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Tune In to Taipei: Where Music Lovers Can Experience the City's Rich Musical Landscape

2026-09-13 08:20 聯合新聞網／ TAIPEI

©The Wall Live House

TEXT　Han Cheung

PHOTOS　VISION, Taipei Music Center, Legacy Taipei, The Wall Live House, Riverside Live House

From sold-out arena concerts to cluttered record stores, music pulses through Taipei in ways both grand and intimate. Explore the venues and shops that keep the city's music scene alive – catch a live show or dig for treasures at shops known for their vast selections.

Beyond major concerts and multi-day festivals that draw thousands, Taipei's music culture also thrives in smaller, low-key corners of the city – live houses, DJ party venues, even restaurants with live singers – where locals go to discover new sounds or unwind to an old favorite tune.

Over the years, Taipei has developed a variegated network of facilities that support both established artists and emerging talent. The Taipei Music Center embodies this spirit by hosting major concerts as well as smaller acts through spaces across the complex, along with production and rehearsal facilities. Cozier venues across the city give independent musicians a place to experiment, test out new material, and connect directly with audiences.

For those who prefer to listen at their own leisure, the city's record stores offer a chance to browse, discover, and hunt down rare CDs, DVDs, and vinyl records. More than just retail operations, they offer curation, recommendations, and assistance in finding specific items, and remain gathering places for enthusiasts despite the rise of digital streaming.

There are countless ways to experience different genres of music in Taipei, whether it be jazz, heavy metal, traditional music, or something entirely new. The following spaces offer just a brief snapshot of the city's rich musical scene, with many more sounds also waiting to be discovered elsewhere.

🎵Taipei Music Center

Since its opening in 2020, the Taipei Music Center in Nangang District has transformed a formerly industrial corner of the city into a destination for popular music, with a packed calendar that brings together local and international talent.

▲Live concert in TMC Concert Hall

Alongside venues for performances ranging from major concerts to intimate live acts, the complex houses exhibition spaces, shops, rehearsal rooms, and recording studios, bringing different facets of the music scene together in one place.

▲JAM JAM ASIA Music Festival

One of its flagship annual programs is the Trendy Taipei – JAM JAM ASIA Music Festival, which each year takes place in August and September. More than 80 acts from across Asia perform on multiple stages spread across the center's indoor and outdoor venues, including the state-of-the-art, 5,000-capacity Concert Hall. Curated by a team of veteran musicians and industry professionals, the lineup features both household names and emerging artists, offering a broad taste of contemporary Asian music. A section of adjoining Civic Boulevard is transformed into a block-party venue, with late-night DJ sets keeping the festivities going into the early hours.

▲TMC Concert Hall

The center is also the venue for the TMC Golden Voice Contest, which turns the spotlight on local talent, inviting residents of Taipei, New Taipei, and Keelung City to compete. More than 800 hopefuls applied this year, with 40 finalists competing on an outdoor stage on September 20. The top four finishers will also earn a performance slot at an exclusive concert – a great opportunity to showcase their talents before a larger audience.

This year, from October 9 to 11, the center's outdoor plaza will also serve as the setting for the main stage of the Taipei Jazz Festival (the festival runs from Sept. 4 to Oct. 11). Now in its 20th year, this citywide entertainment staple brings international and local musicians to indoor and outdoor venues across Taipei, with this year's program celebrating the 100th birthdays of legends Miles Davis and John Coltrane. An open call gives up-and-coming musicians the chance to compete for a spot on the main stage, while workshops offer a chance to hear and learn from the masters.

Beyond the major events and concerts, the center is well worth exploring. The Cultural Cube is Taiwan's first exhibition space dedicated to music. It houses the immersive permanent exhibition MUSIC, ISLAND, STORIES: POP MUSIC IN TAIWAN, which takes visitors through a century of musical history (note: the exhibition is currently on hold and will resume on Dec. 5). Temporary shows further explore Taiwan's musical heritage, along with other themes. Dotted across the complex are music-oriented shops selling vintage records, headphones, DJ equipment, and instruments.

Along the side of the Cultural Cube is an area that brings together a row of coffee shops and drinking establishments, some open late into the night. Finally, the Creative Hub serves as an incubator for musical talent, housing classrooms, rehearsal rooms, and recording and production studios.

TAIPEI MUSIC CENTER 台北流行音樂中心

🚩99, Sec. 8, Civic Blvd., Nangang Dist.

📞(02) 2788-6620

🔗www.tmc.taipei

🎵Live Music Venues

Housed in a former liquor production facility at Huashan 1914 Creative Park, Legacy Taipei is one of Taipei's most prominent live music venues. Opened in the historic structure in 2009, the spacious, high-ceilinged industrial character is retained at the venue, with a completely column-free interior that ensures unobstructed views of the stage.

