The Wilbur

First time at this theater. Watched Samantha Fish's Shake 'em Down tour. Was a really good time. Seating was a little tight for a big guy, but I wasn't uncomfortable. The staff was friendly and helpful and overall it was a great experience.

A nice old fashioned theatre with interesting shows! It’s definitely old and you can see its age in some of the details, but it was a comfortable and clean place. They have large bathrooms downstairs, but the balcony level bathrooms are tiny. The bar is easily accessible but things were expensive, $6 for a bottled water.

I recently went here for a comedy show and I have no complaints. The venue was clean and maintained, the seats were comfy, there was ample security inside and police outside so it felt safe despite the location, the staff was kind and helpful, there was food and drink available (though I can't speak to the quality of it since I did not partake), and we were able to get in to our seats and out toward parking quickly. Just be advised, it can get a bit crowded, and if you buy tickets near the speakers, you may leave with a headache. But given they need it loud for everyone to hear that's a given. Overall I'd highly recommend coming here.

I went there for Josh Johnson comedy show and everything was great - except the size of the seats at the mezzanine level, I couldn't fit my legs. Only comfortable for people 5' or shorter. Also my arm rest was broken. They definitely need some renovations done, this was a sold out event, is it possible they could invest some of the profit into comfort for the patrons visiting?

The show was amazing and we had seats right up front. The seats in the orchestra section however are not the most comfortable, basically small cafe chairs packed together with little tables between (the tables were helpful). I did like that they had waitresses so people werent crowding the bar/concession stand and we didnt need to get up to get water halfway through.

This place is so gorgeous! Saw Morbid here in September. Things to know the balcony seating stairs are very steep! Also the seats are pretty hard and it's a tight squeeze with the row in front of you. Just be aware if you are buying seats up in the balcony. Very cool venue!

This theater was amazing. Seats were great and comfortable. The view was perfect, as it was enough of an incline that even someone a small as me (I'm 5' 0) had no problem seeing the show. We were here for Josh Johnson, and I have to say the acoustics are great! You could hear and see everything from the Mezz seats. The staff was great as well. The only con was it was a bit overly warm, but v it didn't affect our enjoyment of the show. I will definitely be back!

Great place to see a comedy show. Cannot be a bad seat in the house. (Unless your seat is on the side balcony with others seated in front of you. Even tall people cannot see over those in front of them.)

I went to the recent TJ Miller show at the Wilbur and the comedians were phenomenal but overall was not a good experience first they sold us parking as part of a package when we bought the tickets for $33 which is reasonable unfortunately that parking garage is a 15 to 20 minute walk depending how far you walk to the venue and from working in the area in the past there is minimum five parking garage is closer and within a two minute walk of it On top of all that when we went to use our parking voucher to get out of the garage, it would not accept it so we had to pay for it ourselves and it was only $11 so you were trying to take advantage of us. Ian made us walk an extra half hour. The people that seed at us were very friendly and nice the security staff when we came in were very nice and accommodating, but overall just some very shady business practices very tight seating not the greatest experience. I would only go back if a really important comedian was there just because I feel like I was taking advantage of.

The venue was astonishing. The Wilbur theatre is an incredible and beautiful historic facility in the heart of Boston! The acoustic characteristics were astonishing and complimented the performing artists to a 'T'! !!10/10!! A MUST to catch a performance here!!

Old historic theater however the stairs to the balcony section was arduous. Not good for elderly or handicap . Also no sign in front of theater made it difficult to find.

The theater is a nice, intimate place to see a show. Unfortunately, it's not so handicap accessible. There are multiple floors, but the bathrooms are on the bottom floor. I came to see the Gaelic Storm, and this is probably not so much on the theater than the band, but they had some kind of Rev. big band as they warm up act. Their style was not at all consistent with the Boston Police Pipe band to lead off and the Gaelic storm to close. Underwhelmed by the experience.

