Just a hop, a skip, or a drive away: the nearby performance venues you need to know

One of the best pastimes as a college student is going outside your comfort zone and discovering new music. These venues will help you with that venture along by providing areas for theatrical shows, dance performances and live music of all kinds.  

Walking Distance

Memorial Hall

114 E. Cameron Ave.

Chapel Hill

One of the largest venues for Carolina Performing Arts, Memorial Hall is one of the on-campus performance venues that is most easily accessible for students. This is home to theatrical and dance productions along with orchestral concerts and more. This is a historical venue on campus, built in 1885 and renovated in 2005. Students can see performances here for $10.

The Varsity Theatre

123 E. Franklin St. 

Chapel Hill

The Varsity Theatre is a landmark for UNC students who live both on and off-campus. Generations of students have visited The Varsity Theatre, which has been open for half a century. Along with movie showings six days a week, performance groups rent out The Varsity often and students even have the opportunity to have birthday parties here. They also host showings of the Duke/UNC basketball games every year, making the rush to Franklin Street after UNC's inevitable win much less tiring. 

Local 506

506 W. Franklin St. 

Chapel Hill

This all-ages rock club is one of the many concert venues available to UNC students. Local 506 features a showroom and a full bar for those of drinking age. Touring musicians and local bands frequent this venue and attract swarms of UNC students. 

Driving Distance

Cat’s Cradle

300 E. Main St.

Carrboro

The historic Cat’s Cradle is an institution among music lovers at UNC. It was listed as the 12th best concert venue in the nation by the music publication Consequence of Sound. Cat’s Cradle hosted two sold out performances of the artist Mitski this past year, causing a commotion among UNC students scrambling to buy tickets. It is debatable as to whether or not this venue is within walking distance to UNC’s campus, but all I will say is that I felt like my feet were going to fall off on my walk home from the Mitski concert. 

Durham Performing Arts Center

123 Vivian St.

Durham

The Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) is the self-proclaimed “center for live entertainment” in North Carolina. As up to interpretation as that might be, DPAC is a fruitful resource for theater nerds at UNC. They have a mission of presenting one-of-a-kind live entertainment events and bring in over 500,000 guests a year. 

The Carolina Theatre

309 W. Morgan St.

Durham

The Carolina Theatre is in the heart of Durham and brings UNC students into Duke territory with their performances. They host over 60 concerts, daily film and film festivals along with attracting more than 150,000 people each calendar year. I had the spiritual experience of seeing the drag queen, Trixie Mattel, at The Carolina Theatre this fall, and I don’t think I’ve been the same since. 

@jessbenn24

arts@dailytarheel.com