The Bossanova Ballroom

I got there as the doors opened and waited in line for 3 hours to see Femtanyl. The line was moving at a snail's pace when it was moving at all. I missed all of the opening bands but luckily got in just in time to see her play. The stage area was small but had a large bar downstairs. Ultimately, I ended up standing in line longer than I spent at the concert. They had technical issues, the sound cut out like 10 times throughout the show. The staff was pretty nice though.

Nice little place, had a bar, couple of em - I could truthfully careless if there's a bar but for those that do, 👍🏻 It was a very small, close quarters kind of venue..I was sweating like crazy...but it was all worth it cuz I was here for a concert, and yeah..I was THAT girl lol...the embarrassing one that seems to be screaming out of disbelief and then almost crying because of..disbelief..lol..I was so lucky and fortunate to see THE, Johnny Craig here. And he was...incredible lol..every bit of amazing you hope it'll be, that he'll be..it is. HE IS. Ive been listening to this fella for a looong while now and....wow 🖤 I just wanna say how privileged I felt and honored, to be there in your presence..that sounds so cheesy I'm sure but to witness you in your prime man...you'll always be phenomenal to me dude but you sober is just..pure magic. You're off the charts buddy.. to everyone else, do yourself a favor and if your ever given the opportunity to see him, DO IT. He's so worth it... He's every bit of amazing you hope he'll be. Can't wait to see him again when be makes his way back to the area.

Incredible place with great sound. One of the better sound stages in Portland that I've attended. Bathrooms are some of the more clean as well which is appreciated! Good bar staff. Excellent bands lighting and setup. 3rd or 4th show I've seen here now. And I will be back.

What's not to like? Best view is going to be from the floor, id suggest getting your spot early, the view is limited pretty much everywhere else. The security, door staff and bartenders are absolute heroes, be kind, they will take good care of you. Saw the delta bombers total bucket list band, with reverend horton heat, another bucket list band. Dreamy.

In general, everything was fine, if you do not take into account the fan, which wobbled a lot when it was working and it was scary that it would come off and fall on your head. I didn't taste anything in the bar, so maybe you should read other reviews if you are interested. It seemed to me that closer to the stage it was rather suffocating and the air was heavy. It would be much more comfortable if they had some air conditioning for such cases.

First concert since 2008. Found out they had VIP 21+ passes for a really great price. Included private bar / food orders. Barista was really nice and patient. Food orders are taken on their App, QR code is posted on the VIP table. You get a sick view of the whole stage area. Band area to the left of the VIP space so you can talk with the preformers after their set. Downstairs is great. Super huge space for mosh puts and merch stops. Great gear for great prices. Take a picture with the Telephone booth. (Millennials and under know what those are). 21 and over area for drinks on the bottom floor was well guarded. Staff did a great job checking everyone entering the space and making sure no drinks left the area. Overall, I'll be coming back for another great experience at The Bossanova Ballroom. You should catch a show there too, I highly recommend the chill atmosphere it gives.

Probably my favorite music venue in Portland! Many a memory have been made here with all the bands I've seen and met and the friendships and even RELATIONSHIPS I formed! The staff is friendly and accommodating in that they make sure people in wheelchairs feel welcomed and not that their a burden and with the newest addition of a seat that can hoist you upstairs getting up into the Bossanova Ballroom in a wheelchair has never been easier! Hope for MANY more events at the Bossanova Ballroom!

1st time here. I really enjoyed the open floor. Cool looking bar with views of the stage, for the drinkers. I come for the music, and appreciate access to the stage

went here to see a CG5 concert with my dad and I just want to say that I loved every part of it! The whole place was just great, it was super nice and awesome. I didn't feel like I was squished which was great and the sound was super high quality! I would definitely recommend this place no matter what you want to see! 10 out of 10

Metal show | Nice venue with food options nearby We've seen a couple of metal shows here before and have enjoyed our experiences so far. Most recent performance we saw was Angelmaker with openers like Carcosa and Vulvodynia. So, it was a very heavy show with a big attendance. I know they have food at this venue but there are also other options nearby, which is nice if you get hungry. We didn't order anything at the bar, but we stood in that area next to GA on the floor and the seated table area. Try and get those seats early when they're available because those go quick! There is also seating upstairs. Standing next to the bar means we're close to the left speakers. Overall, the sound was alright. It would probably be better if you were more center and it would depend on the sound mixing. I did like that there was water available at the bar. I always look for water stations (and fans). I think this place is a little bigger than the Hawthorne and smaller than the Roseland. Security was quick. They just searched your purse. I like coming here to see artists at smaller venues.

