the norva

I've seen concert all over VA, and this is by far my favorite venue. It's small, dark, cramped with tons of dirty, smelly people, and median priced drinks. What more could you ask! I believe at one point it was rated top in the state and possibly in the top five of the country. Definitely trumps the National, it's sister venue in Richmond, VA.

I forgot my ticket printout so I called ahead to make sure they could just scan the ticket on my phone. The lady at the box office ignored what I was asking and proceeded to recite Ticketmaster rules at me then hang up. So Instead of enjoying dinner with my friends, I had to run up and down the street looking for a business that would let me use their printer.When we finally got in and went to the bar, my friend who was our DD was charged $4 for a cup of tap water then watched the same bartender give another patron a free cup of water because she was "spending money".

I was staying in downtown Norfolk for a few nights. Need to get out of the hotel. Decided to see some live music. The night I went was a band called The Washed Out. The venue I'm guessing it use to be a movie theater. There are no seats a few tables in the back. sound was very good. bar on the side. Staff was very good. I would recommend this concert hall if your favorite band is playing or discover new music.

We went to see Ben Folds 7 years ago and loved the intimate feel of this vintage venue so we trekked back last week, from WV, to see 3 Doors Down Unplugged. WOW! We had dinner at FM Restaurant adjacent to The Norva which allowed us early entry into the concert hall. This gave us first pick of the limited seating. There is plenty of standing room though and either are well worth the ticket price. If you've never attended a show/concert at The Norva, you need to get on the website and find one ASAP! Plenty of nice hotels nearby as well.

I've been seeing shows at the NorVa for 15 years and love it. Only wish they were getting as many good bands playing as they used to.

Went to see Flogging Molly with my husband ... Acoustics were JUST OK. Crowd was rude, pushing their way in front of you, stepping on your feet, etc ... Worst part was the plumbing that was leaking on us during the concert ... It was disgusting. We won't be returning no matter who is there.

For the audience there are excellent sight lines, state-of-the-art sound, and top-notch lighting. Not really a bad spot in the house.For the performers, there are a steam room, full-size dressing rooms, a whirlpool...among the best backstages in the country.A winner all around.

I wanted to see Ingrid Michaelson and had no prior knowledge about the NorVa. However, I looked it up online and saw that it was listed in Rolling Stone as the best concert venue in the US, so my expectations were high going in. Leaving, I was not disappointed at all. They serve food and drinks at the Norva, which was not spectacular, but considering that you can't get food and drinks at most other venues, it was pretty cool. Sound-wise, I think it was pretty great. I could hear the music well and there wasn't a bad spot in the house. The same goes for seating/standing room. I am short, so I expected to not be able to see anything, given that it is standing room only. However, there were so many little nooks and crannies you could get in to that you could find a good spot to see all the action. I was in the balcony area, but close enough to be notice by Ms. Michaelson. Also, they have screens all over the place, so when I couldn't see directly, I could just look at any one of the many monitors. (I would love it if they upgraded the TVs to Samsung HD TVs, but that is a project for another day). There was also a good bit of seating in various areas such that, if you got tired of standing, you had somewhere to go (not true of the Roseland Ballroom in New York). All in all, I would definitely recommend seeing a concert at the NorVa. I think it works best for acoustic and indie artists more so than highly produced artists. But if you like being in an intimate setting with your favorite musicians, this is the place to go. I drove down from DC and had to stay in a hotel, but it was worth it.

Have seen several concerts here from small to big name acts. The sound is very good. Stage is pretty small. VIP section upstairs overlooks the stage on the sides. Often there are skip the line deals by eating at the restaurant attached.

The Norva is an awesome venue and they bring in all these really cool acts to Va.I wish half the bands that came here would come to RichmondThe only thing I DON'T like about the Norva is the attitude of the staff, there is a rougher crowd there and I guess the security has to deal with thatThe problem is they treat everyone as if you're being a jerk even if you're notI've actually walked out in shows because of the security beforeJust be prepared to deal with that, look around, I'm not the only one saying it either

Saw MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE on March 18th. Amazing band performance and the venue was really nice. Met the band afterward. Great night!

I have seen a few dozen shows and have attended some event here.. the last was this weekends Chive Black Lager release.I great concert venue with bar overtones. Sound is great ! ... the whole set up is simple and easy flowing. Non smoking is great !! they have a patio with it's own service area. Also has a great balcony.Fun place to grab a show and meet new people !!

not a bad seat in the house, If you're lucky enough to get VIP the view from that side is great.. the Lounge is nice, drinks are a little expensive but the staff is great..

Huge venue with handicap accessible balcony. That's about the only good thing I can say. security rushed people out of VIP area before the band was done talking to them. Staff treats patrons like trash, waters down drinks and charges too much for them. I understand they have a job to do but they don't have to nearly assault people to get their point across. They were very rude to a man in a wheelchair when he needed assistance getting back upstairs because the elevator was out of service after the fire alarm was triggered. All he wanted to do was get closer to the stage so he could see since he couldn't get back upstairs and they treated him like he was trying to sneak backstage and kept pushing him away.

The NorVa was an excellent venue to be in and I will be returning in the future. The staff was excellent and helped answer any questions I had. And of course the show was amazing!