Taft Theatre

Who could say anything bad about the Taft Theatre? It’s a Cincinnati icon. If you’ve never gone to a show at the Taft (Well then you must not be a true Cincinnatian!) It’s a must. It’s a beautiful old building. It’s always been well maintained and kept very clean. There really isn’t bad seating any where.
They allow food and drink inside the theatre, which I find very surprising! It’s very close to the expressway and there are plenty of oppurtunities for parking.
cheers!

When I saw The Head and The Heart with Phox at Taft last year, I could not believe I had spent 20 years of my life without being here. The atmosphere is not like most concerts you’ve been to. Taft Theatre is one venue where its all about the music and not just drinking at a concert with friends. I was even more in love the THATH after the concert because of the acoustics throughout the whole theatre. And not to mention PHOX, overall the second best concert of my life (right after dixie chicks of course).
Check it out!

It is a nice theater and always seems have pretty good shows. And the seats are comfortable as well.

I’m grateful to have the Taft Theater in Cincinnati. It’s a great venue for music and for stand-​up up comedy. The acoustics and sight lines are good. It formerly hosted Broadway Theater productions in Cincinnati prior to construction of the Aronoff Theater on Walnut. There are plenty of women’s bathroom stalls (no lines), and there is a bar with high top tables in the basement. Seats aren’t roomy but offer more leg room than the seats at Music Hall (I’m taller than average and have approx three inches of space between my knees and the seat back). Cup holders on the seat backs keep your drink safely stowed. Buy your tickets in person at the box office before the show to save processing fees.

What a wonderful Venue! Not a bad seat in the place. Acoustics are good. They have maintained it’s lovely Art Deco architecture throughout. Parking is super handy at $ 5.00 50 feet from the front door. You can carry your drink into the show & the people are helpful and the atmosphere casual. LOVE it here

I love this venue for music. The acoustics are great and all the site lines afford a great view of the stage. I just saw Joe Walsh there and it was a great show. The seats are comfortable and the artists they bring in are excellent ala John Prine, David Burn.
It is well worth it to pay a little more to be in the front of the balcony or downstairs.
Parking is on street or off street nearby.

I would have given three stars. The building itself is awesome the bands were amazing! The people working there not so much. They were very rude and not at all willing to help. We had purchased ticket from
and when we arrived were told that they were already being used? That’s it, no «hey go to such and such to find out what is goin on». Just you’re not aloud in ! Well of course I complained, and eventually they gave me new tickets that were several rows further away than what I had paid for. And that was it, take or leave it, no adjustments no discount, nope not even any help finding your seat ! We ended up being in a whole empty row with ONE other person at the end. Also in said row I could not even hardly move around as the floor was so sticky that if I did it would pull my shoe off. I didn’t even bother with management after that.

It’s a lovely, old building. I believe they put in A/​C a few years ago, but it’s still pretty warm up on the balcony. The views are good and the seats are comfortable, but I sure wouldn’t want to be here if there was a fire. The stairwells to get out are crowded and have a raining running right down the middle of them. It’s a slow go when exiting.

The theater is beautiful– but unfortunately the seats we had in the balcony had very little legroom and it was incredibly hot in the theater… No air movement at all. I’m not sure I would be able to sit through another performance here again

Nice smaller venue. The balcony can get very warm in the summer. The auditorium is a little unfinished looking but the theatre is nice. Loved the shows that they host. The Star Trek with the live Orchestra was fantastic!

I absolutely love Taft Theatre! I can’t believe ive lived here my whole life and have never been. I came for a CSO concert as they played along with the movie Star Trek (new version). Such a cool concept — movie and live music.
The seating is pretty awesome. There really isn’t a bad seat in the house. Depending on what you go for, I would try to be in Section 2 or 3 — row R isn’t to far back.
They did some remodeling in 2012 and I love that they have redone the seating which is very comfortable and they have also added air condition! Praise Jesus because it was so freaking hot outside. The décor inside give you Gatsby feel. It kind of takes you back to a different time.
Parking isn’t bad — many lots around it. However, be sure there isn’t a Reds game going on the same day. We made this mistake and trying to find a place to park was horrible.
Overall, I love Taft Theatre and cant wait to go back again!

The Taft Theatre is a phenomenal asset to the concert scene in Cincinnati. I have seen some memorable shows there. What a treat to actually hear the music-​no void or weird acoustical warps. Wilco, last night– Excellent. Happy to see Jeff Tweedy in form. But seriously, is there NO ventilation in that building? It was stifling. Tweedy politely joked about it late in the evening. Now, with global heating a harsh reality– Taft– gotta figure out how to cool and circulate some air. Walked to the front to get a better look at this venerable rock act– they were drenched in sweat. I felt bad for them, unsafe conditions for performers. It’s barely May. I was thinking of buying Dr. John tickets, but the thought of being present at his death by stage suffocation– pass.