My wife and I drove from Seattle to see Alien Ant Farm and Glass Skulls. Security was thorough; all of us got into and out of the venue in a timely manner. They also let us wait it out to meet each of the bands briefly before escorting everyone out. The drinks were great, my wife got a mojito she couldn't finish and I thought it was awesome. on the smaller side of course which makes crowd control less of a concern. General housekeeping was fair and the bathrooms were well kept.

Opened doors an hour late, comically oversold, waited three hours in line and didn't get in. Some people we talked to in line had traveled so so far to get there I felt horrible for them. Really hoping they refund us and everyone else who waited to no avail all night tonight. Heard security was also looking through people's wallets card by card too?? Bizarre behavior and overbooking like that is poor management at best, shady at worst

My partner and I went to see the Femtanyl show amongst other openers on August 16th. The show was supposed to start at 8, doors opened at 7. We showed up at 7:30 and weren't let in until 11:03. We missed the first two openers, and were exhausted by the last and only show that we could watch. We stood in line for almost four hours and no staff members were coming out to tell us why we were still in line. It was unorganized and unprofessional and I almost feel like I need compensation!! I'm so mad that I didn't get to see the openers, and I'm sure the opening bands had a weak crowd because the rest of their crowd was wrapped around the building for hours!!! They said the reason that we were waiting so long was because patreons had drugs or vapes that they were finding in bags and had to confiscate. When I got up to the line finally the security guard HARDLY looked me over yet I was still standing still for about 6-8 minutes. There was no leadership and the workers were using their time poorly it seemed. They also said that the band was late but that was just an excuse because the last band was waiting for the rest of the people in line to come in. When we finally got in we ordered 4 shots of well vodka that came out to $36. I think the bartender spilled more vodka than we had in our shot glasses. We had one full shot and 3 shots filled to whatever. But whatever. At least I got to see one of the bands that I paid for, and mosh out all of my frustrations Unfortunately based off of this experience I never want to come to the boassnova ballroom again. I hope that the memory of the band and dancing soon overtakes the memory of frustration/anger of standing in line for so long.

This ballroom kind of reminded me of Hawthorne, Roseland, and then the other typical ballroom like this for smaller than used to play but Corey Feldman been inside this room was very unique, and out of the ordinary has is his music choice of being an artist and entertainer outside of Hollywood, film and TV... that being said, it was a very great experience, and I giggled a little bit as you would but at least I can say I saw Corey Feldman and even chatted with him a few times on Instagram and exchanged a few laughs here and there together.

Bossanova Ballroom, To say last night was a disaster on your behalf is an understatement. I have been to your venue before, several times, and never was treated with the level of disrespect that I and a literal hundred of other concertgoers experienced. Your security staff was overzealous, invasive, rude, and held up the line of paying attendees for hours on end, all while the artists who we PAID for were playing inside to a barely filled room until the very end of the show. One of the artists had to extend her set because of your staff not letting paying customers inside in a timely manner, something I've never seen at any professionally run concert. It would seem when you hired your security, you hired amateurs with a seemingly personal vendetta against everyone trying to GET INTO THE CONCERT THEY PAID FOR. As for your staff not knowing what they were doing: One of my friends had her NON-NARCOTIC prescription hormones taken from her. I have never seen this before. Furthermore, your staff somehow found it appropriate to look through people's wallets, card by card, without gloves: that's a health violation! This was an invasion of personal privacy and a total waste of everyone's time. I'm all for concert safety but there comes to a point where you need a far more effective system than giving TSA a run for their money. You didn't prevent anything unsafe, you just made what could've been a great night into a nightmare of thuggish bureaucracy. I expect the majority of the attendees last night will not return to your venue, myself included. Provide refunds. Sincerely, A disgruntled attendee of the Femtanyl show.

