Mayan Theater

It’s alright place the Dj saves the day… security sucks! Don’t bother buying alcohol at last call they just Collect the drinks on whole place before 2 am and force you pour it out or give it to them

the girl bouncer outside was such a problem. so rude. if sleek ass black ultra boosts arent allowed then me kanye and bieber will party somewhere else dammit. an entire party of 15 turned away because one guy is wearing a 200 shoe. she then said «i don’t care if he’s wearing versace he’s not getting in.» like give me a break. bye.

For being built in 1926… this venue gets an «A». I saw a metal show yesterday and the sound there is amazing the lights are amazing the size of venue is amazing and it has plenty of bars for alcohol and a great tequila bar. Beautiful. Ornate. Historical. Classic. Love this venue. Can’t wait to see another concert/​show there.

One of the coolest theaters I’ve ever been in. I’ve been there a few times and both were for wrestling shows. Very cool place! Kinda reminds me of the bar from the movie Dusk Till Dawn.

have had incredible music experiences here; superb sounds & an impressive flow. Their Super bowl parties are off the chain. this has got to be a must on all lists. The Mayan covers all the bases. enjoy!

I don’t know how it is that I’ve been going to concerts for twenty years, have attended nearly 200 shows, and yet the first time I have ever been to this theater was when Ghost played this past October.
This place is beautiful. Truly beautiful. The design and architecture are intricate and authentic, making it look as though bands are playing among the ancient ruins of some temple. If I didn’t get to the show so late (I always arrive minutes before the headliner) then I would have perused the place and checked it out top to bottom.
I can’t really comment on the acoustics here. The place I chose to stand was down in front, to the right side and near the speakers, so I didn’t get a good idea of how the sound is when you’re out in the thick of the crowd. But as far as my ears could hear, the band sounded stellar.
The merch table at this show was near the front of the stage, to the right; almost near where I was standing. Is this the usual spot? Seems distracting given the proximity to the stage, but on the plus side it’s not like you can miss it.
Have bands I like been playing here for years and I never went? I can’t say, but I can say that I will be returning to the Mayan as soon as I get the chance.

Came here to see Lucha Vavoom with some friends and we had a blast! It was my first time here and I was really impressed by the Mayan Temple décor – I expected Indiana Jones and a boulder to come running by me at any moment. We sat at one of the cheap bleacher seats up at the top and had a great view of the stage since it’s still a pretty small theater. Even though we were far from the stage I felt like I still had a great view. During intermission my friends and I were taking advantage of the awesome breezes on the side stairwells but security shooed us away, boo. The drink prices were pretty much what you’d expect at a typical LA venue – didn’t seem out of step in any way. My friends and I saved a few bucks by parking a couple of blocks away on Broadway. It’s a cool venue; I’d definitely come back.
STEPH JUDGEMENT: Groovy theater that makes you feel like you’re on a movie set.

I’d rather suck a rabid dog’s dick than come here again. Every bathroom became the women’s bathroom during the show we came to see except an outside area past the smoking lounge. If I were to come back to The Mayan it would be to buy the land it sits on and demolish it to build something new on top of it. I paid $ 140/​person to watch a couple local bands put me to sleep before the headliner that drew the entire crowd. Never again.

Pretty cool venue. Lots of space, and parking was fairly easy to get (you had to pay, of course). The «pit» area and bar were separated, and to my understanding, you could only drink by the bar and not bring alcohol on the main floor, which I’m fine with since it gets annoying when people have their drinks spilled and someone could slip easily. There’s also a seated area on the second level for those who prefer that. One thing that really sucks though is the bathrooms. There was only one for the girls and that was all. My boyfriend said there was one toilet for the guys’ restroom and a trough urinal. So yes, you’ll be waiting a very long time to use the bathroom if you don’t get there quickly.
Also, for one of the bands I saw (Crown The Empire, who was very obviously using the sound guy that the Mayan had) sucked pretty badly. Their sound quality was absolute shit compared to the headliner and opener bands, which sucks to say.
Overall, good place, get a different sound guy if bands need one, bring money for booze since it’s pricey and build some more stalls for bathrooms.

