this 5th-century BC theater at the foot of the Acropolis still hosts performances during the Athens Festival each summer. The original stone seats have been hosting audiences for over 2,500 years, making it possibly the oldest continuously used performance venue in the world.
Modern sound systems seem almost redundant when you realize the acoustics were designed to carry an actor’s voice to 17,000 spectators without amplification.
Colosseum, Rome
While most people think of gladiator fights when they picture the Colosseum, this massive amphitheater now hosts classical concerts and opera performances that take advantage of its incredible acoustics and dramatic setting. The underground chambers that once housed wild animals now contain modern staging equipment, creating a surreal blend of ancient architecture and contemporary production values.
Standing in the arena where emperors once watched life-and-death spectacles while listening to a string quartet is an experience that recalibrates your sense of historical perspective.
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Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Colorado
Though much younger than most entries on this list, Red Rocks is nestled among 300-million-year-old sandstone formations that create natural acoustics rivaling any human-designed venue. The amphitheater, carved between two massive rock formations outside Denver, has hosted everyone from The Beatles to contemporary EDM artists.
The natural stone benches and towering red walls create an atmosphere where music feels like it’s emerging from the landscape itself.
Epidaurus Theater, Greece
Built in the 4th century BC, this Greek theater is renowned for its exceptional acoustics, which enable a whisper from the stage to be heard clearly in the back row, 180 feet away. The marble and limestone construction creates sound properties that modern engineers still study, making contemporary concerts here feel like acoustic experiments conducted in the world’s oldest laboratory.
The annual Epidaurus Festival brings classical drama and music to audiences sitting in the same spots where ancient Greeks experienced the birth of theater.
Arena di Verona, Italy
This Roman amphitheater from the 1st century AD has been hosting opera performances since 1913, making it one of the most prestigious venues in the classical music world. The pink marble structure can hold 15,000 spectators, creating an intimate atmosphere despite its massive size.
Modern artists performing here aren’t just giving concerts; they’re participating in a tradition that spans nearly two millennia of continuous entertainment.
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Aspendos Theater, Turkey
Built during the Roman Empire around 155 AD, this remarkably well-preserved theater continues to host the annual Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival. The theater’s designer, Zeno, created acoustics so perfect that modern sound engineers consider it a masterpiece of ancient technology.
The backdrop of the Mediterranean landscape adds a layer of natural beauty that no modern venue can replicate.
Herodes Atticus Odeon, Athens
Constructed in 161 AD at the foot of the Acropolis, this stone theater provides one of the most dramatic concert settings in the world. The Athens Festival uses this venue for performances ranging from classical music to contemporary artists, all performed against the backdrop of the illuminated Parthenon.
The contrast between ancient marble seats and modern staging creates a visual timeline that spans over 2,000 years of human creativity.
Orange Roman Theater, France
This UNESCO World Heritage site features the best-preserved Roman theater wall in existence, creating a natural acoustic shell that amplifies performances without electronic assistance. The annual Chorégies d’Orange festival has been bringing opera and classical music to this venue since 1869, making it one of the oldest music festivals in France.
The 103-foot-high stage wall serves as both a historical artifact and a functional backdrop for modern performances.
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Taormina Greek Theater, Sicily
Perched on a hillside overlooking Mount Etna and the Mediterranean Sea, this 3rd-century BC theater offers perhaps the most scenic concert venue in the world. The natural amphitheater carved into the mountainside provides acoustics that work equally well for ancient drama and contemporary pop concerts.
Watching a performance here feels like sitting in the gods’ private theater, with Sicily’s dramatic landscape serving as the ultimate stage backdrop.
Sagunto Castle Theater, Spain
Built into the ruins of a Roman theater within a medieval castle, this venue combines multiple historical periods in one dramatic setting. The modern reconstruction maintains the original semicircular design while adding contemporary amenities that make it suitable for everything from classical concerts to world music festivals.
The view from the upper tiers includes the Mediterranean coast, making intermissions almost as entertaining as the performances.
Plovdiv Roman Theater, Bulgaria
This 2nd-century theater was buried under a hillside for over 1,000 years before being rediscovered and restored in the 20th century. The marble seats and stage area now host the annual Verdi Festival and various contemporary concerts throughout the summer.