Wow! What an amazing theater and a double wow to the Wang family that made the preservation of this theater possible. Just gorgeous. We hadn't been here in decades, but it was truly a wonderful experience. We saw Riverdance 30 and enjoyed it thoroughly, but we also spent a good deal of time looking at the incredible paintings, walls, ceilings, etc.. So much more like a European theater than an American one. Don't miss it if you haven't been there.

This places is as awful as the last time I was here. Not quite one star bad if only because it's within walking distance of the Tufts Medical Center T stop and I enjoyed the shows I've seen here. This time I was in the balcony so I had the pleasure of ascending a very cramped staircase to get to my seat. I didn't bother buying a drink as I'm sure they're outrageously expensive as is often the case at venues like this. The neighboring Boch Center Wang and Shubert theaters are far better.

They really do the bare minimum here. No air conditioning in August is uncanny. I recognize that maintenance issues happen, but to give no warning ahead of time so one could prepare for a venue that feels like a sauna just shows lack of care for the experience of the patrons. Made the attempts to cool down with a cold beverage. Unfortunately, that didn't work either because the water and beer were also warm. Drenched in sweat while seated and trying to cool myself off by positioning myself behind the stranger in front of me that is fanning herself with the bathroom sign she ripped off the wall is not what I expected. It's hard to imagine going to a show here agai

We came here to see Ronny Chieng's comedy show, and the staff were great. We arrived early (for the later show), and the staff managed the process efficiently, which was appreciated given the cold weather that day. The venue's interior is well-designed, offering plenty of space and ensuring that each seat had a clear, unobstructed view of the stage. The show itself was entertaining, and the venue maintained a clear no-recording policy, which was communicated beforehand and contributed to an uninterrupted experience. The seats are a bit small, but overall didn't cause a problem. Overall, it's a fantastic venue for live performances, providing excellent service and a comfortable, thoughtfully arranged environment.

Just saw Chris Distefano here -- cool venue, especially for a smaller concert/comedy performance. The security team, I'm pretty sure, thought they were auditioning themselves for the secret service. A woman got removed from her seat for no reason, multiple staff members were approaching folks in the crowd telling them to stop talking even though nobody could hear them. 2/5 -- @Wilbur Security Team, especially the guy who was wearing the checkered picnic pants -- I would recommend meditation, smoking a J or having a drink every once in a while, everything's going to be alright.

The good was there are lots of parking garages nearby so you can access the theater . I went here to see comedian Justin Silva and it was fun .. the ONLY thing was that they didn't have the AC on at all it was super hot the whole time . The chairs are very tight together with no leg room space and it's dangerous to walk in there cause the stairs for everything be high and it looks like your gonna fall forward

A pretty nice and small theatre downtown, where our back row balcony seats gave us the same view as the mezzanine at a larger theatre. The bathroom was really tiny, though, with two stalls fit into the space of one, and the drink stand charging $6 for water and $13 for an IPA. All-in-all, a decent place to come for a show.

A band I really like is coming here - so I needed to jog my memory about this place and oh did I. I've seen a few bands here over the years. This maybe my least favorite old-school venue of all time. Upstairs the seats are tight as they come...so much in fact I would think they would be outlawed. Any dude that's not 120 pounds soaking wet could probably skip a vasectomy and just sit in these seats for a few hours...luckily the upcoming band I want to see is more a stand up and rock than sit down and chill group...so I will still probably go, but unless your 110% committed to the offering, you'd probably be better off driving to another city. I wish I was making this up. As for staff, I've never had a problem here but I will try and offer a more timely review the next time I attend.

I have to disagree with the most recent reviews. The entire staff went out of their way for me . There was so many employees I felt like I had roadies. Every single guest, was personally escorted to their seats, received the rules and regulations. Our seats were perfect, the lady at the box office was super nice, Heather was expinancial in this entire process. Chips $5, MM's $7 and non alcoholic drinks $7. It's a bit chilly so wear an extra layer. If I had to give a negative, the phone was off the hook for two days before the show. Able to reach Managment on google biz if needed. Google & me that's another review. The theater itself is clean and didn't have that library smell. I throughly enjoyed the show. Thank you to the entire staff for making this a pleasurable experience!