We came here for a show we knew would likely get rowdy, so we were a bit on edge a bit, especially as we decided to bring our young daughter to her first concert. All worries quickly dissipated when we met the manager/owner of the venue. She was very kind, and made us feel seen. She let us know to get her for anything and that we were a priority. We knew a few people related to one of the opening acts, which is how we got the tickets. There were tables at the back for these opening acts to sit at, and when we joined the table for the artist we knew, no one had any issues. I truly felt taken care of and felt my daughter was looked after not just by me and my wife, but by the event staff responsible for the night as well. From what I heard from employees, the place has deep family ties, and seems like genuine people trying to make a genuine living in the city. I could not be more proud and thankful.

We rushed back from Salem to attend a concert recently. For over 2 1/2 hours we listened to people we never would have paid to hear while we waited for the featured artists to show up. It was very disappointing. We haven't received any communication about a refund yet but hopefully...

This place is garbage. The bathrooms are dirty, the servers/bartenders are rude. They aren't considerate and they ignore their customers. Do not recommend. We tried to have friends come and the 40 year old bartender wouldn't serve them because they came 30 minutes before closing.

There really is a lot to dig about this old time venue. The space is large and even better, has multiple levels. So, you can hang with the main crowd downstairs in the middle of the action with the bar, merch and feel it. Or you can climb another set of stairs to yet another bar which is a bit of chill that also leads you into a balcony area to watch the band and stage from above. I hadn't been there in years so it was a treat to see the Dead Kennedy's here towards the end of last year. At the time I was a bit unsteady on my feet having recently been able to leave my cane at home. I did not want to take a risk going to a punk show in the pit...I ain't that crazy! Being able to be in the balcony and see all the downstairs action in the pit made me wish I was ready for that level of action!! Great view from everywhere in the place and so someone like myself can actually watch a great show! I wanted to attend another show when I was in a wheelchair and though I ultimately was unable to go, the venue not just answered my inquiry but made it very clear they were happy to help me out. I love places that try to help us all out with a smile like that so bravo!

Old-ass building. Their recent changes to the layout to accommodate all ages shows made it even more awkward to get around. So much wasted space and unnecessary table placement. Got some douche vibes from the dude working the bar last night. Their beer selection is weak af. It's just another venue. Nothing special. I'll keep going back because they get good tours, but I won't like it.

Nice old school venue that reminded me of the 80s show scene. Security could have been a little tighter at the door but all in all a great place to catch a punk show.

Fantastic venue and a great slew of performers. If you're not there, you're nowhere.

saw spider gang for the second time here, incredible concert & very uncomplicated set up. before the show even began there was someone who had to be removed & whether that was the venues security or spidergangs, it was handled quickly and as calmly as the situation allowed. entry was easy, stage is on the second floor which was cool. water was extremely accessible & the concession staff was above & beyond. the gender neutral bathrooms were also a plus.

Great place to see a show. The ladies bathroom is so well lit that we had our photo taken twice when we were there (by strangers, unsolicited). So yeah, as a fan of music venues in general this one has lots of room, two levels and tons of sweet outdoor hangs. Murals all over the outside when you take your break in between bands.

This is a very unique music venue. One of the things I enjoyed about the show I went to were the use of space by artists who were painting while the music was going on. The space also had a lot of other activities that made it uniquely Portland. The sound was great for the show and the bars were fast and efficient. Over all it was a space I would enjoy going back to. The space was easy to move through and much better organised than some of the other locations in town.

They slid in rating with me after last night. We were part of the Barfly NYE Party bus event and our final stop was the Bosanova Ballroom. The place was packed so we thought we'd get faster service upstairs. Wrong. They only had one server. That was fine though; that was to be expected. However; they had menu's out with 5 select food items. We ordered the sliders. The bartender told us it would be a 20 minute wait. 20 minutes later, the bartender told us that the order hadn't even been turned in yet and it might be another 45 minutes. She also did not order a refund. We weren't sticking round another 45 minutes so we left angry and hungry. That ended our NYE on a low note.

Just another cool venue for me to go to now. I've been to several shows now around the town. The Wonder, The Star, The Alhambra and I haven't found a bad place to see great music. NOW, when you are seeing a legendary band such as the Skatalites....well it was nice that I was right there at the front of the stage to see them at work. Great sound, nice acoustics and the alcohol wasn't too bad on the price. Can't wait to see what other shows will be there. I'll be back for more great music.