©Legacy Taipei

With a capacity of around 1,000 people, Legacy Taipei occupies a space between an intimate live house and a large concert venue, allowing it to accommodate performances of different scales. Touring artists from abroad (like The Click Five this August) and well-known local musicians are regularly hosted, while independent and emerging talent is supported through programs such as The Next Big Thing. Genres run the gamut of contemporary music, from pop, hip-hop, and rock to folk and electronic music.

Visitors can grab dinner or drinks at one of the creative park's restaurants and bars, or browse an exhibition or craft market, before heading inside for a concert.

Legacy Taipei

🚩1, Sec. 1, Bade Rd., Zhongzheng Dist. (Building M5A inside Huashan 1914 Creative Park)

📞(02) 2395-6660

🔗www.legacy.com.tw

The Wall Live House, a basement venue in the Gongguan area, is a mainstay of Taipei's independent music scene, hosting alternative, experimental, and underground acts alongside acclaimed overseas artists. Visitors descend into a long hall with a seating area and full bar, where they can grab a drink and socialize before moving to the performance space. There is also a chance to interact with musicians after shows in this area.

©The Wall Live House

The 600-capacity space is cozy enough yet capable of hosting larger acts, with a straightforward, no-frills setup that puts the focus squarely on the stage. Since 2003, The Wall has given emerging Taiwanese musicians a place to build an audience and has served as a regular stop for touring acts. Its programming spans rock, punk, metal, shoegaze, hip-hop, electronic, and experimental music, showcasing the scene's diversity.

©The Wall Live House

The Wall Live House

🚩B1, 200, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Wenshan Dist.

📞(02) 2930-0162

🔗instagram.com/thewalllivehouse

For more than two decades, the original Riverside Music Café was a vital part of Taipei's independent music ecosystem, giving young performers a chance to test the stage. The original space closed in 2023, but Riverside Live House continues at its larger, more polished sister location in the historic The Red House in the bustling Ximending area.

©Riverside Live House

With a capacity of 500 people, this is a stage for mid-sized concerts alongside music-related talks and other cultural events. The event schedule mostly features pop, indie, and jazz, alongside folk, rock, world music, and other performances. Established Taiwanese singers and international musicians can play more intimate shows here, while new talent and independent bands are also supported.

RIVERSIDE LIVE HOUSE 河岸留言

🚩177, Xining S. Rd., Wanhua Dist.

📞(02) 2370-8805

🔗instagram.com/riversidemusic.tw

🎵Record Stores

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Chia Chia Record is a cherished part of the memories of many who grew up in Taipei. Originally located in a group of now-demolished market buildings, the CD and record store remains near its original site, accessed through a small, arched stairway in a commercial building on the edge of Ximending's pedestrian area. It has a second branch on Hankou Street near Taipei Main Station.

The store prides itself on the sheer diversity of its catalog, carrying both popular releases and less commercially viable titles to meet the varied tastes of its customers. Its selection covers everything from pop and rock to heavy metal, classical, jazz, Japanese, Korean, and Cantopop, as well as film soundtracks, all sorted into specific subgenres. There's also a DVD section with movies, dramas, and live concerts.

This spirit has helped the store survive the rise of chain CD stores in the 1990s and early 2000s, as well as the onslaught of digital music. Rather than seeing streaming as a threat, the store's owner views it as a discovery tool, allowing listeners to explore new artists and genres before seeking out physical copies.

Chia Chia Record 佳佳唱片行

🚩2-3F, 110, Sec. 1, Zhonghua Rd., Wanhua Dist.

📞(02) 2311-4990

🔗www.ccr.com.tw

🕝10:30am-9:30pm

For music lovers who want to stay out late but aren't interested in clubs or live houses, Eslite Music at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park offers a quieter alternative. Open around the clock as part of the Eslite Spectrum Songyan complex's 24-hour third floor, the store invites visitors to browse CDs, vinyl records, and other music-related goods into the early hours, alongside a bookstore and other cultural-creative offerings on the same floor. Its curated selection spans niche genres and hard-to-find releases, and several listening stations let patrons sample albums on headphones for as long as they like – a tradition inherited from Eslite's original Dunnan branch, which first popularized the concept as part of the world's first 24-hour bookstore before closing in 2020.

The enterprise continues the same approach today at Songyan, with themed displays and staff recommendations. It is known for its vinyl selection, which includes movie, drama, anime, and video game soundtracks.

The store also hosts the annual "24 Hours of Vinyl" market, with a different theme each year, featuring tens of thousands of new and used records, album-sharing sessions, talks, and DJ workshops. Other music talks, listening events, and live performances are also regularly held at the store.

The Eslite Music 誠品音樂松菸

🚩3F, 88, Yanchang Rd., Xinyi Dist.

📞(02) 6636-5888

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