The Flynn Center for the Performing Arts is Burlington’s grand theater — a 1,439-seat Art Deco jewel on Main Street that has been the cultural anchor of Vermont’s largest city since 1930. Fully restored in 2000 to its original splendor, the Flynn books touring concerts, Broadway shows, comedy, dance, and community events with a programming range that reflects Burlington’s outsized cultural appetite. For a city of 45,000 people, the Flynn operates like a venue you would expect in a metro ten times the size.
For Upstate New York concertgoers, the Flynn is about two hours from the Capital Region and 90 minutes from Plattsburgh — the same drive as Higher Ground, Burlington’s other essential music venue. Where Higher Ground is a standing-room club built for sweat and volume, the Flynn is a seated theater built for listening, watching, and taking in a room that is as much a part of the show as the artist on stage.
The Building
The Flynn was built in 1930 as a movie palace during the golden age of American theater construction. The Art Deco design is the real thing — not a reproduction, not a modern interpretation, but original 1930s craftsmanship that survived decades of use and was meticulously restored at the turn of the millennium. The proscenium arch, the decorative plasterwork, the lobby detailing, and the auditorium’s geometry all reflect an era when theaters were designed to make you feel like the evening had already started the moment you walked through the door.
The main stage seats 1,439 across orchestra and balcony levels. The room is tall, the sightlines are excellent from nearly every section, and the acoustics benefit from the theater’s original proportions — hard plaster surfaces, a shaped ceiling, and a room designed for projection and presence. Classical, jazz, folk, and acoustic performances shine here. Amplified shows benefit from the room’s warmth, though the Flynn is at its best when the music has dynamic range and the audience has the space to listen.
The building also includes FlynnSpace, a 150-seat black box venue for more intimate performances — experimental theater, solo shows, film screenings, and small-capacity concerts. FlynnSpace operates on its own calendar and offers a radically different experience from the main stage.
The Programming
The Flynn’s calendar is eclectic in the best sense. National touring concerts sit alongside Broadway touring productions, contemporary dance, comedy specials, family shows, and community events. The Vermont Symphony Orchestra performs here regularly. The Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, one of the premier jazz events in New England, uses the Flynn as a primary venue. Holler’s live music series and various local promoters book touring singer-songwriters, folk artists, and indie acts throughout the year.
The concert bookings tend toward artists who thrive in a seated theater: singer-songwriters, folk and Americana acts, jazz musicians, and performers whose shows reward an attentive audience. But the Flynn also books louder acts — rock bands, world music, and genre-crossing artists who appreciate the room’s character and the audience’s engagement. The 1,439-seat capacity makes economic sense for mid-level national acts, and Burlington’s reputation as a culturally engaged city means the shows sell.
Getting There From Upstate NY
The Flynn is at 153 Main Street in downtown Burlington. From the Capital Region, the drive is about two hours via I-87 North to Route 9 East, or via I-89 from the Vermont border. From Plattsburgh, roughly 90 minutes south via I-89. From Syracuse, plan on four hours.
Parking in downtown Burlington is available in municipal garages and metered street spots. The Lakeview Garage on College Street and the Marketplace Garage on Cherry Street are both within a short walk of the Flynn. Street metering ends at 6 PM on weekdays and is free on Sundays. Burlington’s downtown is compact and walkable, so parking a few blocks away is not an issue — and the walk takes you through the Church Street Marketplace, the city’s pedestrian shopping and dining district.
The Burlington Scene
Burlington’s dining scene is one of the best in northern New England, and the Flynn’s Main Street location puts you in the middle of it.
Leunig’s Bistro & Café on Church Street is the pre-show classic — a French bistro with sidewalk seating in warmer months, a full bar, and the kind of polished-but-relaxed atmosphere that sets the tone for a theater evening. Hen of the Wood on Cherry Street is Burlington’s farm-to-table flagship — seasonal menus, local sourcing, and a dining experience that regularly lands on best-of lists for the entire Northeast. For something more casual, American Flatbread on St. Paul Street does wood-fired pizza with local ingredients in a communal, energetic setting that fills up on show nights.
After the show, Church Street and the surrounding blocks stay lively. Burlington is a college town — UVM dominates the east side — and the bar scene supports a late night.
Insider Tips
- Orchestra center is the sweet spot. Rows 8-18 in the center orchestra section offer the best balance of proximity, sightlines, and acoustics in the room.
- Balcony front row is excellent. The elevation gives you a full view of both the stage and the Art Deco interior. One of the best theater seats in Vermont.
- Check FlynnSpace too. The 150-seat black box books intimate shows that are completely different from the main stage experience. Tickets are usually affordable and the programming is adventurous.
- Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. If you are a jazz fan, the annual festival uses the Flynn as a primary venue. The combination of the Art Deco room and world-class jazz is hard to beat.
- Pair it with Higher Ground. The Flynn and Higher Ground are 10 minutes apart. If you are making the trip to Burlington from Upstate NY, check both calendars — a seated theater show one night and a standing-room club show the next makes a Burlington weekend worth planning.
- Street parking is free after 6 PM. Metered spots on the surrounding streets are free in the evening. The garages are there if you need them, but check the street first.
View the full event schedule and purchase tickets at flynnvt.org.