I've been going to the Wilbur Theatre for a long time as well worth the trip. The seats are kind of tight, but that's because it's all old school but people back down well like 57 but it's still great seats. Great information great place park across the street and a big garage

I came to see Nick Carter and I enjoyed my time. The security was great, the staff was decent. The venue is very intimate. I want to say almost any seat is a good one, but I can't say for sure because I was underneath the mezzanine level. Aside from an intimate venue, the seating arrangements are also interesting. There are small tables and seats around them making it a little weird for a concert style and making it very cramped. Really though, where ever you sit you'll have a good view of the stage. What was a little obnoxious was that I was sitting on the left side from the stage and as people would walk by the aisle my view would get obstructed. I get that people get up from their seats, but because of the lack of space sometimes people just stand right in front of you without realizing it. There's a bar, but only waiter service. The bathrooms are downstairs.

I've seen a couple of comedy shows here (including Taylor Tomlinson whose Netflix special was recorded in the Wilbur!). Both times I enjoyed my experience. It's a great theater but suffers from age (as it was not built with AC and large seats in 1914). The shows run smoothly and I see a lot of staff helping with tickets, moving lines along, directing seats, etc.. The mezzanine seats are small and not cushy but provide a good view of the stage despite being in the back. The shows feel more intimate as the seats aren't too far and it's easy to hear the performers because the acoustics are good.

Sears are super crammed in. The show started 30 minutes late. People were still walking in 1 hour after the show was supposed to start.

Went to see Josh Johnson who was hilarious. However, theatre security staff at the entrance kept everyone standing in a thunderstorm despite ample space to line up inside. Temperatures exceed 90 degrees in the theatre, the shoulder-shrug response was that AC was at max capacity. We were helped occasionally by a staff member opening a door to the outside. Expected better after paying over $200 for my ticket at the back of the house.

we purchased tickets for the September 6 For the Josh Johnson comedy show. We selected our seats from the floor plan. When we were seated there eight seats where the floor plan showed four. This is the second time we were surprised by very this bate and switch. Buyers be ware.

Friendly staff, great atmosphere, well laid out for easy seating and smooth leaving after show, highly recommend

great show, angry staff I recently visited the Wilbur Theatre and was disappointed by the rude and hostile behavior of the staff. While sitting in my seat, I looked at my phone to check my seat number. A staff member told me, "If you look at your phone, you'll need to leave." I explained that I was just checking my seat number, but he replied, "I don't like your attitude," and then stood over me in a condescending manner, as if I were a child. After the show, the manager yelled at everyone exiting the theater that the bar was closed at 8 PM. When I asked him why, he refused to speak to me. Additionally, the blonde bartender upstairs was selling water, and when I inquired about the lack of bar service, he simply turned his back on me without responding. It seems that customer service is no longer a priority at this venue. Perhaps the staff is tired of dealing with patrons, but if I treated customers that way at my job, I would definitely be fired. I won't be seeing any shows there anytime soon.

They don't let you purchase any merch or participate in any meet and greets if you have to go to the bathroom after the show.

Saw a great show last night (Leonid and Friends). Amazing performance but I won't be going back. The venue is not normal size people friendly and certainly not old people friendly. In fact, it's downright dangerous for old people. Forget about anyone with a handicap. The restrooms are not easily accessible, the very top or very bottom only with tons of stairs. It's a very old building and it smells it. The rating is for the venue not the show!!

Just a very very poor place to see a show. They use these old weird crappy chairs that you'd find in a dusty old cafe. They are so close together with the seat next to them that they are touching and the row in front of you is so close your knees touch them. I've never ever been so uncomfortable in any way at a theatre or concert. Just the worst. Also the way they position front tables you are looking in the wrong direction and not at the stage. Legit pathetic.

