congress theater Review

Obnoxious security, terrible sound. Been there twice in the past 5 years and it was terrible both times.

Always felt like it was ready to cave in and the sound was horrible. Still, I saw some of my favorite groups perform here and, as long as they brought their own sound systems, it was fine. Sad that their is one less venue now, but hope someone will take it over and make it the venue it deserves to be.

I've been to hundreds of venues all around the country and I can honestly say that Congress Theatre in Chicago is one of the worst venues in the US. I paid to get what I thought was "vip" which I came to find out means "a joke" to the owners of this venue. Not only is the place dangerous with very odd steps that aren't lit or marked in complete darkness, but what they consider their "vip" section is nothing more than a 50sq ft trip fest for anyone dumb enough to venture into it. STAY FAR AWAY FROM THIS PLACE unless you want to be extremely disappointed and potentially injured from tripping down the stairs. This place should be LEVELED!

WORST venue in the city...this place has sooooooo much potential to be a great venue, but they really let everything about it go to complete hell! They need to learn how to correctly manage the soundboard and hire a security team that is not off duty cops! again worst venue in the city and it is a damn shame!

Classic. They have been remodeling for a while so Idk what's up with that but yeah.

this place is awful. smells. rude people. bad experience. security takes your stuff. not a great time. good shows and great artists though. security is out of control.

You'll have more room here than you will about anywhere else indoors at a show in Chicago. The area has a few good cheap pre-show restaurants. Security here thinks a little much of themselves.

The Congress Theater is an ornately beautiful Art Deco inspired theatre in the heart of Chicago, which hosts Broadway national touring productions. Over its history it has hosted vaudeville acts, concerts, and was even a movie theatre.

Congress Theater is old school Chicago. The venue is large!! Very simular to Aragon Ballroom, except maybe bigger. Not very good options for public transportation and the neighborhood can get a little dicy at times.

Worse than TSA. The way they would check some people was border line rape.

Congress Security will take drugs, and sell them.
They will also be very rude to girls, hence, I received poor service.

Seriously, never again.

Alright, so the security guards are pretty rude. However, I do understand where they may be coming through. Some of the audiences there are just plain stupid and need to be dealt with and they won't take that lightly. Congress has been getting better and better just because of their constant great line-ups. Though, they really need to invest their time, effort, and profits towards improving the whole venue. I believe that if they don't that then they will in time lose their popularity.

Work is getting done can't say now and might never get to see the inside.

This is going to be amazing when the renovation is complete!

The Congress is one of the greatest places ive experinced without having to be drunk and surrounded by.... nvm. the sounds are great and they have bathrooms. Drimkl prices are $$ if you ask me.

Counterfeit tickets and violent security guards. The Congress Theater does not honor the comp tickets they release and provide no warning of such. Last night I stood with hundreds of people in the freezing cold for more than two hours only to be told by the police over a loud speaker that the Congress Theater would not honor the tickets they had distributed. While waiting I witnessed two separate incidences of assault on concert goers by security guards. Multiple security guards beat a man after knocking him to the ground once he was expelled from the venue. One security guard struck a second man in the face while he was looking the other way. I believe he broke the mans jaw and I hope that man seeks legal action against the venue. I was hoping to see Wu Tang and was instead subjected to dangerously low temperatures and made witness to unprovoked brutality.

Renovation plans that I saw during Open House Chicago look very nice, and promising. And I like the ambitious sound of some of their ideas, like having a speakeasy bar below the lobby, and having the lobby open to a future neighboring hotel even when concerts aren't going on. Hope they are able to execute those renovation plans, and reopen in 2019.

I recently saw avicii here at the beginning of October and Paul van dyk at the end of October. The venue itself is horrible, the security is over the top, they search and pat you down like no other and take any glow sticks you have, but people still manage to sneak them in. Don't bring any weed to smoke because I literally saw the security spot find a kid in the crowd and throw him out. They used to have an area the was somewhat ventilated that you could smoke cigarettes at but not anymore at the second time I was there. The bathrooms are absolutely disgusting and falling apart. They definitely need to renovate this place if they are gonna keep booking good djs! Also, take your rolls before the show ravers.. They will search through your wallets ;D <3

I wasted my money coming here really boring really outdated and somebody need to do something about the ringing in the background some kind of weird noise banging and ringing it was so annoying to watch all the people keep turning around and looking behind the shoulder there like looking basically at me and I m like it s not me and the next person over me is like oh it s not me so can you please stop turning around and checking out all the people who are sitting in the seat trying to watch and do the same thing you were doing I m not coming here anymore this is just absurd

Worst venue to ever come out of any good building material. The event staff here are the terrible. They are unaccommodating by all means and will scream and yell at you just for asking a simple question. I am always put into a horrible mood every time I go here even if my favorite artist is putting on a show. I would advise to stay far away from the place and people that run the Congress Theater. I hope they get shut down for good, or at least change management and fix the place up.

