Hosting a conference in Boston
This guide covers 182 mapped venues in Boston, Massachusetts, what each one holds, and how attendees get to them. Alumni Stadium is the largest room on record at 44,500 seats.
Alumni Stadium states a capacity of 44,500. The dots show what event67 would bill at that head count, and where the price stops.
The rooms you can book in Boston
Boston has a recorded population of 673,458 (2024), inside the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area of about 5.0 million people.
It is the capital of Massachusetts, so the calendar carries government, association and university business that books early and moves slowly.
Across the city the dataset records 7 exhibition or convention halls, 2 dedicated conference and function spaces, 19 arenas and stadiums, 60 theatres and concert halls and 94 independent event spaces.
That is roughly 27 venues per hundred thousand residents, which is a dense field for a city this size — you will usually have a second choice at the same capacity.
By type that is 94 event spaces, 38 theatres, 14 performing-arts centres and 10 stadiums, plus a longer tail below.
Exhibition and convention halls (4)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Ave @ Newbury St - Hynes Convention Center | convention centre | not published | 2.6 km (1.6 mi) |
| Thomas M Menino Convention & Exhibition Center | convention centre | not published | 1.8 km (1.1 mi) |
| Hynes Convention Center Loading Dock | convention centre | not published | 2.3 km (1.4 mi) |
| John B. Hynes Veteran's Memorial Convention Center | convention centre | not published | 2.3 km (1.4 mi) |
Arenas and stadiums (14)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alumni Stadium | stadium | 44,500 | 9.1 km (5.7 mi) |
| Fenway Park | stadium | 37,499 | 3.4 km (2.1 mi) |
| Harvard Stadium | stadium | 30,323 | 5.6 km (3.5 mi) |
| TD Garden | stadium | 18,624 | 0.9 km (0.6 mi) |
| Nickerson Field | stadium | 10,412 | 4.9 km (3 mi) |
| Silvio O. Conte Forum | arena | 8,606 | 9.2 km (5.7 mi) |
| Agganis Arena | arena | 6,150 | 4.8 km (3 mi) |
| Walter Brown Arena | arena | 3,806 | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
| Bright Hockey Center | arena | 2,850 | 5.6 km (3.5 mi) |
| Jordan Field | stadium | 2,500 | 5.8 km (3.6 mi) |
| Lavietes Pavilion | arena | 2,195 | 5.5 km (3.4 mi) |
| Ohiri Field | stadium | 1,500 | 5.5 km (3.4 mi) |
| Malkin Athletic Center | arena | 1,000 | 5.1 km (3.2 mi) |
| Parsons Field | stadium | not published | 5.1 km (3.2 mi) |
Theatres and concert halls (32)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leader Bank Pavilion | theatre | 5,200 | 2.2 km (1.4 mi) |
| Orpheum Theatre | concert hall | 2,700 | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| Boston Opera House | theatre | 2,600 | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) |
| Shubert Theatre | theatre | 1,600 | 1 km (0.6 mi) |
| Berklee Performance Center | performing-arts centre | 1,215 | 2.6 km (1.6 mi) |
| Jordan Hall | concert hall | 1,051 | 2.9 km (1.8 mi) |
| Paramount Theatre | performing-arts centre | 590 | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) |
| David Friend Recital Hall | theatre | 200 | 2.3 km (1.4 mi) |
| The Cabaret | theatre | 200 | 0.4 km (0.2 mi) |
| Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre | theatre | 150 | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) |
| MGM Music Hall at Fenway | concert hall | not published | 3.3 km (2.1 mi) |
| Symphony Hall | concert hall | not published | 2.8 km (1.7 mi) |
| Charles Playhouse | theatre | not published | 1 km (0.6 mi) |
| Central Square Theater | theatre | not published | 3.4 km (2.1 mi) |
| Exeter Street Theatre | theatre | not published | 1.9 km (1.2 mi) |
| Wang Theater | theatre | not published | 1 km (0.6 mi) |
| American Repertory Theater | theatre | not published | 5.5 km (3.4 mi) |
| Center for Arts at the Armory | performing-arts centre | not published | 5.1 km (3.2 mi) |
| Harvard Film Archive | performing-arts centre | not published | 4.8 km (3 mi) |
| Huntington Theatre Company | theatre | not published | 2.8 km (1.7 mi) |
| List Visual Arts Center | performing-arts centre | not published | 2.3 km (1.4 mi) |
