Report: NYC’s Roseland Ballroom To Close In April

In 1919 a venue opened in NYC’s midtown Manhattan called the Roseland Ballroom that quickly became a mecca for ballroom dancing. Often referred to as the “world’s greatest ballroom,” the Roseland’s stage was visited by a who’s who of both dance and jazz legends over the next few decades before its owners moved the venue one block north in the ’50s to its current location on West 52nd Street. At the new location Roseland continued as a dance hall for many years before it opened its doors to rock acts. The ballroom has hosted acts such as Phish, Gov’t Mule, Nirvana, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses and Oysterhead over the last 25 years. According to a report from Billboard, the venue will close its doors for good in April.

[Photo by Jeremy Gordon]

Billboard’s Ray Waddell reports the magazine has obtained an internal e-mail discussing the closure, though current booker Live Nation and owner Larry Ginsberg have not responded to Billboard’s request for comment. The venue holds about 3,500 attendees and currently has many shows scheduled including a two-night New Year’s Run from Big Gigantic. We’ll have more on this developing story as news surfaces.