I hate this venue. one of the worst neighborhoods, bad sound, bad lighting, no re-entry, no drinking fountains.

The only thing this venue has going for it is that it's centrally located, so everyone can get there easily, which is why all the good acts choose it. The sound is horrible. I've been here for metal, punk, techno, hip hop, and Gogol Bordello, it's tough to sound good there, though it can be done. Your junk will get touched on the way in and if you have dry eyes from your overnight job and carry eye-drops in your pockets, you'll get questioned even more.

This is just a place we have to deal with.

Worst venue in Chicago. Ran by gangsters and crooked cops. Hope it never re opens

Place is dirty but it's a rave club, so you get what you pay for.

Came here to see Kingsman 2 in screen X I been to the one in Buena Park this one is a bit smaller. Located in Koreatown LA in the Madang Plaza. The parking structure here is small and a big pain getting in and out of especially after a movie it takes forever to get out not a very well planned out structure. Inside the theater they have the concession stand that serves your flavored popcorn, drinks and they have White Castle burgers. They also have benches with TV screens not sure what you can watch on them. But that was pretty cool. Overall it wasn't a bad theater but much smaller and not a nice as the Buena Park one.

crabby security guard patted me down and found rolling papers and a swisher, then threatened me with jail lol?You know what i gotta say Fu** YOU! and i said what you see is what you have ,then they literally took any lighter and threw it in sum box of thousands of bic lights and then i felt like a Jew getting picked to go to the ovens where they had other security search me in a separate room ,they found sum greenery on me unfortunately and kicked me out. My advice is if your planning to bring sum contraband,hide it thoroughly and dont give these scumbags any excuse to search you any further after the first pat down

The Congress is my least favorite venue in Chicago. The building is falling apart left and right, the acoustics aren't anything to write home about either. Inconvenient location, not the safest neighborhood later in the evening. Did see a really fun Disco Biscuits show here as part of North Coast Fest 2010 and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals rocked the Congress as part of Chicago Blue Grass and Blues in 2010

The Congress Theater has some pluses. The acts they draw in appeal to a wide variety of tastes and are ones you wouldn't normally see anywhere else in Chicago. The theater does have some charm because of it's age but it could use some updates as far a cleanliness and the restrooms. I went to a house music DJ set there and had a good time dancing it out. We also saw Lupe Fiasco there 2 years ago. I've heard that the theater can be somewhat of a scourge to the neighboring areas because of the type of people that see certain shows (drunk and disorderly) but I've never had any problems with the crowds.

It's a pretty old place but they always bring good music. There is a place of very good tacos next to theater, there is a train near the place. Subscribe to the mailing list to be kept informed.

I was there when Danilo Montero performed (about a month and a half ago). I liked the music. But the condition of the building wasn't good at all. This place needs a little more remodeling. And it smelled like a bottle return place at a Meijer.

bad security good drinks for a lot of money, and sad sad seating

saw clutch play there and they were awesome like usual same review i gave for aragon ballroom cool old building with crappy parking but its the city if you like arena sound then this is not for you

It needs it's renovation really bad, looks sad and dirty right now.

Gangs terrorize customers just trying to see a movie.

Came here for Foster the People a few weeks ago.

Venue was okay, but the security people were douchebags.

It gets an extra star just for the awesome artists it hosts. Other than that, awful. The security guards make Nazi's look like World Peace Activists and the entire place looks like it was cleaned by the same people that take care of gas station bathrooms.

i have heard rumors of the theatre closing down and i am not surprised. the place looks beat down and dirty. i feel like the security can be a little excessive and unfair. but the gigs they seem to get arre excellent

You get what you pay for at the Congress, tickets are cheap and the venue reflects it, hasn't been kept up and the worst bathroom of all Chicago concert halls. Props for booking great shows so I keep coming back. Favorites include Disco Biscuits at North Coast Fest 2010 afterparty, Grace Potter and Edward Sharpe at Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Fest.

The concert itself was fine - getting in was another issue. There was a lot of confusion between VIP / Gold Circle admission. Staff apparently had no real idea how things worked until later - which is confusing considering that I'm guessing this is the normal ticket setup and the employees are ... well, employees. Calling them was also difficult, always got a busy signal. Afterward, the concert was fine. Comments about the neighborhood being questionable are valid, but we had no issues during our time there.