| The Footlight Club | theatre | not published | 7.1 km (4.4 mi) |
| Regent Theatre | performing-arts centre | not published | 9.8 km (6.1 mi) |
| Carpenter Center | performing-arts centre | not published | 4.8 km (3 mi) |
| Wilbur Theatre | theatre | not published | 1 km (0.6 mi) |
| Mosesian Center for the Arts | theatre | not published | 8.6 km (5.3 mi) |
| Center Theatre | performing-arts centre | not published | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) |
| Sanders Theatre | theatre | 1,000 | 4.9 km (3 mi) |
| Virginia Wimberly Theatre | theatre | 372 | 1.8 km (1.1 mi) |
| Boston Conservatory Theater | theatre | 325 | 2.8 km (1.7 mi) |
| Edward M. Pickman Concert Hall | concert hall | 300 | 5.7 km (3.5 mi) |
| Brown Hall | theatre | 260 | 2.9 km (1.8 mi) |
Independent event spaces (50)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Stage at Suffolk Downs | event space | 8,500 | 6.5 km (4 mi) |
| Roadrunner | event space | 3,500 | 7 km (4.3 mi) |
| Wang Theatre | event space | 3,500 | 1 km (0.6 mi) |
| Colonial Theatre, Boston | event space | 1,700 | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) |
| John Hancock Hall | event space | 1,100 | 1.4 km (0.9 mi) |
| Middle East Downstairs | event space | 575 | 3.5 km (2.2 mi) |
| The Sinclair | event space | 525 | 5.3 km (3.3 mi) |
| Crystal Ballroom | event space | 516 | 6.7 km (4.2 mi) |
| Sonia | event space | 350 | 3.5 km (2.2 mi) |
| Brighton Music Hall | event space | 340 | 6 km (3.7 mi) |
| Deep Cuts | event space | 240 | 7.8 km (4.8 mi) |
| Bill's Bar | event space | 220 | 3.1 km (1.9 mi) |
| The 4th Wall | event space | 120 | 8.6 km (5.3 mi) |
| Lizard Lounge | event space | 105 | 5.6 km (3.5 mi) |
| John Foster's Pavilion | event space | 100 | 0.9 km (0.6 mi) |
| ZuZu | event space | 100 | 3.5 km (2.2 mi) |
| Midway Cafe | event space | 99 | 7 km (4.3 mi) |
| The Jungle | event space | 85 | 3.8 km (2.4 mi) |
| The Lilypad | event space | 80 | 3.7 km (2.3 mi) |
| O'Brien's Pub | event space | 75 | 6.2 km (3.9 mi) |
| Toad | event space | 65 | 6 km (3.7 mi) |
| The Plough and Stars | event space | 60 | 4.2 km (2.6 mi) |
| The Silhouette Lounge | event space | 50 | 6.2 km (3.9 mi) |
| Cutler Majestic Theatre | event space | not published | 0.9 km (0.6 mi) |
| Boston Playwrights' Theatre | event space | not published | 4.9 km (3 mi) |
| Dahod Family Alumni Center at the Castle | event space | not published | 3.7 km (2.3 mi) |
| Brattle Theatre | event space | not published | 5.3 km (3.3 mi) |
| Capitol Theater Building | event space | not published | 8.6 km (5.3 mi) |
| Club Café | event space | not published | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| Club Passim | event space | not published | 5.2 km (3.2 mi) |
| Lucy Parsons Center | event space | not published | 5.6 km (3.5 mi) |
| Paradise Rock Club | event space | not published | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
| Scullers Jazz Club | event space | not published | 4.8 km (3 mi) |
| Somerville Theatre | event space | not published | 6.7 km (4.2 mi) |
| Wally's Cafe | event space | not published | 2.7 km (1.7 mi) |
| Bijou Theatre | event space | not published | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) |
| Hatch Memorial Shell | event space | not published | 1.2 km (0.7 mi) |
| Quincy Market | event space | not published | 0.4 km (0.2 mi) |
| Coolidge Corner Theatre | event space | not published | 5.4 km (3.4 mi) |
| Faneuil Hall | event space | not published | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| Mugar Omni Theater | event space | not published | 1.3 km (0.8 mi) |
| Strand Theatre | event space | not published | 4.7 km (2.9 mi) |
| Boston Young Men's Christian Union | event space | not published | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) |
| Browne-Masonic Building | event space | not published | 7.7 km (4.8 mi) |
| Delphic Club | event space | not published | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
| Kresge Auditorium | event space | not published | 2.9 km (1.8 mi) |
| Palace Theatre | event space | not published | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| RKO-Keith's Theatre | event space | not published | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) |