Disclaimer: This review is not going to be based on the live music, the sound, beer selection, or ample (or lack there of) parking. Okay, I am a liar: there WILL be some of that, as this IS Unilocal,after all. However, this review will also be based on special criteria for the *special ladies* out there. It will be a passage in a guideline for the obsessed fans seeking to bypass security to get photos with bands or autographs. Who am I kidding… it’s also targeting groupies. I had my phase when I was younger and I have great stories. I might as well help aid the modern generation of gals who just want a little piece of the band for their own…
Guide for Obsessed Fans & Groupies #11:
Ladies, you have more than likely now heard too much about the Mayan Theater. That’s no surprise as it isn’t located in the best of neighborhoods near the somewhat sketchy intersection of Olympic/​Hill. You will be accosted by homeless men and other interesting characters while in the area so be prepared. Parking is actually plentiful with a number of lots around the area. The lot connected to the Mayan is $ 20 on event days while surrounding lots are as low as $ 3-​$ 5 during the day but then up to $ 10 – 15 the night of a show.
The Mayan itself is pretty rad in terms of the exterior ambiance. It has fake carvings and stone designs which makes it look straight out of the Nickelodeon show from the 90s, «Legends of the Hidden Temple». It actually quite neat! Now, I know you are concerned with being first in line so that you can have «first row» against the stage so here is the deal. Most shows are general admission so arrive a few hours beforehand. The Mayan staff is somewhat «ghetto» but also strict at the same time. The staff is young and seem as though they are lax being that they don’t have a box office window (Will Call is a folding table) but they also set up velvet ropes for the lines, have two separate entrances for the under and over 21 crowd, and tape up multiple signs that say there is no re-​entry during the show. The staff is quick to say «no» to questions so be ready for stiff responses. Side note: they do NOT accept credit cards if purchasing a ticket at the doors.
After waiting (and waiting and waiting as the Mayan doesn’t open doors on time when they say they will); entry is also strict. I know you are in a rush, ladies, to snag your spot against the stage but sadly one must present ID, show your ticket, AND go through a metal detector which beeped for EVERYONE so then each concert-​goer was hand-​searched. It takes up a lot of time when anxious to get to the stage. THEN, oddly enough, the under 21 crowd is let in faster so they get to the stage first which is bull because you were in line first! You may have to run in those heels of yours!
The interior of the Mayan continues with the temple theme. High ceilings and walls reveal intricate carvings, the back features a wall-​length bar (must be 21 in that area), and there is also a balcony. The Mayan is one of those venues which has metal barricades and security guards against the stage for rock shows so sadly ladies, you will be slightly distanced from the rock star man of your dreams. Make sure you also put on plenty of deodorant and hair spray because the venue is VERY stuffy and seems to not own an AC.
So how is the actual performance? The lighting here is wonderful ladies so you WILL be seen by your musician love and I suggest taking photos (cameras are allowed! yay!). There really is no poor view in the house (I walked around later and even back by the doors I could see perfectly); and the sound guy does his job well as the acoustics are on-​par. The Mayan is excellent in terms of putting on a show.
Now ladies, here is the most important part: trying to meet the band. The Mayan isn’t that simple in finding where buses are parked and bands enter and leave. There are security guards everywhere and not easy to maneuver because they are SUPER strict with the no –reentry rule (my friend who works for the band wasn’t even allowed back in after he stepped out!). However, if you go to the side hallway near where the backstage begins and the under 21 crowd was admitted; then you will be in the perfect spot to meet your favorite musician. There is a security guard there but he was pretty lax and the band can see you as they walk back and forth so you can freely call to them and even walk towards them. This IS «the spot» for your fan experience. You can search outside but you have to go around the block to find the back area.
Overall, the Mayan is pretty cool in terms of aesthetics and is wonderful with show production. Staff is a bit strict so the experience isn’t as chill as one would hope for but there is still an opportunity to meet you dream rock star. So go ahead ladies: strut your stuff!