Went to see Kathleen Madigan last week. We had mezzanine seats. The show was fantastic. The seats, not so much. The space between the aisles is totally unacceptable if you're over five feet tall. I had two choices (but only because I had a seat at the end of our aisle): sit with my knees pointed into the aisle; or man-spread with my knees still pressing on the seat backs in front of me. The theater was built in 1913, I think. People must have been much shorter then. Not much they can do about it without major renovations since each row is at a different level. The one exception that I'm aware of is that there is plenty of legroom in the front row of the mezzanine. I've had seats there in the past. I think the legroom situation in the orchestra section may be a little better, but I'm not sure of that. For some (I think) shows, the front of the orchestra section has bistro tables instead of rows of seats. Unfortunately, at least half of the people at each table have to turn sideways to face the stage. This often means putting your legs under the seat beside you, but that's probably better than the regular seating. Those seats tend to be very expensive, though. Be warned!

This theater is very dumpy. The chairs were all stained. It is in need of a major rehab

I love Wilbur since its so small and intimate. No matter where you sit it will be a great show. I've sat all the way up top and right up front. I gave 3 stars because the ac was lacking when it was 90 out and humid, I was wearing a tank and shorts and still sweating. Also the alcoholic drinks were EXTREMELY expensive. We got a large margarita on the rocks, regular size margarita on the rocks, and they were all sour mix so we wanted more alcohol to even out the mix, we ordered 2 double shots and it came out to $98! I expected it to be expensive, but not that expensive. Folks next to us had 4 beers and it was $50, so if you want mix drinks don't do it as they mix is overpowering, get hard liquor or beer. And pay attention to weather so you don't sweat your a$$ off either.

Just went to see Drew Lynch Friday and he was great! Drinks are WAY too overpriced so def pregame or be forewarned. I paid $16 for one large draft cider. Everyone was really nice except one male usher who harassed us about our masks when we were drinking. He was really snide and curt about keeping ours up in between sips while we drank. Meanwhile we watched dozens of other people keep their masks down most the night while they drank. The selective harassment was a surprise and disappointment. Otherwise I enjoyed my first time there. PS I see a LOT of complaints about seating in the theatre. It's a 1914 build, guys. A historical theatre they've kept in prime shape over the years for its age. If you are of larger stature, be warned that the seating is very tight. I'm a broad women, size 12 but I was fine. No different than theaters I have been in all over New England, along with the Victoria Theatre in London. All that old seating is a bit stiff and tight if you want more room at the Wilbur, grab tickets for downstairs where's theres individual chairs for seating. Anything in the mezzanine or balcony will be a snug fit.

JUST DON"T GO!! Cool old venue with great staff and they get good bands but the seating is PURE TORTURE!! You'd be way more comfortable flying home on a jam packed C-130 for a 14 hour flight. The balcony seats are old and outdated with little or no leg room and cushions borrowed from the Flintstones. Down on the floor they have the most uncomfortable chairs and what used to be somewhat comfortable amount of room between tables/seats is nothing short of insulting, a rip off and IMO a major safety hazard. People were cramping up during the recent show I attended, myself included. You not only cannot stretch your legs out you cannot move them at all. If you are sitting next to a big dude.....FAGHETTABOUTIT !! I used to love this place back in the day but the current floor seating is so uncomfortable I nearly walked out during the opening act at a show for a band I have been anxious to see for years. My advice: Unless you are a member of the lollypop guild (Wizard of Oz) ..... stay away.

Great old style theatre. No bad seats. We saw a comedy show there and enjoyed ourselves

Good for kids since the seats are kids sized. I am 5'5 and had to practically dislocate my knees to fit in there. Sorry to the couple that was in front of me. Anyone had issues with their hips also? Let me know.

