Hard Rock Live Orlando

Delicious. Definitely expensive. Had to send my guitar picture back because it had a line across the picture.

Very Clean Venue and Chris Tucker killed his performance yesterday night. Doesn’t get 5 stars because of long walk from CityWalk to thr location ans also the show started 30 minutes late which was not cool but all and all lots of things to do around there and the show was amazing

I had been here years ago but didn’t remember much. I went back recently to see Coheed & Cambria. It was a good show, but Hard Rock is definitely not my favorite music venue.
The good: The sound, plenty of standing room, and decently sized stage.
The (really) bad: The drinks (weak and really expensive — not worth the $$$), your have to descend 3 flights of stairs for the bathroom (and ascend to get back, of course), and getting out of the venue is the worst. It’s terribly designed — we felt like cattle being herded and it took FOREVER.
I guess if it’s where my favorite bands play, then I’ll be back — but I’ll definitely pregame it and try to scoot to the back before the show ends.

I went to my first concert here a few months ago but I’ve been here before for a number of work parties and I even got to co-​host an event here once. If you’re planning to attend an event here be prepared to park in the universal parking garage and walk through city walk to get here. You may want to skip the heels. I’ve enjoyed all the events I’ve attended here. There’s lots of room, bathrooms are clean and you never have to go too far to find the bar. As far as concerts are concerned I prefer getting a balcony seat. I’m pretty short and it’s nice to have a seat if you chose to wear heels. I like their balcony because it gives you prime viewing of the show, there are two bars and easy access to a bathroom. The only thing I’m not impressed with are the drink prices during the concerts. They’re $ 10+ for a generic beer and you don’t get a choice about the souvenir cup it comes with. Every drink after that is $ 9 in the same cup. But despite the crazy drink prices, I would still come back here for a concert.

One of the worst venues for a sit down show possible. Chairs flow into each other with no hand rests. Once the show is started good luck getting a drink or using the bathroom. I think i saw waitresses going down the isle to sell drinks but hell the breaks between isles was too far to see and confirm. there isn’t enough room to go down the isle without stepping on peoples feet to go anywhere. The line to walk in was pretty damn long and unorganized. Once we got in we had to wait in another line for someone to chauffeur us to our seats as if we were children. Even if my favorite artist were to come here, i highly doubt i would ever go to see them.

¹¹⁄₂₀ — JIM GAFFIGAN LIVE!
Über or Valet Park to get here, it is worth it! They leave you way closer than the actual parking lot. Since it is located at Universal Studios, it is quite a long ways from the parking lot, plus no parking fees.
It is very well organized. When we arrived there were two staff members, telling everyone where they needed to stand. The check in process and check bag process went very smoothly. We all got in on time. They set up the floor with chairs. I’ve been to many standing room only events here so this was a nice change. The chairs were very comfortable, a little small, plus they were all attached at the bottom so you were a little too close to your neighbor.
You could not take any pictures or video. I had my phone out on my lap and one of the security staff told me to put it in my purse. He kept going up and down the aisles. I got a rum and coke. They made it perfect! Plus they gave you a souvenir cup.

I love this venue! It is a great place to see Stand up or a Concert.
Hard Rock Live is located just outside of Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in the City Walk area. It is next to the Hard Rock Café and Blue Man Group.
I love this venue for a concert because it is indoor and air conditioned, which is always a plus in Florida. Also, it isn’t too big, so the show feels more intimate.
It is also a great venue for stand up because there really isn’t a bad seat. Even in the back row of the balcony you can hear/​see the person you came to see.
For most concerts I’ve been to the floor is standing room GA with actual seats on the balcony and bar tables on the sides of the balcony.
For most stand up I’ve seen, they put out seats on the floor, but the balcony is the same setup.
I’ve been backstage for a few concerts here and they have a nice set up for meet and greets with artists.
The only downside of Hard Rock Live is the price of the drinks. $ 15?! Geez, but what do you expect?

My wife & I really enjoy going to the Hard Rock Live. It’s clean, the balcony seats are comfortable and its a great place for a night out with friends and family. We’ve been about 7 times this year and have really enjoyed ourselves each time. If you’re into classic rock, be sure to checkout the Classic Albums Live shows. We haven’t been disappointed yet! We saw them play Led Zeppelin IV last night, and the band was outstanding!
A word about parking… it’s FREE after 6pm. If you show-​up a minute earlier, be ready to throw $ 20 out the window. Also, if you’re a Florida resident, you can pay $ 5 for Preferred Parking and avoid some of the crazy door-​dingers.
Also, as some have mentioned… it’s a decent walk from the parking garage to the Hard Rock, so plan for it. We’re typically coming from dinner, so we don’t mind the walk before the show.
Hope this is helpful.