| St. James Theatre | event space | not published | 2.6 km (1.6 mi) |
| Avenue C | event space | 700 | 0.9 km (0.6 mi) |
Also mapped in Boston (82)
- Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre — 260
- Burnes Hall — 200
- Nancy and Edward Roberts Theatre — 200
- Williams Hall — 190
- Modern Theatre — 185
- Plaza Theaters — 150
- Lee & Alma Berk Recital Hall — 118
- Pierce Hall — 105
- Seully Hall — 100
- Studio 401 — 100
- Oliver Colvin Recital Hall — 96
- Keller Room — 71
- Houston Hall — 50
- Zack Box Theater — 50
- Emerson Colonial Theatre
- Hibernian Hall
- George Dilboy VFW Post 529
- Tsai Performance Center
- Chevalier Theatre
- Darryl's Corner Bar & Kitchen
- Cyclorama Building
- Bowdoin Square Theatre
- Columbia Theatre
- Gaiety Theatre, Boston
- Nameless Coffeehouse
- Plymouth Theatre
- Tremont Theatre, Boston
- Cutler Majestic Theater
- Alosia Function Hall
- Arrow Street Arts
- Bespoke Events
- Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
- Park City Southie
- Spontaneous Celebrations
- Boston Music Hall
- Chickering Hall
- Dilboy Stadium
- Encore Boston Harbor
- Hollis Street Theater
- Massachusetts Convention Center Authority
- Odeon
- Beacon Theatre
- Keith-Albee Boston Theatre
- Orson Welles Cinema
- Park Square Theatre
- Parkman Bandstand
- RKO-Boston
- Spinelli's Banquet Hall
- Tremont Theatre
- Whitehaus
- Arsenal Center for the Arts
- Bayside Expo Center
- Chelsea Senior Center
- Hasty Pudding Club
- Melodeon
- Puppet Showplace
- Roberts Center
- Storyville
- Board Alley Theatre
- Gallery East
- Grand Opera House
- Improv Asylum
- Ordway Hall
- Porcellian Club
- Selwyn's Theatre
- Theatre Comique
- Vineyard Vines Club
- Boston Center for the Arts
- Huntington Avenue Theatre
- Harry Della Russo Stadium
- 140 Clarendon Street
- Austin and Stone's Dime Museum
- Denison House
- Exchange Conference Center
- Harvard Union
- New Riding Club
- Odd Fellows Hall
- Playland Café
- Southland (jazz venue)
- Washington Gardens
- EventThem
- New Balance Foundation Pavilion
Every venue mapped in Boston appears above. The ones with enough published detail to be worth reading have their own guide and are linked; the rest are named here, which is honest about what the record holds without giving each of them a page made of three facts.
Where an exhibition fits
7 venues in Boston are classified as exhibition or convention space. They are the only rooms here designed around a floor plan rather than a seating plan.
- Massachusetts Ave @ Newbury St - Hynes Convention Centersize not published
- Thomas M Menino Convention & Exhibition Centersize not published
- Hynes Convention Center Loading Docksize not published
- John B. Hynes Veteran's Memorial Convention Centersize not published
- Boston Convention and Exhibition Centersize not published
- Massachusetts Convention Center Authoritysize not published
- Bayside Expo Centersize not published
Capacities are the figure the venue or an encyclopaedia entry published. They are usually the seated maximum, and the same room in banquet or reception layout can differ by half. Confirm the layout you want before you plan around a number.
Arrival logistics
Logan International Airport (BOS) sits 4 km (2.5 mi) from the centre, close enough that a same-day arrival is realistic for most of your speakers.
Boston keeps New York time (America/New_York), which matters most for the remote speakers you are dialling in.
At about 13,931 residents per square mile the city is compact enough that a venue and its hotel block are usually walkable, which removes a shuttle line from your budget.
Cambridge, Somerville and Everett are close enough to draw from for a day rate, and to fall back on if Boston has nothing free on your dates.
- Nearest major airport
- BOS
- Logan International Airport, 4 km (2.5 mi)
- Local time
- UTC−4
- America/New_York, in September
- City population, 2024
- 673,458
- 5.0 million across the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area
Who else books Boston
PAX, National Conference for Media Reform, The 11th International Semantic Web Conference and American Chemical Society 250th National Meeting come back to Boston. A returning show is the best evidence a place has the rooms, the hotel stock and the airlift to carry one.
