Varsity Theater Reviews

One of my favorite venues in Minneapolis, I think. The bartenders are actually nice! What a concept! If you get a chance to see a show here, do it.

Great music venue will be returning for cradle of filth in March. Staff is very friendly

Johnny Marr is one of the nicest people I have ever met. He goes out of his way to do special things for people at his shows. The Varsity is so beautiful, a rare beauty in today's world. She is a well cared for and loved venue. Anyone that loves history should make it a point to visit this gorgeous site.

What a unique building and it is so easy to get up close to the singers.

Awesome concert venue with a polite and prompt bar staff.

I went to a comedy show which cost $28 per ticket. I asked the bartender for a glass of water. I was told they only sell $2 bottled water. I then politely asked if they had a drinking fountain. I was appalled when she suggested they have lots of faucets in the bathroom upstairs. I will never attend a show at the Varsity theatre again and I will make sure all my friends hear about my less than stellar experience. On the bright side, the architecture and decor really had me excited about the place before my poor customer service issue.

Great venue, great staff. Will be seeing more shows here

Fun venue with reasonable ticket prices and great shows!

The venue looks awesome and the drinks seem reasonably priced (although I went liquor-less this time). Every artist I've seen here has been a blast. I'll be back again and again!

Nice venue with good sized floor. The unisex bathroom was interesting with men hanging out at the entrance. The bar was easy to access but they need better bartenders-ones that actually enjoy bartending.

Didn t post anything about the time for the VIP Meet & Greet for Yung Gravy anywhere and when I asked an employee while I was standing in line before doors open they said they didn t know but would let me know and never did and when I finally got in they said it was over and he was backstage.

This is by far the coolest venue I have ever gone to. If you're catching a concert there make sure to go upstairs and check out the bathroom. They really made this venue special with all the unique pieces throughout it.

High priced weak drinks. Wierd bathroom with a lot of wasted space. Needs designated paths to get back and forth to bars and restrooms

Saw Crystal Castles concert here. Surprisingly large venue with general admission elevated standing areas. Bar prices were decent. The bathroom was shocking in an intriguing way.

Great place to see a concert, bit the bathrooms where very inconvenient overall

First time at this venue. Came to see The Internet. The sound sucked! Nice decor though.

Worst venue for comedy shows. No bouncers to control rowdy crowds. Go to Acme for a real comedy experience.

Great sound, good beer prices. No patio though, so re-entry can take a while at times.

I will not come back no matter which artist sings here. The staff was rude, people were standing in front of the chairs so I couldn't see anything the entire night and the management refused to do anything about it. I had people's butts directly in front of my face and there was not a pathway for people to walk through so people were crawling over us and our things. I would give this place 0 stars if I could.

Since Live Nation took over this venue the shows have been great, and the staff has been professional.

Really enjoyed going to a music show. The seats on the upper balcony are great!

Great venue, great staff. Drinks are standard price (not cheap).

Decent sound and room size. Security could be much better. Much too strict and obtrusive on the floor. Guys asking if you're taking a video or just taking photos. NO OTHER VENUE does these things. I avoid this venue if I can.

Loved the intimate feeling for the show! The building is Beautiful inside!

This is a gorgeous venue but the security was way over the top so far as to feel intrusive. I asked the guy if he wanted me to take off my shoes because it was worse than tsa.

The new management is great, the only thing I would change is to raise the chandeliers because they obstruct the view from the mezzanine

Only dropped off food for the band. Nice atmosphere, exciting crowd, friendly staff, and sweet music!!!!

Great venue for intimate shows- parking can be really difficult, though, so plan in advance

Very beautiful venue with a nice stage and standing area.

Really nice venue on the U of M campus. They ve got big fans aimed at the floor, which is awesome. Nice to not already be sweating before the show begins. They also provided free water after the show, which again, is dope.

Great place for a concert. I wish they didn't allow so much drinking and smoking though. They should definitely be stricter on marijuana use.

Lots of space to dance. Comfy seating areas. Wish their coat check was located away from the main bar. Beautiful furniture and decorations.

I saw Paul Weller on Wednesday September 10th, 2014 at the Varsity Theater.
Great venue, congenial staff, enthusiastic concert goers, exciting camaraderie. I thoroughly enjoyed my evening, and my experience.

Great place for a show. Don't show up early you won't get in. Once you are in it's a great concert venue!

Cool ambiance, actually managed to keep the room fairly cool, which is basically a miracle for a venue.

Great venue for live music! Cool and funky space with old chandeliers and twinkling lights. Sound is pretty decent. The VIP couches and reserved 2nd level balcony bar stools are great if you can get them. Parking can be a challenge in Dinkytown, so plan accordingly.