Nice venue. Good size. I went for a comedy show. The seating was really cramped. No leg room. No personal space. The chairs were very uncomfortable. Also would like to be served alcohol during the show — not just before and after.

Such a great venue! The staff was great, the lights and sound for the show were outstanding!

I’ve been to Hard Rock Live for many concerts over the years and it’s really my favorite larger music venue in town. (The other theme park venue is smaller and has annoying columns that always end up blocking my view.)
It’s a bit of a hike to Hard Rock from the parking garage. Keep in mind if you’ve never been before that you should give yourself probably an extra 15 minutes from the parking lot.
Since I’m pretty short I prefer balcony seats when I can get them. They are pretty fantastic seats and you are guaranteed a good view of the show. Plus, you still have the option of going down to the floor for your favorite song and return to your seats when you need a break. It’s cool. The only seats I’d suggest avoiding are the row right behind the walkway, just because you’ll have people passing in front of you the whole time, and that gets old fast.
Upstairs has better bar access too, there is a bar at either end and the lines aren’t as bad as the downstairs. Drinks are stupid expensive though, so budget for that if you’re the drinking type. They also have tables you can reserve on the sides of the balcony. The catch is you have to buy all four seats. I’ve done that once or twice with friends and didn’t love it. The perk is you have your own bartenders but the view from the side isn’t as good and one seat has to turn awkwardly away from the table to watch the show.
Staff at Hard Rock is good. I was amazed by the usher at the concert we just attended. He looked like a scary goth guy but was super courteous and smiled at everyone. He was fun to watch.
Overall, good place. I’ve seen some of my all-​time favorite bands here and have never been disappointed by the venue.

Great small venue to see bands. There are no bad seats in the house. There are elevators to the balcony second-​floor and VIP elevators to the third-​floor back row

For as nice as this venue seems initially it is dangerously close to two-​star territory for me. Let’s start with the parking fees. If you arrive later at night Universal will cut you some slack with the high parking fee. However, if you’re coming from Tampa there is a high probability that you will encounter a traffic nightmare on I-​4 caused by wrecks, weather, etc. If you don’t leave early there’s a good chance that you will miss your show if that happens. So arriving earlier in the afternoon means hello $ 17 parking charge. Ugh.
Almost every concert that I have seen here has been standing room only general admission on the floor. I am way too cranky at this point in my life to put up with that. Mercifully there are reserved seats upstairs. The seats are semi-​comfortable, except for the hard, wooden armrests. The rows that the seats are in were designed by a sadist. I would not be confused for a big guy and still I have a terrible time squeezing past people. The rows are so cramped you’re almost guaranteed to be stepping on people trying to get past them. It’s so bad I saw the people behind me climbing over chairs and over a bannister to get out instead. I followed their lead and tried it in the other direction and not only banged my knee on a hard armrest, but also spilled a woman’s $ 15 drink down my leg in the process. So I was out $ 15, had a sock that smelled like hard liquor, and had my dreams of becoming a ninja dashed. The seats on the far end of the rows (like mine) have pretty terrible views of the stage. Still it was better than standing in the sea of humanity on the general admission floor for two hours.
I always cringe when I see that they still have bathroom attendants here. I’m sorry, but I am not tipping someone to hand me a paper towel. I’m perfect capable of walking two feet and getting one myself. It’s always awkward and uncomfortable when I refuse their assistance.
What I like about Hard Rock is that with their clout they are sometimes able to pull acts that don’t come to Tampa. I’ll keep coming here because of that but I won’t always be happy about it.

So I have waited to write a review for Hard Rock Live because I wanted to experience it a few times. Well now I have been there 5 times and I can say its okay for what it is… a overpriced venue at a overpriced theme park. The shows I have seen are great (kids in the Hall and just recently Chris Hardwick for example) and the theater area is nice. I like choosing a seat up in the balcony because it is small enough that I don’t feel that far away from the stage and I get some great un-​obstructed views. The sound system is good and I can always hear no matter where I sit.
Here is my complaint… and the reason I can’t give it 5 stars… the booze prices. I know the theme parks do a fine job of robbing us blind with food and booze but Hard Rock goes out of their way to make their drinks super expensive. They of course would never allow you to bring anything in so if you want to enjoy a show with a buzz, you have to buy their over priced drinks. $ 15 for a tall beer? $ 9 refills? Really? $ 18 Call brand drinks? I am sorry but NYC is not that expensive. They seem to want to make all their profit from selling drinks. Oh well… This is the only reason I hesitate to go to Hard Rock for shows. Even the new Dr Phillips venue is cheaper than them.
I have to say that the staff is super nice and I almost feel like they are apologizing while telling you about the prices of their drinks…
So If you have to see a show that is only at the Hard Rock, go and have a good time but be prepared to bring lots of money if you want to drink while watching a show.