Why do stand up comedians LOVE this subpar venue? ...and I thought the Orpheum was run down. I've only purchased tickets for the floor seating and they are not tiered like the balcony. They are basically just your standard metal chair (with no cushion). I have never been to a show here where they opened doors sufficiently in advance where there wasn't a significant line of people waiting to have their bags checked, bodies scanned for metal, and tickets validated. It's always been seating everyone within 15-30 minutes of the actual ticket time. I can understand this if they booked another show earlier in the night like when I went to see the 10 PM show of Hasan Minhaj and there was a 7:30 PM show just beforehand. Due to the close proximity of this theater to the Wang Theater the line snakes past. Unfortunately the construction the intersection of Tremont St. and Stuart St. requires you to criss-cross the sidewalks. Once you arrive close enough to the entrance you have the staff yelling at you to open your bags, move to the "drinking" (ID check) or no drinking line, and emptying your pockets. There are many bars and restaurants in the area so we opt for eating beforehand. I usually like seeing what I'm drinking and eating. The acoustics for anything besides talking are terrible. We had one opener that was a DJ/Comedian and the music sounded so distorted. Plus the volume was far too loud for people just sitting and trying to talk to each other before the show starts. Overall this venue is probably cheaper to book than the other theaters adjacent and if that means lower ticket prices/proportionate fees then it's bearable.

My friend and I went to see a show at the Wilbur last night and had a wonderful time! She had unfortunately broken her foot the day before and is on crutches. We did not have time to call for accommodations in advance and figured we'd make the best of it. When we arrived, the staff saw us immediately and pulled us out of line to the ADA entrance where we met Damian. Damien was the highlight of the night - he was able to help us with our bags and find us accessible seating. They also have a bathroom accessible via elevator that we were able to use. He was able to stop traffic so we could navigate to the exits without her tripping. Damien was kind, courteous, and moved at our (pretty slow) pace. Thank you for giving us a much better experience than we were expecting!

They continued to let people in for 45 minutes in a 1.5 hour long show. It was incredibly distracting and they did not respond to our emails asking about this.

I went to the Wilbur to see a comedian I really like. The comedian was great. The venue is old and doesn't seem to invest a ton in maintenance or upkeep (ie many seats were stained) - which I'm all about if it keeps ticket prices reasonable and accessible. However, i was pretty shocked when we were confronted with a charge of $48 before tip (yes, you read that correctly) for two basic bottom shelf mixed drinks (ie grocery store gin and tonic water...not a specialty cocktail). I saw nothing to indicate that a portion went to charity, or any other justification for charging nearly twice minimum wage for a basic drink. It made the experience / venue way less inviting and fun...which is what you'd hope for when going to a comedy show.

We were here twice recently. Once for Donnell Rawlings and then for Tracy Morgan. I have seen some reviews saying that the seats were uncomfortable, but I can't really speak to that as we had floor seats both times. I love how intimate this place is. I don't think there is a bad view in the house. Drinks are really expensive, but I think that is every venue. The in house staff that I interacted with were all great. Even the bouncers and that is definitely something you can't always say.

The theater is beautiful and has great acoustics but it was hotter than Hades in there. Other than that, I love the space and the show I went to. The staff is very friendly and seemed very happy to work there. If you like the esthetic or an old theater, check this place out.

Tight venue. Average. Seats are SO uncomfortable and it's quite a climb to the balcony. All seats offer a good view of the performance. Understaffed. Needed a water, but The line for drinks was so long you'd miss the entire show. Definitely a minimalistic experience.

I Can't wait to see nick carter here on the 13th of November. Super excited haven't seen him Solo since 2016

nice place to see shows! kind of wish the bottom seating area wasn't so cramped and it costing nearly $20 for a small beer and a soda, that's the reason for the 3 star review

The show was great. The ushers were helpful. This review comes down to one thing and one thing only: UPKEEP. Dust on the walls, dust on the ceiling. A once great theater that looks like it hasn't seen an audience in years. WHY? I just don't understand how a venue with such an active calendar does this poor of a job at upkeep. Please clean this place up, it's a treasure.

