Overview of Taiwan's Music Scene: Music Venues

Author: 簡辰倢、邱奕達 / YSOLIFE

In the early development of Taiwan’s live music scene, Live House venues were deeply intertwined with underground culture, marked by a strong grassroots spirit. These spaces were typically small in scale and simply equipped, yet they carried the raw energy of independent music and nurtured many of today’s renowned artists, such as Wubai & China Blue (伍佰 & China Blue), Mayday (五月天), CHTHONIC (閃靈), and Fire EX. (滅火器).

In recent years, with the rapid growth of the music scene and rising audience expectations for audiovisual effects and live experiences, many music venues have gradually transformed and upgraded—evolving from single-purpose performance spaces into multifunctional event venues. Amidst the wave of globalization, many have even become regular stops on international artists’ tour routes.

This article focuses on small and medium-sized music venues in Taiwan with capacities under 3,000 people. It provides a regional overview of representative venues in the north, central, and south areas, examining their stylistic positioning, audience demographics, and equipment specifications to help overseas music industry professionals quickly understand the diverse landscape of Taiwan’s music venues.

Venue	Location	Capacity	Features	Past International Events
SUB LIVE	Taipei	800	Located near the Taipei Music Center Equipped with top-tier lighting, LED & video systems First venue in Taiwan with a built-in live broadcast & recording system Designed for Rock, Indie pop, Hip-hop, Electronic music, Theater	Feeder × ELLEGARDEN OMA + Shing02 Road to BU-ROCK FIREBALL Afterparty GLOWBALL FESTIVAL
Revolver	Taipei	120	A hybrid underground music space combining a live house and a bar Key venue for Punk, Metal & Alternative Rock Hosts live performances almost every day Known for its anti-mainstream identity and rebellious spirit	Kawabata Makoto (Acid Mothers Temple) Tokyo Chuo-Line HEXIS
The Wall Live House	Taipei	600	A representative venue of Taiwan's early underground music scene Once the largest performance space in Taipei prior to Legacy Located in a basement near a university district Recognized by New York Magazine as one of “Taipei’s Top 10 Must-Visit Spots”	toe NIGHTMARE Sunny Day Service BUDDHA BRAND
Legacy Taipei	Taipei	1,500	Located in Huashan 1914 Creative Park, a historic cultural landmark Venue repurposed from a heritage building Combines a studio-style layout with intimate audience interaction	The Jesus And Mary Chain Quavo DIR EN GREY Jinjer Acid Mothers Temple Glass Animals The Next Big Thing
Legacy MAX	Taipei	2,000	The largest performance space within the Xinyi District’s retail area Situated in the heart of Taipei’s commercial center, serves as a prime example of integrating music with everyday life	Slowdive LiSA amazarashi Aimer FKJ HYOLYN
Legacy Mini	Taipei	120	Named one of Wallpaper (UK) magazine’s Best Business Hotels of 2012 Located in the busiest district of Taichung’s West District Features an integrated bookstore within the hotel	BIGYUKI Toshi Fujii
Legacy Taichung	Taichung	1,500	Conveniently located near the Zhonggang Interchange and Taichung's new city center lifestyle zone Equipped with professional-grade performance facilities	Kanho Yakushiji Omnipotent Youth Society
Legacy TERA	Taipei	2,000	Located at Taipei Music Center, adjacent to the Cultural Hall and Performance Hall Equipped with high-spec sound, lighting, and video systems Ideal for various performance and exhibition formats	NOWADAYS Leah Dou PRIMAL SPIDER LEE JUN HYUK
SOUND Live House	Taichung	100	Functions as an American-style bar combined with a hybrid performance space Known for supporting Punk, Rock, and Indie music scenes in Central Taiwan	HAWAIIAN6 TOTALFAT Gony Doldrey JOHNNY PANDORA Unlimited Freedom Festival
TCRC Livehouse	Tainan	50	Founded its own label TCRC Records to release and distribute music An intimate, underground-style space Known for supporting the local indie scene and helping launch Tainan-based bands	THE LET’S GO’s LOOLOWNINGEN & THE FAR EAST IDIOTS RUN RUN RUN
Paramount Bar	Kaohsiung	150	Three-story hybrid venue combining multiple functions Serves as a key hub for Punk, Metal, and Heavy music genres in southern Taiwan Regularly hosts live band performances and DJ events featuring local flavor	Coming Up Roses JPBS BUDDHADATTA Kruelty

