Booking a Show at The Front Porch

Thanks for your interest in performing at The Front Porch. Our intimate downtown listening room is built for connection—between artists, audiences, and the community we serve. We present music that moves people and offer artists a high-quality, intentional performance experience. Our audience is engaged and deeply appreciative of live music, creating an atmosphere where artists feel truly heard. We believe music is one of the most powerful ways to bring people together and build meaningful relationships. 

The Front Porch venue is not the right fit for every band. Please read this page in full before submitting a booking inquiry. 

 

Booking Considerations:

 

Our Space

The Front Porch hosts intimate concerts from late fall to early spring in our 100-person indoor venue on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall.Most of our shows are seated, listening room style-with no raised stage and a house concert feel. Standing room shows are an exception and are reserved for bands that lend themselves to social dancing.  

Throughout the summer, The Front Porch pivots to host larger, outdoor concerts as part of the Rivanna Roots Concert Series. We selectively invite local bands to perform at Rivanna Roots, and do not host indoor concerts during this series. If you are a local band interested in Rivanna Roots, please indicate this on the booking form.

 

Artist Fit

We book artists who make music that brings people together across generations, cultures, and backgrounds. We’re drawn to strong songwriting and performances that feel genuine, engaging, and shaped by a range of musical influences. We welcome both acoustic and amplified sets across genres—from Appalachian and Delta blues to Latin folk, singer-songwriters, and global string traditions. We especially aim to uplift historically underrepresented artists.

We’re always excited to welcome new artists to our stage. That said, The Front Porch isn’t usually a first stop for artists just starting out. The Front Porch books artists who have some momentum as an emerging artist, or an established fan base in the region.

Some indicators of a strong fit include:

  • Interest in playing a listening room style show
  • A history of shows in Cville/ central VA
  • High-quality assets that help us promote the show
  • Songwriting awards or industry recognition
  • Active social media accounts with high engagement
  • Management, booking, or promotional support

 

If you’re looking to get your foot in the door of the regional music scene—or just want to develop your stage chops—we’d love to see you at our Potters Open Mic, every third Thursday of the month. It’s a great way to share your music, connect with other artists, and become part of our community.

 

Booking Timeline & Restrictions

  • We book a minimum of 3 months in advance.
  • We host shows on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. We do not operate the downtown venue Monday-Thursday.
  • We do not book indoor shows during the Rivanna Roots season, our summer outdoor series. (May through September)
  • A radius clause applies: artists may not perform within 75 miles of Charlottesville during the 30 days before or after their confirmed show date at The Front Porch

 

Further Venue Details

The Front Porch Listening Room (Downtown Charlottesville)

  • Capacity: 100 guests, general admission (first come, first served)
  • Amenities: Baldwin concert grand piano, built-in PA
  • OPEN: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings
  • IDEAL FOR: Established local, regional, and national artists looking to build their audience in Charlottesville

 

Partner Venue Locations
 We occasionally present concerts at partner venues around town, with capacities ranging from 120–200 guests, depending on the setup.

  • OPEN: Occasional Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings
  • IDEAL FOR: Well-known regional and nationally touring artists who’ve sold out our listening room in the past, or who can bring out a large crowd for a standing-room/dancing show experience

 

Returning Artists

We love when artists come back to The Front Porch—and many do. Our goal is to host concerts that offer meaningful experiences for both artists and audiences. We build ongoing relationships with musicians and aim to be a welcoming, supportive stop for folks passing through Central Virginia.

For returning artists, we typically space performances 15–18 months apart to keep things fresh for our audience and sustainable for the series. We also only take on 3–5 shows per month, so availability is limited.

 

Ready to inquire? 

If you feel that The Front Porch is a good fit for you, you can fill out the form below.

If you choose to email directly, (booking@frontporchcville.org)  be sure to include ALL of the following information.  If you are a local band interested in playing at Rivanna Roots, be sure to specify in your email.    

  • Artist or band name
  • Contact info (email + phone)
  • Genre
  • Short bio (2-3 concise sentences that describe your music)
  • A hi-res artist photo
  • Links to live performance videos
  • Press mentions, tour history, collaborators, or awards
  • Preferred performance date(s) — please check our calendar first
  • Venue vs. Rivanna Roots

*Due to the volume of requests we receive, we’re not able to respond to every submission. We review each one with care and will reach out if we see a good fit. All booking happens through email.

 

Bookings

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