This theatre looks like it hasn't been updated in decades. The mezzanine seats are small and there's no leg room. The only bathroom is in the basement and the building is not very accessible. If you can't get the floor seats, I don't suggest coming here at all.

I've been at The Wilbur many times before. I enjoy 99% of the venue. The 1% is THE SHITTY SEATS. Yes the building is old, yes it has historical significance. But I'm barely over 5 ft tall & there is zero leg room.

Staff was extremely rude. One employee said something to me that I didn't hear completely due to his mask. Then he pulled it down and yelled "I said throw away your drink, it's simple english!" I'm sorry sir, I did not hear you, no need to be rude. This was my second time here. Both were performances that I was really looking forward to and would have gone to any venue to see. But it is also the second time that the theater in general was unpleasant to attend due to rude staff. Shows were great though.

This was a great old Boston theater to see a show in! We saw Sarah Millican, and had a blast. The reviews that say the seats are small and squashed together aren't lying, so get an extra ticket down in the table area on the floor if you need extra room. We ended up having one person who couldn't make it, and it saved the day for the guy behind us. The line for the bar went really quickly, which was nice. The only real negative is that they won't let you leave with your water bottle, which I had bought for the long ride home. Luckily, we had one that was still completely sealed, so they let me take that as long as I was quiet about it. They said we could be smuggling out booze. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ We weren't. LOL

Excellent Venue . First time there wont be the last. There for Small Town Murder show 11/4 /23

This place is not ADA compliant. They have no assistive listening system or devices for the hearing impaired. When I called a few days ahead of the show to ask, they said they were "installing it this month" -- March 2019. They also said I'd have to call a month ahead to get a sign interpreter. A month! None of this info is available on their website. When I pressed, they finally offered to split our party (of four) and move two of us to floor seats although they had no idea where the best placement would be for deaf/hard of hearing. If you need any kind of accommodation, be forewarned. The seats are bad enough to be noteworthy. We sat in the second balcony where the view is fine -- you don't feel like you're that far away -- but the seats are teeny-tiny. As in VERY small. I'm not a big person at all but as soon as I sat down I felt crammed. I adjusted thinking it was my coat. It wasn't. The seats are so tight I could barely applaud. I was uncomfortable for the duration of the show -- in other words, really bad seats. $14.50 for a Coors Lite. Holy crap! That hardly leaves any cash left to tip the bathroom attendant. On the plus side, the line moved fast. On the way in, the usher was new or high, not sure which. She didn't know the answer to any questions. When asked, she directed us to the usher on the far side of the theater, way past the throngs of people trying to find seats. On the way out, all the ushers were equally unhelpful. We had no way of knowing from the lobby of the middle balcony but there were two lines headed down the stairs -- one to see the comic after the show -- and one to egress the theater. You'd think the ushers would indicate the line situation. But not a word. I'm not sure what their job description includes but you'd think offering basic directions of that sort would be part of it.

The building itself is lovely. Beautiful old architecture inside. Saw a comedy show there last night and the show itself was excellent. We sat in the first balcony so our view was great and it wasn't crowded in the balcony at all. Looking at the floor seating, they were all crammed together with no room to walk between tables. There is no theater seating, it's all metal bistro chairs that were not comfortable at all. The experience was ok until we decided to get an adult beverage. The cost of drinks at this venue is incredibly, shockingly overpriced. $21 per drink for a "double" which just consisted of your average solo cup size drink with ice. That is crazy. The drinks weren't that good, but even if they had been top shelf and mixed to perfection, that is just ridiculous for a drink at a place like that. They also almost doubled the price of the book that was being sold during the performance. Lesson learned, first time at this venue is also our last.

My boyfriend, his 18 year old son, and I attended the Jim Gaffigan show on 4.23. He was awesome. However, we had a terrible experience when going downstairs to the bathroom. The only bathrooms were downstairs where there is a nightclub. While I was in restroom my boyfriends son was waiting for me and was physically pushed against the wall and told to move out of they way. We were attending a family friendly comedy show upstairs and this was completely unacceptable.