The Apollo Theater is Harlem’s legendary live-entertainment venue on West 125th Street, the neighborhood’s main commercial street. Since opening as the Apollo in 1934, it has been one of the most important stages in American music, and its tall red vertical “APOLLO” sign and bright marquee are among the most recognizable sights in Upper Manhattan.
The theater is best known for Amateur Night, the talent competition that has run since the 1930s and where Ella Fitzgerald won early in her career. Over the decades the Apollo stage helped launch or build the careers of artists like James Brown, Stevie Wonder, the Jackson 5 and Lauryn Hill. Audiences are famously honest, cheering performers on or booing them off, and performers traditionally rub the “Tree of Hope” stump backstage for luck.
Today the Apollo is a nonprofit performing arts center that hosts concerts, comedy, dance, film screenings, community events and its own festivals throughout the year, along with guided tours of the historic building. The theater is a designated New York City landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Apollo is steps from the 125th Street subway stations (A/B/C/D and 2/3 trains) and close to the Studio Museum in Harlem, Sylvia’s and the shops along 125th Street. Whether you’re catching a show or exploring Harlem’s history, a night at the Apollo is a must for music lovers.
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