If there’s one thing that draws keen listeners to Sofar shows besides their interest in discovering new music, it’s their desire to explore new spaces in the city. And it definitely raises the bar for Sofar teams around the world to keep searching and to keep turning the most unique spaces into magical music venues for the night. Here are 5 of Sofar’s most unpredictable spaces for live music.
1. Clock room above the train station in Porto, Portugal
The stunning historical building of Porto’s São Bento train station and the clock room just above it was home to a Sofar Porto show that felt like a fairy tale. It reminds us of Martin Scorsese’s film, Hugo, about a boy who lived in the clock room above a train station in 1930s Paris. What an incredible space to be filled with live music. It will surely stay in everyone’s memories for a long time.
2. Former airport base in Nuremberg, Germany
The Fürth-Atzenhof airport served as a military base during both the First and Second World Wars, and as a civil airport for about a decade between wars. The Sofar Nuremberg team managed to host a show in the former airport bar that was created there after WWII by the U.S. army. Filled with aviation-themed objects and history, the space also soaked up some cozy musical vibes from the 21st century.
3. Underground caves in Nottingham, UK
Talking about digging deeper to find new exciting venues for a concert, the team at Sofar Nottingham took it literally and went underground. There is a wide network of caves and tunnels stretching beneath the city of Nottingham. It dates as far back as the 7th century when the early inhabitants discovered that the soft sandstone can be easily carved into underground shelters. And you won’t find a live music concert in a space like this every day. We’re sure the reverb there was excellent.
4. A forest in Oslo, Norway
Forest is usually a place we go to listen to bird songs and nature sounds to reconnect with ourselves and the natural world around us. Add live music, great company and some fairy lights to the mix and you’ve got yourself an experience like no other. Just look at how beautiful it looks at this Sofar show in Oslo.
5. An indoor skatepark in Riga, Latvia
It’s always great to see what old industrial spaces can be turned into. The Spot is a center for alternative and extreme sports that offers a climbing wall, trampolines for acrobatics, a gym, a foam pit and yes, you guessed it, a skatepark. Music and extreme sports have always gone hand in hand, so it was very special when Sofar Riga got to celebrate their birthday show at such a unique venue, filling ramps and rails with music lovers and some great bands. What a vibe!
Ready to find one of these unpredictable spaces for live music? Start exploring.
Words by Kristaps Bedritis