Terrible views especially sitting on the sides. No one regulates the people blocking your view. Imagine if you had reserved seats, hoping to get a good view of the performers to only see a bunch of people standing in front of you. Wished, I could get a refund.

Fun Small Concert Venue In Minneapolis. Dorothy was simply astounding as usual! Spirit Animal twisted my mind! Such an amazing great band! Big Things are the horizon for Steve Cooper and Spirit Animal! You Have Been Warned!

Love this venue for a show! Great site lines for weirdos like me who need to stroll around! Funky decor + staff who like their job = awesome!

Wow, what a great place to hold a concert or event, I was here enjoying the Dave Chappelle show, a great atmosphere, the lighting, was good every seat is great for viewing the stage, 2 floors, upstairs and downstairs bar, restrooms are upstairs, which is a little bit of a trek, but all in all, what a treasure, parking lots nearby, only a block or two walking, I will definitely recommend!

Excellent concert venue!! Great view of the show from all areas, love the lounge areas for hanging out before the show. The seating is pretty tight (like actually elbow to elbow), but worth it if you prefer to sit!

Saw the George Clinton farewell/retirement tour here last night and had a great time with my wife and a friend!

Security in was easy and friendly, and security in the venue was very relaxed. Had two police officers wandering the whole time.

The decor was interesting, with trippy brickwork all over the place, chandelier lighting, and the bar has cool lighting too. Bar wait wasn't too bad for an average-sized venue bar. Outdoor smoking area near the left of the stage was convenient. Bathrooms are upstairs in the corners; Seven women's stalls and two or three men's, I believe my wife said?).

Sounds was definitely muddy at times but could've been the sound guy? Crowd was varied -- Older folks in their 60s and 20-somethings all giving it up for the funk!

Cool venue and I'd gladly return!

Super fun Venue, plenty of space and easy to locate.

Nice venue good sound friendly atmosphere. Late Night Fights on stage pole dancers and ping pong cannon. I had a good time

Such a fun venue! It is visually fun (especially the bathrooms!) and open enough that it doesn't feel cramped. It's nice to have the option of couches along the side or bar stools in the balcony along with standing room on the floor. I will keep my eye open for other events at The Varsity just so I can visit again!

Okay Venue Cant get any signal inside the theater and no free wifi avalible unless you pre order a ticket or RSVP its close to my house so thats the only plus side to Varsity

Great venue! It s very spacious, it s clean and the acoustics are wonderful. It s hard to see much from the balcony unless you have VIP tickets but you re able to get some space and not bump into people up there. Bathrooms are creative.

Love this venue. I have been to multiple shows here and they always run smoothly!

Was here for preacher lawson and room was nice with good drinks

As always a fun venue. Security has been upped, and perhaps could have been easier to navigate. Otherwise a fun time!

It's always a great time here at the varsity! I've seen Judah and the Lion be and 5sos. I love the smaller venue. The bathrooms are super cool too!

Decent sized venue, big open floor in the front, cool themed bar, and an almost pirate rustic bathroom(which was a nice touch for a concert). Fun time there forsure!

Nice layout with good sound. Limited beer selection, nothing dark. Dinkytown, so parking is hell.

Would be 5 stars but the drinks are over priced. Nice venue and A+ to the sound man because he didn't blow away the audience by jacking up the volume too loud.

Wish there were more places to sit as I am old and lazy but a nice venue with a good bar and great sound.

I really enjoy going to the Varsity Theater. The atmosphere here is always so amazing and the venue is simply beautiful. Hands down my favorite place to see a show in the Twin Cities!

Super great and unique theater. The bathroom was simultaneously awe inspiring and confusing. (Yes, really. You have to see it to understand.) Came here for a wedding, which was incredible to see. Highly recommended.

I thought I paid $ 8 and didn't get a receipt. Later, when I checked my account, $ 16 was paid. It was very unpleasant experience.

Pretty nice venue, Not my favorite due to lack of parking and the high cost of drinks inside, But the space is good and the sound and lighting is always very nice.

It's an okay place to see some music. The bathrooms are great. Beer could be cheaper though. Also, someone in our group left a jacket there and we tried to call and message (on FB) the venue for a month and got no response.

Great place, cheap drinks! Sound guy was terrible, unless it's the acoustics of the place.All I could hear along with my 3 friends who are all musicians were drums, bass and barely vocals, it was even worse for the opening bands, I felt bad for them

It has an interesting ambiance and the staff was pretty nice. I do however have two concerns. One the security is NOT good. The lead vocalist was climbed on by a drunk/high fan in middle of show and nothing appeared to be done by security. Also they cranked the bass up at the show to the point where it literally hurt our insides and my husband and I are pretty regular concert attendees. I really think this could be an awesome venue if these two items could be resolved.