Hey Artists: Don’t Forget About the Rest of New York!
Photo courtesy of Wendy Wei/Pexels
Live entertainment is one of the most important parts of our culture. From concerts to musicals, it gives people the chance to step outside the digital world and experience talent in real time. Even so, for live entertainment fans in Western New York, the thrill of live performances often feels out of reach.
Buffalo has proven itself to be a cultural hub, with the theatre district alone providing a vibrant theatre scene centered around the historic Shea’s Performing Arts Center since 1926. Shea’s regularly hosts Broadway touring companies to put on iconic shows, including Hamilton (2015), MJ: The Musical (2021), Phantom of the Opera (1988), and many more. My first time at Shea’s, I saw Wicked (2003) with Jessica Vosk in the role of Elphaba Thropp, which showed me how powerful live entertainment can be. Buffalo continues to prove it has the audience and atmosphere for big shows as a result of this widely popular theatre district.
Concerts, however, are a different story. They have become a cultural phenomenon due to their widespread coverage on social media, which has skyrocketed the demand for tickets. I have been lucky enough to see some artists in concert, including Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour (2023) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as well as Noah Kahan in Syracuse, Hozier at Darien Lake, and Chappell Roan at Terminal B. However, those opportunities were rare. Too often, when artists announce their tour dates, “New York” really means New York City.
Take Ariana Grande’s recently announced Eternal Sunshine Tour after a seven-year hiatus. Fans across the nation were worried about ticket prices, resellers, and the overall Ticketmaster chaos that ensues every time a mainstream artist announces a tour. I could not even begin to worry about that because she is not coming anywhere near Buffalo. The closest stop is Brooklyn, a six-hour drive away. For Western New York fans, that is not just inconvenient; it makes it nearly impossible to attend.
Doja Cat has also just announced her 2026 world tour, Ma Vie, with only one stop in New York at Madison Square Garden. Madison Square Garden's capacity is 19,500 people. KeyBank center, located in the heart of Buffalo, has a perfect venue that can accommodate 19,000 people as well. Home of the Buffalo Sabres, KeyBank hosts concerts as well. If Doja Cat added that stop on her tour, I could be having the time of my life singing along to her iconic songs like “Woman” or “Paint The Town Red.” But unfortunately, this will be out of reach for me as her closest stop on tour for Western New York fans will be Toronto, Canada.
Some Buffalonian fans look to Toronto as the nearest option for concerts, and yes, it is only a two-hour drive. But crossing the border, paying for a hotel, traffic, and navigating a different country adds extra costs to an already expensive night out. Buffalo deserves more than being treated as a second-tier option.
And yet, Buffalo has the infrastructure to change that. With the newly constructed Buffalo Bills stadium scheduled to open in 2026, in addition to the KeyBank Center as an option for a larger indoor venue, the city could easily host some of the world’s biggest performers. Major artists who can sell out stadiums— Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Coldplay, The Weeknd— have the space to sell out Buffalo. For smaller capacities, Terminal B, Artpark, and the Town Ballroom are great venues, tailored to any artist not looking to sell out a larger venue.
Buffalo has the fans, the venues, and the passion. It is time for artists to recognize that New York is more than just the city; It is a whole state, and Western New Yorkers are ready to sing and dance with their favorite artists