The fact that this theater was literally lost to history and then brought back to life makes every performance feel like a resurrection of ancient culture.
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Jerash South Theater, Jordan
Part of one of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities, this theater still hosts the annual Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts. The limestone construction and hillside setting create acoustics that carry music across the ancient city ruins, making concerts here feel like performances for both living audiences and the ghosts of the past.
The surrounding archaeological site means that intermissions become impromptu history lessons among 2,000-year-old columns and temples.
Caesarea Maritima, Israel
Built by Herod the Great around 22 BC, this seaside amphitheater now hosts contemporary concerts with the Mediterranean Sea as a backdrop. The restored venue maintains its original semicircular design while incorporating modern staging capabilities that attract international artists.
The combination of ancient Roman architecture and modern Israeli culture creates a unique atmosphere where past and present coexist.
Pula Arena, Croatia
This remarkably complete Roman amphitheater hosts everything from film festivals to rock concerts, proving that good venue design transcends entertainment genres. Built in the 1st century AD, the arena’s underground chambers now house modern production equipment while the upper levels provide seating for contemporary audiences.
The limestone walls that once echoed with the sounds of gladiator battles now reverberate with everything from opera to electronic music.
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Nîmes Arena, France
Still hosting bullfights alongside concerts and festivals, this Roman amphitheater demonstrates how ancient venues can adapt to changing cultural tastes. The 24,000-seat capacity makes it one of the largest ancient venues still in regular use, hosting events from classical concerts to modern music festivals.
The arena’s conversion from a gladiator venue to a concert space represents one of history’s most successful examples of adaptive reuse.
Mérida Roman Theater, Spain
Part of an extensive Roman archaeological complex, this theater hosts the annual International Classical Theatre Festival of Mérida. The granite and marble construction creates acoustics that make amplification almost unnecessary, even for contemporary performances.
The surrounding Roman ruins mean that audiences experience concerts within a complete ancient city, making every performance feel like time travel.
Palmyra Theater, Syria
Before recent conflicts, this 2nd-century theater hosted traditional music performances that connected contemporary Syrian culture with its ancient past. The limestone construction and desert setting created a unique acoustic environment that enhanced both classical and traditional Middle Eastern music.
Though currently inaccessible due to conflict, the theater represents the potential for ancient venues to bridge cultural and historical divides through music.
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Kourion Theater, Cyprus
Overlooking the Mediterranean from a clifftop setting, this Greco-Roman theater hosts summer festivals that take advantage of both its acoustic properties and dramatic location. The restoration maintains the original limestone construction while adding modern amenities that make it suitable for contemporary performances.
The combination of ancient architecture, natural acoustics, and seaside setting creates a concert experience that engages all the senses.
Butrint Theater, Albania
This small but perfectly preserved Greek theater hosts intimate concerts within a UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site. The natural hillside setting and ancient stone construction create acoustics that make every seat feel like a front-row experience.
The surrounding wetlands and ancient ruins mean that concerts here feel like private performances in a lost civilization.
Delos Theater, Greece
Located on the sacred island of Delos, this ancient theater now hosts occasional performances during archaeological conferences and cultural events. The marble construction and sacred setting create an atmosphere where music feels like a religious ceremony.
While not regularly scheduled for concerts, the venue represents the ultimate intersection of history, spirituality, and acoustic perfection.
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When Stone Meets Sound
These ancient amphitheaters prove that the best concert venues aren’t built, they’re perfected over centuries of use, weathering, and cultural evolution. Each performance in these spaces creates a direct connection between contemporary audiences and the countless generations who sat in the same seats, listening to music that filled the same acoustic spaces.
The fact that architects and engineers 2,000 years ago created sound environments that still surpass many modern venues suggests that understanding music and human gathering places might be more fundamental to civilization than we typically recognize. In an age of digital entertainment and virtual experiences, these ancient theaters remind us that some things—like the magic of live music in perfectly designed acoustic spaces—simply cannot be improved upon, only rediscovered and appreciated anew.
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