The owner (also house engineer) is a complete jerk. I was performing there and merely plugging in my stomp box ruffled his ego and he was mad I touched his mic cable, even though I brought my own (a Mogami XLR) he insisted on plugging it in himself. When I came back from grabbing a beer before the show he handed me my cable back, although it wasn't my cable it was a knockoff brand cable he replaced with mine. When I asked for it back he denied having it. He doesn't like hip hop, and will treat anyone who is there to perform or watch hip hop as less than. This is extremely typical of bitter old musicians who don't want to deal with the 'hip hop crowd' but need our money to make rent. Three separate interactions with this guy lead me to this post, it wasn't a one time occurrence.

For what it is, Bossanova is a pretty cool space, but I don't mean that literally so don't take it that way. If you plan on an event here in the summer you also need to plan on sweating... a lot! You would think they could spend the money to invest in air conditioning. There are better venues in the city for summer events if you need to do that. Another detraction is all the stair-climbing. If you're out of shape, this might not be the place because you will be huffing and puffing by the time you get to the top. It's fine, a little on the smaller side, and I've been to some great parties here. Just know what you're getting into before you rent it or attend an event.

The layout of this place makes it a great venue for smaller shows. It it actually a pretty cool place. The only problem is after a half dozen or more shows I have learned they cannot get good sound quality. It is bordering on awful. If you want to just party with loud white noise in the background then perfect. If you want to enjoy the band and are into music I would wait until they play at a different venue. This place will ruin a band for you. (If the guys working the doors have not already pissed you off acting like total DB's).

I was here for Blow Pony on 11/23/19. I like this venue, but the fliers for this event said the event would go until 3am, which was not accurate. Come 2am they kicked everyone out with aggressive speed and efficiency. Staff were not friendly. False advertising. PS. I guess my last review offended someone, so posting again with different language.

Hey Bossanova Baby! Come on down and shake yo' thang! LOL! Hahahahaha! What a wonderful, authentic, historic, majestic, exciting setting! Lush woods and lighting fixtures adorn the soaring walls! The amenities abound! Coat check is free! The restrooms are huge, clean, and brightly lit. The dance floor is the size of a football field! It was packed with beautiful, attentive men the night of Bearracuda! What an incredible event! Delectable dancers thrilled for hours! One on 20ft stilts! The bar selections were endless! Super fast and efficient bartenders kept the bacchanalia flowing all night long! My God! I can't wait to go back! I CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK!!!

The Bossanova Ballroom was purchased by a new management team as of spring 2014. They have taken the Yelp & FaceBook reviews into consideration when remodeling and restructuring the company. New: - A/C - Sound System - Coat Check - Security Personnel Soon to be improved: - Drink Menu - Dining Menu

I want to like this place. It has all the potential of greatness. The location is fantastic, the venue is gorgeous, everything about the space is wonderful, even the layout. But then you stick people in it. Not patron people, but management. I'm sure the place is expensive, and I'm sure it is difficult to deal with the expense, but from my perspective as a patron, the management should be invisible to the events. A few friends of mine put on a weekly event there, that then moved to monthly, or every other week, or something. To be honest, I couldn't keep track because the management kept bumping their event around. So, the event failed (that may not be the causal agent, but it didn't help). Regular events need stability to stabilise attendance--if management interferes with that for a one-off, they're shooting themselves in the foot. Either commit or don't, but don't act as a rental and then bump people for a more profitable rental. If they pay the fee, they get the spot. Similarly, the bartenders, generally, seem a bit surly; it is probably because they don't have a regular income. At Zombie Prom, I got one that was good, but I was at another event where there were quite a few people distributed all over the place (200 or so... the place is expansive, so that's kind of hard, I know), and they closed down the upstairs bar, even though all the booths were full and there were people playing pool. I've been at other events where they closed the downstairs bar at 11 (before people really even show up), and had even tried to work with event organisers to use the stage, which wasn't going to sell for that night. But it would have cost event organisers an additional 500$ to have my band draw in people to the event (and my friends are drunk$). I would love to play this venue (when the time is right), but under its current scheme, I have to throw up my finger-crosses and avoid it. Like I said, I love the space--hell it is walking distance from my house--and I know the almighty dollar rules all, especially when running a club, but you have to make it profitable for your events as well. Charging your events for the venue is reasonable (although abnormal); but if you have a regular club night there, the way it usually works is the event gets door and the venue gets the bar, which is by far the better end of the deal. Like I said, I understand it must be an expensive place to run, but sometimes, especially in Portland, you have to give a little. Essentially, the current business model sucks. This is a small town, and reputation is big. It's not LA where you can just count your ducketts and screw over everyone in your path. If just a couple events are unhappy with you, they won't return, and they'll tell their other organiser friends like me to avoid the place. So I have. And it sucks because I love that venue.