This theater is beautiful. It’s kept in good shape for a historic building and carries a sense of all the shows that have taken place within. From the moment you see the marquee glowing in the distance you know you’re about to experience a unique theatre legacy.
Unfortunately, while the charm of the structure is in its historical feel, the amenities are in the past as well.
Last night during the Louis Black show, those who arrived earlier than the 7:30 door opening were forced to stand out in the negative wind chill temperatures until it was officially time to open the doors.
Once inside, we attempted to find our seats, but were chased out of the theater by ushers so we stood and waited once again in the hallway.
We were eventually allowed to find our seats, which were pretty small and cramped. Most of the people around us spilled out onto the seats in front of or behind them as well as into the aisle and the warmth of so many people packed together was stifling.
I wanted to buy a drink but was frustrated to find that all of the concession stands were cash only.
After the show, a merchandise table was set up, but this too was cash-​only. We were bummed out to have missed out and were just getting ready to leave when we saw an ATM shining like a beacon. We could buy something to remember the show and get it signed by our favorite comedian!
Alas, when we reached the ATM the screen said it was out of order.
So we walked out having seen a great show but still ultimately disappointed by the experience. I would have loved to have supported both the theater and the entertainer with purchases of merchandise and concessions, but the inability to accept credit cards or give me a meaningful way to get cash meant lost revenue not just for the venue but for the comedian.
The parking lot next to the theater also ended up being cash only due to a broken card reader.
Overall I was excited to see a show, but the shine wore off pretty quickly when faced with a lack of options.

This is a beautiful old Theater built in 1928 that still stands in Cincinnati. We were here on a Saturday night for a comedy show, The Impractical Jokers Tour. The entry way is a little small so getting in can be a little busy, as they scan tickets and check ID’s all at the same place. If they were to move the staff checking ID’s for those 21 and over somewhere after the staff taking tickets, it would help greatly in getting guests into the theater.
For this event we had balcony seats. We took the stairs directly up to the balcony level and immediately found a couple of bars and grabbed a drink. The bars here are CASH only, so make sure you have cash with you! The bar we went to did not have bottled water, so that was a bit of a disappointment.
We found our seats and waited for the show to start. The seating here is tight — the rows are very close together, at least in the balcony. The view from the balcony was very good. We were in Balcony 3, row G, which was directly in the center, so for the balcony we had really good seats.
The sound was good for a comedy show. We have only seen two musical acts here and it has been a while, so it is hard to judge the true quality of overall sound.
It was a little stuffy in the theater, it seemed to warm up as the evening went on.
There are several parking lots nearby as well as street parking.

The classic Taft Theatre in downtown Cincinnati! I’m surprised I have not done a review as I’ve gone to this theatre for shows for years. Tonight I attended the 16^th annual Over The Rhine holiday show, which I’ve attended 14 of the 16, one of my best friends treats me & another friend for Christmas each year, the two times I missed, one I was on a business trip in 2000 & another I lived out of state in 2003.
The theatre was renovated finally a few years ago, as during the winter months the old steam heat can get pretty hot, especially in the balcony for shows.
Tip for women’s restrooms go to the basement, they have a big room downstairs, so you don’t have to wait upstairs in the balcony area which only has a few stalls.
In 2015 I was surprised by the number of shows at the Taft music of course, but theater and comedy. There must be a show at least once a week, if not several times a week at the Taft.
Come check out a show at the Taft, every seat is a good seat and when you sit in the balcony I marvel at the historical décor, as Cincinnati has supported the arts for many years.

We went to see Jason Isbell here a few weeks ago — unbelievable and moving show. I really like the Taft, and I’m not going to ding it for being what it is, which is an old venue that still has a lot of original details, for better and for worse. That said, if they wanted to update it, I think starting with the seats would be the best place. I am a bit of a shorty — 5’4″ and even my knees squished up against the seat in front of me.
As far as I could tell, there was only one ladies room on the second floor. It had more than a couple stalls, but if you’re a lady, you know how fast lines can stack up. I like the Taft even if it’s not the most cushy venue in the city.

A amazing architect in desperate need of an update.
Sound quality is very good. The seats are super small and tight. God help you if you get stuck in the middle. Quick bar service.

I’ve seen two comedy shows at this theater now and I have no complaints. The beer is cheap and the atmosphere nice. Even seats from the balcony have a good view. Pretty theater too.

I attended a Glen Hansard concert here in 2012. It was an amazing time, but that was primarily due to the fact that Glen is fantastic. The venue looks nice, but the ushers were particularly grumpy. We had a hell of a time getting to the theater as there was a baseball game ending at the time we were trying to get there, and the street that the theater is on was closed all day and night for the weekend’s Oktoberfest street fest. So finding parking, getting to park, and eventually finding the theater was pure insanity.
But the concert was enjoyable, because hey… GLEN!

Beautiful old building. Need to add ventilation in it. It is very hot in the theater. This has been an issue for all the years that I have attended shows there. I just went again last night and they put these annoying plastic drink holders between the seats. Since the seats are staggered from row to row, your knees hit the drink holder. The seats are too narrow for these. I am only 5′ 7″ and my knees came close to the seat in front of me. Also the light in back of us was a distraction (we were in the balcony).
Finally serving cheap wine for $ 7 is a disgrace.