Live Acoustic Music Near Portsmouth, New Hampshire

If you've never experienced hearing talented musicians perform in a small, intimate environment, you are in for a treat.

House concerts are a growing trend across the country, where people invite friends and neighbors into their homes for an up-close concert experience. And there are several house concerts being held in and around the Portsmouth area that you can check out - you just need to contact the host and ask to be invited.

Churches and non-profit community groups around Portsmouth host occasional coffeehouses that feature traditional folk musicians and other acoustic artists as a way of bringing the community together.

In addition, live acoustic music can be heard in several listening rooms and small theaters in Portsmouth. Local restaurants and cafes in the area sometimes host nationally touring musicians as well.

Below you can find a listing of upcoming shows in these smaller venues by nationally and internationally touring artists.

Upcoming Acoustic Shows

December 18
Orchard Chapel (Small Theater)
Hampton Falls, NH
December 19
The Word Barn (Listening Room)
Exeter, NH
December 21
The Word Barn (Listening Room)
Exeter, NH
December 21
Shalin Liu Performance Center (Small Theater)
Rockport, MA
December 22
The Cut (Nightclub)
Gloucester, MA
December 28
Press Room Restaurant (Cafe, Restaurant or Coffee Shop)
Portsmouth, NH
December 28
For over two decades, Toronto’s Enter The Haggis has combined bagpipes and fiddles with a rock rhythm section to create a distinctively eclectic sound.
3S Artspace (Listening Room)
Portsmouth, NH
January 11
The lead singer of acclaimed roots band Low Lily, Simmons is an Indie Music Award-winning songwriter with a new soon-to-be-released solo album.
Old Sloop Presents (Folk Music Coffeehouse)
Rockport, MA
January 11
The Cut (Nightclub)
Gloucester, MA
January 17
Shalin Liu Performance Center (Small Theater)
Rockport, MA
January 18
3S Artspace (Listening Room)
Portsmouth, NH
January 18
Crossroads Music Series (Folk Music Coffeehouse)
North Andover, MA
January 23
The Word Barn (Listening Room)
Exeter, NH
January 26
The Music Hall Lounge (Small Theater)
Portsmouth, NH
February 9
The Word Barn (Listening Room)
Exeter, NH
February 12
Press Room Restaurant (Cafe, Restaurant or Coffee Shop)
Portsmouth, NH
February 14
3S Artspace (Listening Room)
Portsmouth, NH
February 16
The Cut (Nightclub)
Gloucester, MA
February 16
The Word Barn (Listening Room)
Exeter, NH
February 22
Shalin Liu Performance Center (Small Theater)
Rockport, MA
February 23
Cowboy Junkies are a Canadian alternative country/blues/folk rock band. The band was nominated for Group of the Year at the Juno Awards in 1990 and 1991.
The Music Hall (Small Theater)
Portsmouth, NH
February 25
Shalin Liu Performance Center (Small Theater)
Rockport, MA
February 28
Me & Thee Music (Folk Music Coffeehouse)
Marblehead, MA
March 1
3S Artspace (Listening Room)
Portsmouth, NH
March 5
The Cut (Nightclub)
Gloucester, MA
March 6
Press Room Restaurant (Cafe, Restaurant or Coffee Shop)
Portsmouth, NH
March 8
The Cabot (Small Theater)
Beverly, MA
March 8
Crossroads Music Series (Folk Music Coffeehouse)
North Andover, MA
March 8
With palpable chemistry and warmth, Chatham Rabbits -- Sarah Osborne McCombie (vocals, banjo) and Austin McCombie (vocals, guitar, fiddle) -- fill each space they enter with brightness and sincerity. They are the stuff duo dreams are made of.
The Word Barn (Listening Room)
Exeter, NH
March 9
3S Artspace (Listening Room)
Portsmouth, NH
March 10
3S Artspace (Listening Room)
Portsmouth, NH
March 14
With songs as sweet and biting as the nectar and venom in her voice, Lennon Award winner Rachel Sumner has been captivating audiences throughout the country with her lyric-forward folk songs and snaking chord progressions.
The Dance Hall (Listening Room)
Kittery, ME
March 16
The Cabot (Small Theater)
Beverly, MA
Get notified of upcoming shows!
Join the Undiscovered Music community now to start receiving our weekly newsletter of upcoming acoustic concerts near you and to discover new artists you might like. It's free to join!
Places to see live acoustic music in and around Portsmouth, New Hampshire

House Concerts

Borrowed House Concerts (Plaistow)
Homegrown House Concerts (Marblehead)
Whale Cove House Concerts (Rockport)

Listening Rooms

3S Artspace (Portsmouth)
Crystal Listening Room at Flourish (Biddeford)
Hackmatack Playhouse (Berwick)
Hamilton House (South Berwick)
One Broadway Collaborative (Lawrence)
The Dance Hall (Kittery)
The Stone Church (Newmarket)
The Word Barn (Exeter)
Vinegar Hill Music Theatre (Arundel)

Folk Music Coffeehouses

Crossroads Music Series (North Andover)
Me & Thee Music (Marblehead)
New Moon Coffeehouse (Haverhill)
North Reading Community Coffeehouse (North Reading)
Old Sloop Presents (Rockport)
One World Coffee House (Essex)

Cafes, Restaurants & Coffee Shops

Jonathan’s Ogunquit (Ogunquit)
Press Room Restaurant (Portsmouth)
The Gulu-Gulu Cafe (Salem)

Small Theaters

Capitol Center for the Arts (Concord)
Firehouse Center for the Arts (Newburyport)
Orchard Chapel (Hampton Falls)
Saco River Theatre (Buxton)
Shalin Liu Performance Center (Rockport)
The Cabot (Beverly)
The Music Hall (Portsmouth)
The Music Hall Lounge (Portsmouth)
Tupelo Music Hall (Londonderry)

Bars & Nightclubs

Crew (Ogunquit)