The old Viscount Ballroom space is now a venue for hire. Though the owner could really invest a few bucks into the place. Basic things really. Locks for all of the bathroom doors. A fresh coat of paint. Toilet paper. The space has so much character, nostalgia and effing potential that it saddens me to see it fall into such a state of disrepair. You walk up the stairs into a little foyer followed directly by the main room. The stage is visible from the bar. There's an out-of-the-way bar area for mingling/flirting and an upstairs smoke hole. The bathrooms are spacious and funky, but again, need some updating. Come on people - PIMP MY BALLROOM!

Things That Make You Go Hmmm.........while watching a burlesque show at Bossanova Ballroom: A burlesque show with a live "orchestra"? Phucking awesome! These burlesque dancers make me feel so short. And fat. And old. And so well-endowed. The itty bitty titty committee has entered the building. That sure is a lot of waxing. Ouch. That sure is some cool ink. Ouch. When is someone going to whip their titty tassels? I'm waiting. And waiting. Damn, it's hot in here. Is it time to take off all our clothes? And waiting. I didn't know they made g-strings in that size. Finally, some titty tassel action. Even skinny girls have cellulite. Thank you, jeebus.

Went to PDXrated last night, been a huge fan for about 8 months and they completely changed the set up. We expressed our concerns with the lack of a dance floor and the club promoter basically told us that our business and opinion didn't matter. My group of friends runs about 30 deep and none of them will be going from now on. So disappointed in how incredibly rude and downright inconsiderate the promoter was to me and my friend last night. So disappointed!

I took half the family here to watch my stepson's first fight at the Valhalla Gala 8 Kickboxing event. I'd never been to the Bossanova Ballroom before, although I've driven past it at least a zillion times. First things first, I'm an old guy with bad knees and an achy back. I don't do well in venues where-in the spectators are expected to stand during the duration of the event. I'm all bust up and need a chair, okay? Luckily, we were almost at the head of the line to get into the place. We found a spot against a wall and I was able to lean semi-comfortably against said wall during the fights. I am glad I wore my steel toe boots--I barely noticed all those other feet stomping on mine. I'll break out the pros v. cons for the rest of my review because I'm tired and need to get to bed. Pros: 1) Full bar 2) Decent security 3) Reasonably clean and tidy 4) Stripper ring girls Cons: 1) Standing room only 2) Lots of stairs 3) No food 4) Stripper ring girls when you're there with your daughters My kid did not win his fight, but he put on quite a show. Brought a tear to my eye watching him kick that other fellow repeatedly in the face. We all had to leave immediately after his fight was over because the event was 21+ and the boy is only 19. That's okay, we took him on a well-deserved trip through the Taco Bell drive-thru on the way home. Would I go back to this place for a concert or other to-doings? Probably not. To watch the fights again? Sure thing.

So they've really made some significant updates to the space and I've since been to some really fun events in here (mostly private events). The management has made a few changes that are also positive. I said I'd dole out the 5th star for updates, and there have been quite a few. While this venue is somewhat specific, meaning that its setup is unique and is more well-suited for some events than others, for the events I have attended, and those that I've thrown here, the space is pretty much perfect. Dig it.

I have worked with the Bossanova many times over the years and it has always been a great experience. It's an awesome location and a very unique venue for a variety of events but what has always made this place awesome is the staff. The security, bar staff and management are always friendly and genuinely seem to enjoy working with each other. From help and ideas with event planning, marketing and execution the staff has always went above and beyond to make sure any event there is successful. Much cooler than the Roseland Theater and they have free pool!