- PAXfan convention, since 2004
- National Conference for Media Reformconvention
- The 11th International Semantic Web Conferenceacademic conference
- American Chemical Society 250th National Meetingacademic conference
- The 9th Conference on Complex Networksacademic conference
- Fourth International World Wide Web Conferenceacademic conference
- Eighth National Conference on Artificial Intelligenceacademic conference
- 19th International Conference on Software Engineeringacademic conference
- Poster Track of the 10th ACM Conference on Recommender Systemsacademic conference
- 10th ACM Conference on Recommender Systemsacademic conference
Recorded in Wikidata, which covers event series with an encyclopaedia entry. It is a floor rather than a full calendar for Boston, and it is not a listing service — check dates with the organiser.
The local constraints
The city is smaller than the market
673,458 people live in Boston itself, but about 5.0 million live in the wider Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH. Your local audience is far bigger than the city line suggests, and so is the commute your day-rate attendees will make.
Choice is not the constraint here
With 182 venues mapped, availability rarely fails. What fails is comparison: shortlist on capacity and distance from the airport first, and only then start touring.
Check the city calendar first
Boston carries recurring shows including PAX, National Conference for Media Reform and The 11th International Semantic Web Conference. Hotel rates and venue availability move sharply around them, so pick your dates against that calendar rather than against your own.
A worked example, sized to Boston
A Boston programme at 950 activated attendees — sized to Alumni Stadium, the largest stated capacity in the Boston dataset — prices like this. Nothing is charged for the first 50, and nothing at all is charged past 1,000.
- activated attendees
- 950activated attendees
- billable, after the first 50 are free
- 900billable, after the first 50 are free
- for the whole event, at $5 each
- $4,500for the whole event, at $5 each
You are billed for people, not for the venue, so the room you choose in Boston does not change this figure. Nothing is charged for an attendee who registers and never opens the app.
Which kind of event this suits
With a stated ceiling of 44,500 seats, Boston can carry a full trade show or a multi-track annual meeting without splitting the audience across buildings.
- trade shows and exhibitions
7 exhibition or convention halls mean a booth plan is possible in Boston without renting a marquee.
- multi-track conferences
A 44,500-seat room carries a plenary with breakouts running alongside it.
- association annual meetings
An association meeting needs one big room, several small ones and a hotel block, which is the combination Boston is set up for.
- festivals
An arena or stadium floor at 44,500 takes an audience no conference venue in Boston can.
- sports tournaments
The same rooms already run fixtures, so load-in and crowd flow are solved.
Where this data comes from
- GeoNames, CC BY 4.0
- US Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 estimates
- Wikidata, CC0
- Geographic data © GeoNames, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Venue data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License.
- US population figures are US Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.
- Retrieved 3 September 2026. event67 has no commercial relationship with any venue listed.
Last updated
What it costs
- Free up to 50
- activated attendees, on one live event
- $5
- per activated attendee beyond 50
- $4,750
- the most one event can ever cost, whatever happens past 1,000
Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
Questions people actually ask
Price a Boston event at 950 attendees — what is the total?
950 activated attendees means 900 billable after the free 50, so $4,500 for the event. The price is $5 per activated attendee beyond the first 50, and the total for one event stops at $4,750 however many more attend. Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
What is the largest venue in Boston?
Of the 182 venues mapped in Boston, the largest stated capacity belongs to Alumni Stadium at 44,500. Capacities in open data are the figure the venue itself published, and they are the seated number rather than a standing or exhibition figure, so confirm the layout you actually want before you plan around it.
Does Boston have a convention centre?
Yes — 7 venues are classified as exhibition or convention space in Boston, including Massachusetts Ave @ Newbury St - Hynes Convention Center, Thomas M Menino Convention & Exhibition Center and Hynes Convention Center Loading Dock. Exhibition halls are booked by floor area rather than by seat, so ask for the hall sheet with column spacing and load-in access rather than a capacity number.
Which airport do attendees fly into for Boston?
Logan International Airport (BOS), about 4 km (2.5 mi) from the city. It is the highest-traffic airport within reach in this dataset. Local time is America/New_York; publish every session in that zone and let attendees' phones convert it.
Is there a free tier for a small Boston event?
One live event with up to 50 activated attendees costs nothing. Beyond that it is $5 per activated attendee beyond the first 50, and the total for one event stops at $4,750 however many more attend. Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
What events already happen in Boston?
Recurring shows recorded for Boston include PAX, National Conference for Media Reform, The 11th International Semantic Web Conference and American Chemical Society 250th National Meeting. This list comes from Wikidata and covers series with an encyclopaedia entry, so it is a floor rather than a full calendar. Check your dates against it: hotel rates and venue availability both move around a returning show.
Keep reading
Nearby cities
Up a level
Running something in Boston?
Set the schedule, invite the room and watch who actually turns up. Free for your first 50 activated attendees, on one live event.