I go to a lot of small hip hop shows. Like most of the small venues around LA, The Mayan Theater is a little rough around the edges. The historic décor is beautiful but it’s seen better days. However, it’s comparatively big and the capacity is higher. General admission standing floor, with general admission seating on the second level. There is a smoking patio and plenty of bars throughout. Sound quality isn’t great.
But ladies, the restrooms, aww lawwwd — anticipate that ish beforehand because there is only 1 restroom with just 4 stalls. The women’s line gets crazy long.
Security is a tad too chill. A lot of super drunk dudes at the end of the night act the fool and security just looks on. But I’ve never seen it get violent; just annoying. So that’s not terrible.
The adjacent parking lots are ridiculously expensive, and the attendants often quote more than the posted amount. There is free street parking on Hill St and plenty of meters in/​around that area. I’d walk a block or visit a nearby lot with decent prices.

Beautiful venue, but the standing and drinking areas are not well laid out. If you are drinking, you couldn’t actually go anywhere else besides to bar area, which was really loud and bright. I didn’t want to chug my drink just to get closer to the show. I don’t know if it was just with the artist I saw, but there was not even one place to sit down and watch the show. I actually had to go out to the lobby to take a break.

I love the Mayan. It captures the spirit of Mayan architecture especially with the ornate ceiling. Its vast size makes it a great venue for large dance parties. The music from the multilevel venue reverberates throughout the space with high intensity. There are two exterior staircases that go to open air spaces if you need to take a smoke break. There are many paid parking lots adjacent to the Mayan so you don’t have to venture too far.

We had a great time with an awesome set of bands with a stellar venue. We bought the tickets at the door and saved money from not buying them on Ticket Master. All the bands performed wonderfully and the sounds was very good.
They have a pit area, an area beyond that at the bar a bit higher up and they have upstairs type balcony seating. We pretty much stayed in the area above the pit and watched the kids get crazy to the metal music. We saw Monuments, Animals as Leader, and Devin Townsend and it was an incredible night of talent I won’t soon forget.
The only reason I’m giving this venue a star off is because A? I called ahead of time and asked about the tickets the day of and there was no one I could speak to about the tickets. They weren’t informed. I was pretty sure the tickets wouldn’t sell out but there should be someone that knows what’s going on that I can talk to… The man told me that he couldn’t tell me about the tickets because it was a private event (meaning the bands had rented the place) but that’s pretty lame MAYAN! Ok and B) they had absolutely no food… Not sure what’s up with that. They were breaking the bank of the teens with 5 $ cans of soda and & 7 $ Red Bull. There were more bar areas then I can count all over the place, but no chips or snacks or whatever they can also overcharge and make money on… They show was like 4 – 5 hours you know people get hungry. So for that they lose a star and also the potential to make more money.
The arcitechture was very nice inside and we enjoyed the venue very much.

I have to admit that I’d never even heard of this venue before finding that a band we love was going to be playing here. And then, when I took to Google to get more information about the place, I was… well. I mean, come on. The first picture you see is a chunky guy in a spandex, sporting a lucha libre mask. Yeah. It was a head-​scratcher.
Anyway, we weren’t going for wrestling, we were going for a show and a VIP meet and greet. While the night itself was phenomenal, the venue left a few small things to be desired.
To start, we were sent an e-​mail telling us to congregate by the Will Call window no later than 5:30 pm, so that we could get access to the Meet and Greet. All well and good, except that there IS NO will call window. Their «will call» window didn’t materialize until almost 6:30 pm, and it showed up in the form of several taped pieces of paper above a folding table. Asking the two or three security guards that were busily setting up the velvet ropes were no help at all. When asked, people were told «I know nothing about the VIP experience», or «Just line up over that way» (with a hand motion pointing in some vague direction), or «Nah» (my personal favorite reply, by the way.)
The VIP experience didn’t really start until after 6pm, which isn’t on the venue, since it was managed by the concert promoters. But still, the venue staff could have been provided with a bit of information for the fans.
Okay, so let me get to the rest of the night. The «green room» that we were taken to for the meet and greet was… interesting. that’s the nicest thing I can say about it. Despite the powerful experience we had back there, the room was oddly lacking. The lighting was steak-​house dim. It was cold, and there was nothing by way of comfort, other than a few stools. The lighting was the worst thing — trying to get pictures with these amazing people was a challenge.
The rest of the night was sheer perfection — as far as the performers go. We were able to secure a spot right in the middle of the stage, right up against the barrier (it was so EFFING RAD!) However, the group of security guards they had there were so incredibly lost, unorganized and obtrusive, it was incredible. I’ve never been to a show in which the security guards spend almost the entire night tripping over each other, yelling at each other over the music, and BLOCKING THE FANS. You can clearly see in one of my pictures that there was one particular guard who had no clue as to the fact that he was completely blocking my view. I wanted to bop him on the head and yell, «HEY! I didn’t drop hundreds of dollars, take a half day off of work, drive for two hours in the rain, stand outside for three hours in the cold and drizzle, to stand at center stage to stare at YOU!»
They finally got the hint, but it took way too long. I mean, seriously — I have pictures of them standing in front of us, turned halfway around watching the show instead of the crowd! Yes, I get that they’re putting on an exciting show, but seriously dude. Buy a ticket!
*deep breath*
Okay, that was a little frustrating for me, but other than that… the venue is interesting. The Mayan motif was carried out throughout the building, and it was well done. There are three levels, and apparently there are chairs if you go upstairs, but I can’t confirm that. Parking is plentiful, both on the street and in the many lots surrounding the area. I wouldn’t mind seeing another band perform here, in the future.

