House of Blues is America’s best-known blues-and-live-music chain, running 11 concert halls and restaurants across the United States under corporate owner Live Nation Entertainment. What began as a single 1992 nightclub near Harvard Square — backed by Hard Rock Cafe co-founder Isaac Tigrett, Blues Brother Dan Aykroyd, and a roster of celebrity investors — grew into one of the country’s most recognizable touring circuits.
This guide answers the questions people search for most: who owns House of Blues today (including the New Orleans venue), exactly how many locations are still open and where, seat-by-seat capacities such as the often-searched Boston number, and the founding history behind the chain’s folk-art décor and Sunday Gospel Brunch tradition.
Quick Answer
House of Blues operates 11 locations across the United States — Anaheim, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, New Orleans, Orlando, and San Diego. Every venue, New Orleans included, has been owned by Live Nation Entertainment since the company completed its $354 million acquisition of House of Blues on November 3, 2006. House of Blues Boston, in Kenmore Square, seats roughly 2,425 for a concert.
Who Owns House of Blues?
House of Blues has been a wholly owned division of Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) since 2006. Live Nation, led by longtime CEO Michael Rapino and headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, is the world’s largest live entertainment company, also owning Ticketmaster alongside hundreds of other venues, festivals, and artist-management operations. House of Blues sits inside Live Nation’s Clubs & Theaters division.
Founders Isaac Tigrett and Dan Aykroyd sold the company to Live Nation in a deal announced in July 2006 and finalized on November 3, 2006, for a reported $354 million. That means there is no separate local owner for any single venue — House of Blues New Orleans, despite its independent French Quarter feel, is corporately identical in ownership to every other location in the chain.
House of Blues History: From Harvard Square to Live Nation
House of Blues opened its first venue on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1992, in Cambridge, Massachusetts’ Harvard Square. Isaac Tigrett, who had co-founded Hard Rock Cafe two decades earlier, partnered with actor-musician Dan Aykroyd — famous as one half of The Blues Brothers — to build a venue rooted in blues heritage and Southern folk art. Celebrity investors including Aerosmith, Paul Shaffer, and John Candy helped bankroll the launch.
The chain expanded through the 1990s and 2000s into major markets including New Orleans, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Orlando, Myrtle Beach, Cleveland, Houston, Dallas, San Diego, Anaheim, and Boston. Not every location survived: the original Sunset Strip venue in West Hollywood, opened in 1994, closed in 2015 after hosting nearly 10,000 shows. The current 11-venue footprint reflects consolidation after the 2006 Live Nation acquisition and later lease expirations at a handful of older properties.
All 11 House of Blues Locations & Capacities
As of 2026, House of Blues operates in 11 U.S. cities, each with its own approximate concert capacity: Anaheim, California (GardenWalk) around 2,200; Boston, Massachusetts (Kenmore Square) around 2,425; Chicago, Illinois (Marina City) around 1,400; Cleveland, Ohio around 1,300; and Dallas, Texas (Victory Park) around 1,750.
Rounding out the chain: Houston, Texas around 1,800; Las Vegas, Nevada (Mandalay Bay) around 2,000; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (Barefoot Landing) around 2,100; New Orleans, Louisiana (French Quarter) around 1,000 — the smallest and most historic room; Orlando, Florida (Disney Springs) around 2,600 — the largest; and San Diego, California around 1,500. Exact figures shift slightly with seating configuration, so always confirm capacity on the specific venue’s page for a given show.
Atmosphere and Heritage
Every House of Blues venue is designed to evoke the rootsy spirit of the American South, with handmade folk art sourced from the Mississippi Delta, corrugated tin walls, and theatrical lighting recalling the honky-tonks and juke joints that birthed the blues. The deliberately unpolished aesthetic set it apart from slicker mainstream arenas and became instantly recognizable from city to city.
A Sunday Gospel Brunch has been a signature event at most locations since the early days, pairing Southern comfort food with live gospel performances. The tradition, reinforced by the chain’s nonprofit Music Forward Foundation and its investment in youth arts education, helped establish House of Blues as more than a concert hall — a community gathering space rooted in African-American musical heritage.
Legendary Performances and Cultural Impact
Elton John once played an intimate set at the New Orleans location for just 800 people — one of the most celebrated underplays of his career. The Sunset Strip venue hosted nearly 10,000 shows before closing in 2015, including Tupac Shakur’s final concert on July 4, 1996, a joint performance with Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound later released as the live album ‘Live at the House of Blues.’
Programming expanded well beyond the chain’s blues origins, with sets from Eric Clapton, Al Green, Lenny Kravitz, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dogg. In April 1994, Aerosmith — one of the chain’s original celebrity investors — became the first band to play the Sunset Strip venue, introduced by co-owner Dan Aykroyd in full Blues Brothers costume.
Planning Your Visit: Tickets, Hours & the Foundation Room
Tickets for House of Blues concerts are sold through Live Nation and Ticketmaster, with pricing tiers that typically separate general-admission standing room from reserved balcony or loge seating; VIP packages and access to the members-only Foundation Room lounge cost more and often include separate entrances and private bars. Restaurant and bar hours run separately from showtimes, generally opening for lunch and staying open later on concert nights, with each city’s House of Blues setting its own weekly schedule around its show calendar.
Because hours, ticket prices, and the concert calendar change constantly by venue and by night, check the official House of Blues website for the specific city you’re visiting before you buy tickets or plan a trip.
house of blues FAQs
Who owns House of Blues?
House of Blues has been owned by Live Nation Entertainment since 2006, when Live Nation completed a $354 million acquisition of the chain from founders Isaac Tigrett and Dan Aykroyd. It now operates as part of Live Nation’s Clubs & Theaters division.
Who owns House of Blues New Orleans?
The New Orleans venue is owned by Live Nation Entertainment, the same corporate parent that owns every other House of Blues location. There is no separate local or franchise owner for the French Quarter room.
How many House of Blues locations are there?
There are 11 House of Blues venues currently operating in the United States: Anaheim, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, New Orleans, Orlando, and San Diego.
What is the capacity of House of Blues Boston?
House of Blues Boston, located in Kenmore Square, holds approximately 2,425 people for a standing concert, making it one of the larger rooms in the chain.
What is the history of House of Blues?
House of Blues was founded on November 26, 1992, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by Isaac Tigrett and Dan Aykroyd with backing from celebrity investors including Aerosmith. It grew into a national touring circuit before Live Nation acquired the chain in 2006 for $354 million.
Where are House of Blues locations in the USA?
House of Blues venues are located in Anaheim and San Diego, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; Dallas and Houston, Texas; Las Vegas, Nevada; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Orlando, Florida.
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