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Dalhalla Amphitheatre (Rattvik, Sweden) -

One of the most unique concert venues in the world is this stunning sunken open-air theater located at the depths of a former limestone quarry, around 169 ft below the surrounding forest, which was formed through specific lucky natural occurrences across a huge amount of time. Its vertical rock walls offer echo-free sounds and zero ambient noise, and because it sits atop a lake, concertgoers (and occasionally even performers) have been known to take a dip.

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Arena of Nîmes (Nîmes, France) -

This meticulously preserved open-air Roman amphitheater is actually one of France’s most iconic live music venues.

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Arena of Nîmes (Nîmes, France) -

Built around 70 CE, it has served as an entertainment center for everything from gladiatorial combat to public executions, and now friendly, casualty-free music concerts!

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Wieliczka Salt Mine (Krakow, Poland) -

Located in a small town called Wieliczka is this UNESCO World Heritage listed salt mine, which famously produced table salt from the 13th century until its closure in 2007. Since then, it has taken on a new form as an entertainment hub, offering a 700-seat chamber that often hosts the city's biggest music events, typically in the classical and jazz genres.

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Wieliczka Salt Mine (Krakow, Poland) -

Not only are the acoustics probably mind-blowing, but the space offers so much to explore pre- and post-concert, like its vast network of tunnels spanning 287 km and its emerald lakes and monuments carved from salt.

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Jay Pritzker Pavilion (Chicago, USA) -

Renowned architect Frank Gehry designed this beautiful and imaginative concert space, along with its downright brilliant sound design. The intersecting steel ribbons atop the 120-foot-tall pavilion create an overhead trellis designed to mimic the acoustics of an indoor concert hall by reportedly sending enhanced sonics proportionately over both the 4,000 fixed seats and the 7,000-capacity lawn.

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The Odeon of Herodes Atticus (Athens, Greece) -

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus, or "Herodeon" as the locals call it, is located on the southwest slope of the famous Acropolis. The 4,680-seat stone space was reportedly built specifically for musical contests back in 161 CE, and its acoustics remain unmatched.

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The Odeon of Herodes Atticus (Athens, Greece) -

The Odeon continues to host some of the world’s best performances, particularly since its renovation in the 1950s, including artists like Luciano Pavarotti and Frank Sinatra. It couldn't get more scenic than this.

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The Caverns (Tennessee, USA) -

Most wouldn't expect it, but in Grundy County, located in the middle of Tennessee, is one of the world's most unique concert venues. Aptly called The Caverns, this brilliantly-designed subterranean amphitheater has become known as a great place to listen to live music.

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The Caverns (Tennessee, USA) -

Spanning roughly three football fields long, the dense network of interconnected caves boasts a main room with a wide stage and a capacity of about 1,200. Plus, the acoustic experience is one you just can't get above ground.

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Slane Castle (County Meath, Ireland) -

Performing at a castle is appealing for obvious reasons, and Slane Castle, built in the 18th century and located in the heart of Ireland’s County Meath overlooking the River Boyne, is especially appealing. Since 1981, it has been hosting massive concerts on a large stage on its sloping lawns, as well as its own music festival.

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Slane Castle (County Meath, Ireland) -

The sloping castle grounds form a natural bowl that can seat up to 100,000, which is suitable for the wildly popular performers who have graced its lawns like David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Guns N’ Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and U2—who even stayed at the castle to write and record their album 'The Unforgettable Fire.'

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Traena (Husøya and Sanna, Norway) -

A music festival takes place annually on the industrial fishing islands of Husøya and Sanna, which are home to just 400 people. That means all the attendees must use ferry boats from the Norwegian mainland to get to the festival.

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Traena (Husøya and Sanna, Norway) -

The natural landscape offers an ancient cave for artists to perform in, as well as a church with blacked-out windows (to block out the sun which shines for 23 hours a day). It also offers tons of camping space and an absolutely breathtaking backdrop that would make any music sound good.

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Teatro Antico di Taormina (Taormina, Italy) -

Built in the third century BCE, these now-crumbling ruins of an ancient Greco-Roman theater sit on the edge of a hill in Southern Italy and offer a stunning view of Giardini-Naxos bay and Mount Etna.