This venue is just OK. It’s a pretty intimate setting (in a good way though). The seats are pretty tight and a little bit uncomfortable. The floors are a bit sticky and not the best air ventilation, and we were there for Wanda Sykes.
It is a bit of a trek from the parking garage (unless you valet…), so give yourself plenty of time.

Visited Hard Rock Live to see the Wilco concert a few days ago, and I was really impressed! Venue is very nice, big open space without the pillars and stairs (Orlando House of Blues has) to get in the way of your view. They have the option for balcony seating upstairs which is nice if you don’t want to brave the crowds on the general admission floor area. I was impressed with the layout and lobby area, as well as the multiple bars areas and even food options available for purchase. Bathrooms were even super nice and clean which is usually not the case at concert venues!

Hard Rock Live sees a variety of artists on a weekly basis. The main focus is rock (duh) with a lot of artists that have been around for awhile. Many bands from the 80s and 90s make a stop here. Sort of an in between venue for Orlando, It is certainly bigger than the Beacham but nowhere near the size of Amway.
Park at the City Walk garages and then walk from there. Parking is free for Florida Residents who show their ID at the parking booth after 6pm.
The venue has 2 concert viewing levels: the floor for standing room only and an upper balcony with seats. There are a few bars on the first floor with the main bar right when you walk in. They first drink will kill you at about $ 13 but refills for you plastic cup run about $ 9. There is no reentry so don’t try to leave for cheaper drinks then come back for the main act.
Security is easy to spot in bright yellow polo shirts. Great for when you have someone super drunk falling on the floor in front of you. Someone else from the crowd was kind enough to flag a big guy down to haul Mr. Wastedpants away. True story.
Bathrooms are downstairs. Hopefully you don’t have too many of those $ 13 beers or you’ll be getting your cardio in while you’re here.

This venue is certainly comfortable. When the venue fits with the band playing, its fantastic! However, when the band doesn’t fit, it’s awkward. For example, the velvet-​covered chairs seem fitting for listening to jazz or perhaps a theatre performance, but when I want to dance to the music, this venue does not allow me to do so, which may be a good thing for those I go with (yikes). I much prefer standing at concerts, but here I felt awkward.
I recently saw the Beach Boys here, well two members of the Beach Boys, with John Stamos filling in. The sound was great, even from the balcony, although there were a few audio glitches (feedback) that made everyone cover their ears. I would definitely recommend Hard Rock, depending on who is performing. If it makes you want to dance, but you’re okay being forced to contain it, then go for it!

We came for my birthday to see the Impractical Jokers. Even though everyone had reserved seats, I was surprised to see that there was a line set up down by the water. We were told the doors would open at 10:00 for the 10:30 show. So we had to wait about 40 minutes in line. But… the doors didn’t open at 10:00. It was more like 10:15.
Once inside, the chairs and rows were very squeezed in. I couldn’t see a lot of the show because the drunks in front of me were so close and always putting their arms up to take videos.
I had been here years ago for a general admission concert. That was ok, but not great. I don’t think I’ll be doing any more reserved seats here unless I can get really close.

My husband and I have been to several concerts here. It’s a great little venue because of its location at Universal Studios Citywalk so you can grab a quick dinner at one of the establishments before the show and kill time before the show.
Parking can get backed up so make sure to get there early! During weeknights (not sure about weekends) Florida residents get free parking after 6pm (with valid ID) so that’s a bonus!
On our most recent visit to see Pentatonix, Hard Rock security had a line form outside to go through security. I will say that as long as the line was, it moved very quickly. Once past security, we tried to grab food but the line was just too long and not really moving so we opted to grab a drink from the bar in the front lobby area.
We had seats on the floor and they were great but most of the time people were standing. I made a point to sit through some songs since we paid good money for those seats! ;) It’s a total preference thing on what seats to get. We’ve been seated up on the balcony before and while it was ok, it got really old watching people walk back and forth while you are trying to enjoy a show. There are also standing room admission tickets which I am sure are a steal but make sure you are wearing comfy shoes. Don’t do stilettos unless you have someone to carry you on their shoulders at the end of the night!
I’d totally come back again. Always a great time at the Hard Rock!