WHY DID I GO BACK HERE!!? Well, I did, because a friend was DJing and the place was, sadly, empty. This time we did not have the bartender from hell, but instead when we went to go pay our tab, we were informed that they were not able to process credit cards, and then told us to pull money out of the ATM that charged a $3 fee. Yea, no. Stupid place, stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid!! I will SO NOT GO BACK HERE AGAIN. ever.

Went last night for NYE event. The entertainment and music were great. I really enjoyed the layout of the place, and appreciated they plentiful water supply. Getting in was a pain--as another reviewer mentioned their scanner was broken. If you pre-purchased tickets, you had to wait outside in the freezing cold. They had folks wait on the sidewalk instead of snaking them in the warmer long hallway. It doesn't make sense to treat your customers this way. Second issue was coat check. Maybe everyone was new, they were understaffed, or management didn't delegate correctly, but it was terrible. Twenty minutes to check our coats. When we tried to head out early we waited a full hour to get our coats back. It appears as though at some point they stopped keeping the coats in number order. Yikes, guys. If they figure out their coat check situation, I'm happy to return. Or I'll come back when it's warmer.

OMRRA had is annual Road Bash here last night. Overall the place was cool and a nice venue to hold something like this. The BIG complaint was from Amy who said that considering how much we paid to rent the place the women's bathroom should probably have more than 1 working toilet. I guess the other 3 had issues with their flush handle and the doors. That is pretty low class.

This venue is really a charmer. I love the old Portland buildings with their feel and personality. It's also a great setup with the upstairs balcony looking over the floor below, and of course bars on both levels. But what really makes this place great for whatever you want to do or see is the people. I've worked with the staff on numerous events and will continue to in the future because of their tremendous support not only with planning, but also marketing and other areas of putting on a show. From weddings to burlesque to kickboxing shows, this is the place to be!

Went to a show here for NYE - it didn't start well, their scanner was broken so unless you had printed out paper tickets you were stuck waiting outside in the cold in a 20+ person lineup. When we got in we again got in line to check our coats and this took another 25 minutes as the coat check was tiny and although manned by 3 hard workers, it just didn't do the job. After midnight the line started back up at the coat check so we tried to wait it out...but even at 2am it still took 40 minutes to get our belongings. The rest of the night was really good, with great lights, sound, lots of water and multiple fans cooling off the dance floor. The upstairs lounge and bar is a nice touch and we liked the little stage upstairs. All in all I would go back but try not to need or use the coat check...that needs to be updated!

I really, really enjoyed my time here. We came on New Years eve 2012 for a party that included the S.O.S Band.. yes... that is ole school for real!! The ballroom was a lovely venue. I was quite surprised actually. This would be a good place to have a wedding or other social events. check it out when you can

Pretty much everything about the venue is great. The layout of the rooms, one bar in each area, the cozy spaces, clean bathrooms, friendly staff, plenty of water and restocked cups on hand, good temperature, perfect lighting, nice decor. It's a wonderful place. But never ever will I again see a music show/concert here again! The sound engineers have zero talent for balancing the sound!! During a live performance tonight, the vocals were drowned out by lower tones, and the singer motioned to the sound engineers a *few* times to turn up the vocals. Not only that, but the mic kept screeching and the musicians had to back away from their instruments. When the DJ came on, he kicked in some bass for a second to amp up the crowd, and the crowd responded... no that wasn't applause, that was people yelling, "oww, my ears just started bleeding!" By the third song, the crowd at the front of the floor was thinning because people couldn't handle the volume. The music was ultra loud and could be heard in every corner of the building. So I left around the 8th song because the music wasn't enjoyable anymore. And when I walked outside, the doors and windows of the shops on the ground floor were rattling from the excessive bass upstairs. That's messed up.

Dont leave any valuable in the car. Not because of the ballroom. It's just area itself. I heard a couple of stories of the car got broken into in the past couple of months. Now, back to the real review. I've visited Bossanova Ballroom back when it's still called Viscount Ballroom. It's a cool place, especially after the renovation. I can't say much about the food and drink. They seem to vary from time to time in terms of prices and taste. One time, my friend told me that their long island ice tea was very strong. That's like eight years ago. Another time, somebody said that the drink was kinda expensive (this is more recent). Anyway, I think you should checkout the place. Especially if you like dancing.