Taipei

As the core region of Taiwan's music industry, Taipei offers a wide range of music venues—from high-spec professional performance spaces to key hubs of the underground music scene. Each plays a vital role in driving the industry forward and fostering creative energy.

SUB LIVE

Opened in late 2024, SUB LIVE is a new venue located near the Taipei Music Center. It was co-founded by Sam Yang (楊大正), lead singer of punk band Fire EX (滅火器). and head of Fire ON Music; Delafat (迪拉胖), founder of Hip-hop label KAO!INC. (顏社); Chiang Chi-kang (江季剛), managing director of Indie Pop label Begin Music (相遇音樂); and Kuo Kuo (國國), vocalist and guitarist of Sunset Rollercoaster (落日飛車) and founder of Sunset Music (夕陽音樂).

With a capacity of approximately 800 people, the venue is equipped with top-tier lighting, LED, and video systems. Notably, it is the first venue in Taiwan to feature an integrated live broadcast system. SUB LIVE supports a wide range of performances, including Rock, Indie Pop, Hip-hop, Electronic music, and theater.

It has hosted joint shows by British band Feeder and Japanese band ELLEGARDEN, along with international events such as Road to BU-ROCK, FIREBALL Afterparty, and GLOWBALL FESTIVAL.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SUB LIVE（@sublive.tw）分享的貼文

Revolver

Founded in 2010 by two British owners, Revolver takes its name from The Beatles’ most experimental album, signaling its rebellious punk spirit. The “No Coldplay” sign inside the venue further underscores its anti-mainstream stance. Hosting live shows nearly every night, Revolver accommodates around 120 people and operates as a hybrid bar-performance space. It has become a key hub for Punk, Metal, and Alternative Rock in Taipei.

Notable acts that have performed here include Kawabata Makoto, founding member of the legendary Japanese Psychedelic Rock band Acid Mothers Temple; the Jazz-Infused Japanese band Tokyo Chuo-Line and Danish Black Metal band HEXIS.

Source: Ysolife

The Wall Live House

Established in 2003, The Wall Live House was originally founded by Freddy (lead vocalist of CHTHONIC), A-ji (lead vocalist The Chairman), and Jimi, organizer of the Spring Scream festival. Located in a basement near a university district, the venue has a capacity of around 600 and was once the largest live house in Taipei prior to the establishment of the Legacy venue series (introduced later in this article).

In addition to hosting performances, The Wall Live House has organized iconic music festivals such as Formoz Festival (野台開唱) and Megaport Festival (大港開唱), cementing its place in the history of Taiwan’s underground music scene. It was named one of “Taipei’s Top 10 Must-Visit Spots” by New York Magazine, and has also been featured in The New York Times and Monocle.

Notable performers include Japanese Math Rock band toe, Shibuya-kei icons Sunny Day Service, classic Visual kei band NIGHTMARE, and legendary Hip-hop group BUDDHA BRAND.

Source: Jessie, Ysolife

Legacy

Legacy is a locally established professional venue brand. Since the opening of Legacy Taipei in 2009, the brand has expanded to include Xinyi Theater Legacy MAX, Legacy Mini, and Legacy Taichung, with venues accommodating between 80 and 2,000 people. The newest addition, Legacy TERA, features high-spec audio, lighting, and video systems, offering optimal support for performers.

Many internationally acclaimed artists have performed at Legacy venues, including Post-rock/Post-punk bands Slowdive and The Jesus and Mary Chain; U.S. Hip-hop star Quavo; Australian Electro-pop group Parcels, and Japanese Visual kei Avant-metal band DIR EN GREY.