IN spite of it' crappy building, it lacks renovation and has old, cracky outside shell. I saw Pierce the Veil here live, and it was fun. The food stand and drink stand is good, and you can actually enjoy a concert. The theater is alwayspacked from blocks, but, once you are inside, you can leave behind your troubles, and let loose for hours!

worst venue. glad it shut down. do not go to this venue

First off, the staff is the most unfriendly I have ever encountered. I have the exact same job as them, only working for an amphitheater that holds about 18,000 more people that run-down Congress Theater, and not once do we tolerate the kind of aggressive behavior the Congress' staff displays. Furthermore, they should definitely get an acoustician in there, because I actually left early just because it wasn't worth it to sit in there anymore, and listen to their poor speakers bouncing all over the place. Every sound is muffled. If you want to hear vocals, too bad. The only prominent sound is the sub-bass; every other sound was mashed together with all the other sounds. All-in-all, Congress has lost my business until they clean up their act.

This is a terrible venue! The sound is simply awful and muffled. The staff is rude and has a bad reputation for kicking people out for no reason. In the summer there is NO air conditioning, so be prepared to sweat a LOT- even if your're sitting down.

While the place is old, it works fairly well for concerts. The slanted main floor makes it easy to see if you aren't in front. The bouncers by the stage were some of the best I've encountered. They safely gathered crowdsurfers and provided plenty of water for those in the front. The sound wasn't great, but didn't ruin the show for me.

Always a fantastic time at the Music Box. Quite the history!!

Great location. Hosts some of the best concerts in the city. Theater can get hot during a show especially if it is an EDM show. Prepare to strip down during the show.

Cool building but seems like they are never gonna start working on it.

The Congress is really the worst venue in Chicago. The place is run by thugs. Security is crazy tight, and rude. They will feel you up and get to second-base when entering. I had my coat stolen there and coat check is a joke. By the end of the show, the floors will be covered in grime and sweat. I've seen many folks fall down the stairs. The crowd is mostly kids on drugs or eurotrash on drugs. It has to be an awesome headliner in order for me to go, otheriwse I avoid at all costs

Congress theatre is fun. I have not been there in awhile, but I used to go for some of the country concerts they used to have. The drinks are a little too much though

worst place in the history of chicago theaters. i feel bad for everyone who thinks this is a great place to attend i been inside twice not really interesting always a problems going on and not really fun environment to be in. kids sell drugs here and girls get their fake ids taken and its really complicated to be in especially if you want a major artist to perform here . id ont think their still open so i wouldnt urge anyone to check it out anytime soon.

Chicago Gang unit for security?? WTF! The actual building inside is beautiful, but the staff is horrendous. They often have the chicago gang unit at the doors patting people down, I even saw a few people had to take off their shoes during their search. The band I was going to see draws a crowd that dabbles with various drugs, I saw 3 people get handcuffed at the front door and taken straight to jail. What kind of monstrous place does that? Just confiscate and send them on their way. There is no reason for police arresting people at the front door. A lot of fantastic bands play here so I'm always torn about going, I wish they would play somewhere else so I don't have to see good people get arrested.

Worst venue of all time. Wish it would forever be closed

Although I've never had a problem at the Congress, there always seems to be an uneasy feeling about going to the Congress. The security is tight and my friends sometimes have problems. They do have the best artists for their shows though and the crowd is big enough to have a great time.

it was a great experience when i went to go see a mexican band. i know theres many things that need fix, but it was amazing and i wouldn't go any other place. i really hope they don't close it down.

Part of open house chicago 2017 ! Very historic place. Can't wait till it's renovated

Over a fun concert however the facilities were lacking. The staff weren't very friendly but it ultimately did not affect the concert experience. The security was very lacking in the way that they allowed concert-goers to smoke inside the facilities. The concert was fun but in the future, I'll be looking for new venues.

The Congress Theater is one of the worst venues I have ever been to. Its especially frustrating because it really has the potential to be a great place to see a show and they book awesome acts; however, the staff is so incredibly rude and the security guards are so militant that it almost makes you wanna turn around and go home.

For this show, they did not allow hats inside the building. They also did not have a way of checking a hat. Multiple times while near the building, security guards essentially verbally harassed me, telling me they would tear my hat up and throw it in the garbage if I brought it through the front door. They also wouldn't let me stand in front of the venue while I waited for somebody to come pick up my hat (since I really like that hat). I have never been treated so poorly by event staff at any venue. I know the phrase "verbal harassment" sounds dramatic, but their tone and language was far more aggressive than necessary. This show of bravado continued throughout the evening, as the Security Guards continually walked through the crowd to push around teenagers and disrupt the enjoyment of all the attendees.

After this experience, I will only return to the Congress Theatre if a time machine is built to transport the Beatles from 1967 to the present day to play a show there. Until then, no concert is worth the trouble.

I have been there for a show. Great venue, highly recommend it.

Security is ridiculously tight even for those who rock it 100% legal. All staff I encountered with one exception was downright rude. Several fixtures in the restrooms were broken. Sound was tolerable at times but really quite bad compared to other venues. The only redeeming quality of the Congress is the artists that they book. Avoid it if you can fellow show goers...