Too. Dang. Hot. Was here for an event. But left early because I was melting. Need water... Aside from the heat, this place is small. There were a couple hundred people mingling in here. I would not want any more than that. Could be good for a small birthday or reception. I don't think I'll be attending anymore events here unless it is in the winter.

I like the venue, it looks like a spectacle from upstairs, however they can still use some upgrades to make it fancy. Things to improve - A/c or fans, it does get really hot and sweaty with a ton of people there. Sound system - need some decent amplifiers and speakers. A bigger bar - so reduce the lines of people. Parking is always a challenge in that neighborhood for some big events.

Had a great time. The lines were long, but the drinks were strong. I liked the multiple levels - they gave us an opportunity to be in the thick of things or or to retire upstairs to socialize.

Took me a while to actually visit this place. Never seen much publicity from them, so although I'm in the area frequently, I'd never been inside the building with the big BOSSANOVA sign up high. Usually I'm looking at the PBR billboard on that wall, I expect. Glad I finally checked it out, though. Great space! Nice booths, spacious upstairs when it's open, good dance floor and stage area. When it's packed, it's PACKED, and the bar is expensive and kind of slow. When an event isn't busy, the space feels pretty empty. If they publicize more of their events better, I think they'll tend toward the packed end of things... would also help if they improved the bar situation. I'll go ahead and say it: Portlanders like cheap drinks. Again, I like the feel of the space, and I'll be back. The atmosphere begs everyone to dress like mobsters and flappers or saloon-goers. Soul Night could be better, and hopefully it'll continue to improve.

About 7 years ago I came here with my father when they were doing a halloween horror film night. We came here and shot some pool and I had a few beers. It was a pretty sweet place and rather quiet even thought they were doing a horror movie night. Every once in awhile he'll bring this place up. So it was pretty memorable to him. I figure i'll make it back one of these days.

Wooo hoo! Two fun shows in two weeks! Last week we went to the Burlesque show which was highly entertaining in addition to great music and host. I love the space and the balcony that overlooks the ballroom. Definitely get there early as there was a big line and parking was hard to come by. While there last week we saw the posters for the Bikini Creature Beach Feature and decided we couldn't miss it. No line this week but there was even more fun to be had. One of our friends bought his ticket for the wrong night on accident and the employee at the box office definitely helped him out so we could go on with our nigh. A great show and great cast. . I haven't laughed so hard in a long time! Definitely enjoyed the fight scene between the ape and the sea monster. Also had some delicious Spanish coffees! So far this place has proven to draw some fun and eclectic events. Who knows, maybe 80's night next week????

This venue recently hosted 80s night (the one that's usually at the Crystal Ballroom), and I must say that I had such a good time at this location in comparison, and my review is pretty much in reference to this night. It may have been because the venue change wasn't advertised well, or maybe just because it was on the east side, but it was far less crowded here than 80s night is when it's at the Crystal Ballroom. It was still busy in a good way, though. I really dig the upstairs billiard room that has a balcony view of the floor, as well as the pizza counter to the left of the bar. I really enjoyed the night and wish they would have this event here more often.

I came here with a friend for the Wizard of Oz performance. I don't know if it was worth what we paid for the tickets, but we were entertained. There's a full bar with not too outrageously expensive drinks. The bartenders are pretty friendly too. Most people had to sit on the floor during the show, and it was a full house. If you're going there for a show, as soon as you get upstairs grab a stool from the bar so you have a seat. There are also a few booths.

This review is based solely on my experience with a member of their security team, a girl wearing dark mascara and shoulder-length purple and dark hair, who kicked me out of the venue in an unnecessarily aggressive manner. She found me smoking a CBD pen that actually produces almost no smoke. I understand that "smoking" was not allowed in the venue, but considering the number of other people who were also smoking vape pens and even burning incense in the venue, she could have at least given me a warning. Instead, in a very patronizing tone, she told me to give her the pen or get out. I politely agreed to leave and we quietly made our way out of the building as she followed and scorned us out the door. It felt ridiculous considering how cooperative and respectful we were to her. Other than this unfortunate experience, Bossanova Ballroom is actually one of my favorite venue's in Portland, and the new security person at the door checking tickets (with the really long blond hair) is extremely polite and an example of how all of their security members should act. If you treat people with respect, they are much more likely to respond in a positive manner and make your job easier. There is no reason to make people feel threatened and disdained.