True to its name, Legacy  also champions emerging bands through curated events such as The Next Big Thing (大團誕生) and the Thousand-People Concert (千人展).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Legacy 傳 音樂展演空間（@legacy_taiwan）分享的貼文

In addition to the above, Taipei is also home to PIPE, a historic water pumping station repurposed into a cultural venue that frequently hosts music events and parties; WITCH HOUSE (女巫店), which focuses on unplugged and Folk performances and has nurtured many well-known Taiwanese singer-songwriters; and Jack’s Studio (杰克音樂), a key venue for extreme metal that has hosted legends such as Mayhem and Behemoth.

Together, these small-scale performance spaces shape the distinct and underground texture of Taipei’s dynamic live music scene.

Central & Southern Taiwan

SOUND Live House

SOUND Live House is a prominent venue in Taichung, divided into three sections: an art gallery focused on visual exhibitions; an intimate stage suitable for independent film screenings and unplugged shows; and a main performance zone equipped with professional-grade stage and lighting, accommodating around 100 people. The founder, Yuki, is the lead vocalist of Punk band Paper Daisy (碎紙花) and a key figure in Central Taiwan’s music scene, having launched major festivals like ROCK IN TAICHUNG (搖滾台中) and Unlimited Freedom Festival (無限自由音樂節). Notable performers include Japanese Punk giants HAWAIIAN6 and TOTALFAT, Rockabilly band JOHNNY PANDORA, Korean Indie band Gony, and Singaporean Death Metal/Crust-punk band Doldrey.

 

TCRC Livehouse

Tucked away near Tainan’s Ximen Roundabout, TCRC Livehouse (The Checkered Record Club) was founded in 2006. Its gritty, dimly lit space accommodates about 50 people, exuding a distinct underground atmosphere. Initially co-run with Bar TCRC—now recognized among Asia’s 50 Best Bars—the venue also launched its own label, TCRC Records, to distribute music. Many Tainan-born bands began their journeys here. Past acts include Tokyo all-female Punk band THE LET’S GO’s, Avant-punk group LOOLOWNINGEN & THE FAR EAST IDIOTS, and Beijing Psychedelic Rock band RUN RUN RUN.

 

Paramount Bar

Located in Kaohsiung, Paramount Bar (formerly The Mercury) occupies a three-story hybrid space: the first floor operates as a bistro and bar; the second serves as a 100-capacity performance space; and the third functions as a rehearsal studio for band rentals. Owner Ah-Chang (阿昌), lead vocalist of Taiwanese Hokkien Punk band Core Point Band (一點生), has shaped the venue into a hub for Punk, Metal, and heavy music in southern Taiwan. In addition to band gigs, Paramount Bar regularly hosts DJ events spotlighting Taiwan’s diverse underground sounds. Featured performers include Singaporean Shoegaze/Garage band Coming Up Roses, Thai instrumental Rock band JPBS, Japanese Buddhist Punk band BUDDHADATTA, and Tokyo-based Deathcore/Hardcore band Kruelty.
*Photo source: Leakey 李奇軒／Sleeping Walkers 夢遊旅人

 

In addition to these long-established venues, recent developments such as the establishment of the Kaohsiung Music Center and surrounding facilities—have opened new possibilities for international artists to tour in Taiwan. Emerging venues like LIVE WAREHOUSE have been shaping southern Taiwan into an emerging hub for the music industry.

Following the lifting of martial law in the late 1980s, numerous live houses and music bars began to emerge—not only offering entertainment but also providing essential platforms for Taiwanese musicians to showcase their work. These venues have nurtured a vibrant independent music ecosystem in Taiwan. Even today, in an era dominated by large-scale concerts and festivals, small venues like live houses continue to carry localized character and cultural significance, offering one of the most authentic ways to experience Taiwan’s diverse and dynamic music scene.