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Teatro Antico di Taormina (Taormina, Italy) -

These days the Sicilian monument still continues to entertain, hosting up to 5,000 fans who pile in throughout the year for a range of shows, from fashion to music concerts.

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Red Rocks Amphitheater (Colorado, USA) -

This venue makes believers out of people. Somehow centuries of natural phenomena carefully constructed this completely unique music mecca, a natural venue begging for music between its two monolithic 300-foot red rock walls—which emerged from the ocean floor to miraculously create the ultimate natural acoustics.

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Red Rocks Amphitheater (Colorado, USA) -

Owned by the city of Denver, Red Rocks offers incredible acoustics as well as a stunning vista. It's legendary among musicians who nearly all dream of performing there. Plus, it's steeped in fossilized history as a known hotspot for dinosaurs long ago.

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Théâtre Antique D’Orange (Provence, France) -

This 2,000-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site is certainly worth going to see a show at even if you don't know the band. Built by Augustus, the first Roman Emperor, this huge theater once provided all sorts of entertainment, from mime to poetry to acrobatics. It turns out it has great sound, too!

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Théâtre Antique D’Orange (Provence, France) -

Louis XIV was reportedly a big fan of the space 1,600 years after Augustus, and it was still France's choice venue when they decided to host their own version of Woodstock in 1975.

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Auditorium Parco della Musica (Rome, Italy) -

Legendary architect Renzo Piano created an acoustically perfect “City of Music” in Rome, which boasts three enclosed concert halls and an open-air marble amphitheater modeled after ancient Greek and Roman performance spaces.

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Auditorium Parco della Musica (Rome, Italy) -

Within a couple years of its 2002 inauguration, Parco della Musica became Europe’s most-visited music facility, Frommer's reports.

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SteelStacks (Pennsylvania, USA) -

Formerly the home of Bethlehem Steel, the SteelStacks music venue has now found a home on the 10-acre revitalized brownfield, which makes for quite the unusual concert space.

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SteelStacks (Pennsylvania, USA) -

Steelworks tower over the stage, and the acoustics are also said to be surprisingly good for a place surrounded by American steel. SteelStacks has booked smaller country names and even big stadium-level artists like Weezer and Brad Paisley.

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The Gorge Amphitheater (Washington, USA) -

Overlooking the Columbia River, the 20,000-seat Gorge Amphitheater is a natural and historic marvel situated on a gorge formed roughly 50,000 years ago. The stage is positioned near the edge of a cliff and built to take advantage of the natural acoustics, so that instead of being deflected or absorbed by man-made materials, the sounds reverberate off the sweeping natural landscape.

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Villa La Foce (Tuscany, Italy) -

La Foce is a stunning Tuscan villa located on the hills overlooking a beautiful valley called Val d'Orcia. The Incontri in Terra di Siena non-profit organization uses this space to "spread the appreciation of music and art through concerts, meetings, exhibitions and cultural events," as per their website. It's a dreamy place to listen to a symphony in the late afternoon.

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Iona Abbey (Iona, Scotland) -

While you won't be hearing any pop music here, the tiny island of Iona off the coast of Scotland has been a center of Christian worship since 563 CE. The Abbey, founded around 1200, is a historic (and impressively acoustic) concert venue for the annual Mendelssohn on Mull Festival, which puts on chamber music within the stunning grounds.

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Felsenreitschule (Salzburg, Austria) -

This unique venue's name translates to "rock riding school" because three centuries ago an archbishop decided the pit left over from quarrying stones for the Salzburg cathedral would be a perfect riding school for his mounted soldiers. Today, its stone stage and rock tiers are used for concerts and plays, and it even appeared in the climax of 1965's 'The Sound of Music' as the concert hall where the von Trapps slip away mid-performance.

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Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles, USA) -

LA's iconic venue fits neatly into the epic Hollywood Hills, which not only offers a stunning view, but also solid, rounded acoustics formed by the surrounding foothills.

Sources: (Frommer's) (TreeHugger) (SeatGeek) (Classic FM) (Boss Hunting) 

See also: The most compelling theater and music venues in the world

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