Tech is located in Midtown, an area slightly north of downtown Atlanta. This location allows for students to have access to a large variety of venues showcasing the music and art the city has to offer. The venues listed are all within two miles of Tech’s campus and range in price but are accessible to students.
The Fox Theatre is known as one of Atlanta’s most iconic performing arts venues, located at 660 Peachtree Street NE in Midtown Atlanta, GA. Walking distance from campus, this venue showcases talent from Broadway hits and ballet to comedy shows.
The idea of going to a Broadway show or performance might be a bit daunting for some students, especially since the general admission price can be in the higher price range, but fortunately, there are ways to work around this.
The theater often offers discounted tickets, including Student Rush Tickets for college students depending on the show. To gain these tickets, one just needs to bring valid college student identification with them to the box office approximately two hours before each performance. Currently, the theater is offering these tickets for the Broadway musical comedy “Tootsie,” which is being performed from Jan. 25 to Jan. 30.
According to Broadway World, “The Student Rush Ticket price will be valid for all performances with a two-ticket limit per student ID. Student Rush Tickets are subject to availability and will be sold from the best available, which may include limited view locations.”Another venue that is close to Georgia Tech is Terminal West. It’s a mid-sized music/events venue at King Plow Arts Center, with an onsite bar/restaurant. The venue has lived many lives and has transformed from a plow factory to studio space and finally into a music venue in 2012. The music is primarily indie, and the concerts are more intimate, great for seeing small and up-and-coming artists. The shows are reasonably priced with many tickets starting at $15. Parking is $10 on show nights, cash or credit card is accepted and the first 20 minutes in the parking deck are free.
The Tabernacle is a concert hall that is a little closer to downtown than midtown but it’s still less than two miles from campus.
“It opened in 1910 as The Broughton Tabernacle; Dr. Leonard Gaston Broughton was the pastor and a physician,” the Tabernacle’s website says.
The church’s congregation relocated in the mid-1980s, and the building remained empty until the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games when it became a House of Blues club and has remained a music venue ever since. The concert hall does not limit itself to a particular music style or genre and artists from every walk of life perform there. The Tabernacle is a mid-sized but well-known concert hall so the prices range depending on the artists but there is something for every student. Center Stage Theater is an iconic live performance venue in Midtown and possibly one of the closest venues to Georgia Tech’s campus.
According to the Center Stage Theater’s website, “the venue has had over five decades hosting music, comedy, wrestling, boxing, eSports, film and television recordings and private events.”
Center Stage Theater isn’t a singular venue but has three separate stages. The facility features the original Center Stage Theater, which is known for its acoustics. The next venue is The Loft, an industrial and small live music and event space. Finally, there is Vinyl, a 300-capacity venue that is known in Atlanta’s local music scene.
Finally, it would be impossible to talk about venues close to Georgia Tech’s campus without mentioning the university’s own Ferst Center For The Arts. Ferst is the university’s theater and arts center and is adjacent to DramaTech, the student-run theater. The mid-sized auditorium can seat up to 969 people and features a proscenium stage, orchestra pit and theatrical lighting and sound systems.
At the heart of campus, the center serves as a space for the presentation of concerts, lectures, dance, film and theater for students, alumni and the greater Atlanta area. The Ferst Center For The Arts is also a space for students to show their talents.
“The Georgia Tech School of Music performs multiple concerts at the Ferst Center throughout the year, and DramaTech, the student theater group, performs in the James E. Dull Theatre at the Ferst Center as well,” the Ferst website says.
There is no shortage of event spaces and venues for students to explore, and many of them are within walking distance or a short car ride from campus.
Tech is fortunate to be located near vast amounts of art and music.