I have seen two concerts here and I wish more people I want to see would play at the Mayan. I love love love (yeah 3x love) this place. Their is not a bad seat/​standing area in the house. I just went and saw Bad Religion crush a show here and man did it not disappoint.
The décor of the Mayan is so well down and the lay out from the upstairs to the GA floor is fantastic. I don’t come here for the club scene. I come for kick ass concerts where you can always find a great spot to see the stage and a place that puts out killer sound.
Drinks are gonna be your average LA club/​venue price. So expect to pay $ 20.00 bucks for a couple drinks. But still I just expect that from a lot of concert venues, it comes with the territory. Now this place could use a few more restrooms but I am not going to let that tarnish the review. Hopefully more people I like end up playing at the Mayan. CHEERS!!!

Came here on a Friday night to see Charli XCX. The venue itself is definitely like a theater, minus the seating near the stage. Upstairs, it does have a theater seating, but with benches, kind of like the Hollywood Bowl.
In this case, alcohol was only served at the top floor (too many underage guests) and you could not take your drink downstairs. The bartenders here are definitely trying to get you on the happier side. The drinks are extremely strong, and one was enough to have me in over my head.
This venue is perfect for upcoming artists and for a smaller crowd. It is more intimate and I was able to see the concert from the first floor without any issues.

I would love to give this venue 5 stars on the building alone, but not going to happen. The building is pretty amazing; it’s intricately detailed outside to resemble a Mayan pyramid with fake stones and hieroglyphics all over it. Full marquee that is three sided so it can be viewed from any vantage point on the street.
The most amazing thing about this location is that it is downtown LA, but there is parking nearby and a lot of it! I wish this was something that happened more in SF.
So, I am sure I am biased because I have come for the same artist (roughly) each time I come here and the bands all allow an early entry for fan club if you are a lucky winner of it. This is always stressful in general, but this venue has been going through these motions now for several years, at least since 2009 and they still act like it is a new day each time it comes up. No one ever knows anything, it is always a struggle to get someone with information and who is willing to be helpful, let alone friendly.
It is equally amazing inside with a fantastic attention to detail all over the ceiling and walls. More «engravings» to be enjoyed. THe front of the pit butts up to a barricade that creates space between the stage. Usually for camera and press, but sometimes you can get lucky and performers come down and stroll through the space (my last Jack White experience).
Full bar with decent prices especially considering you are in downtown and I felt like my cocktails were strong. It’s hard to say if I was being a cheap date because I hadn’t eaten much, the excitement of the show, or the drinks were really that strong. Either way it left this girl with an extra kick in her step to shake a tail feather.
If fighting it out in the crowd isn’t your thing the bar is raised form the pit with it’s own barricade and plenty of room to enjoy the show and shake your tail feather from there. And even more, if you are the sit and relax kind of concert goer their upstairs is tiered steps that spread the balcony with a bar nearby. This is where my mister likes to enjoy the show.
Me? I’m a down in front and sweat on me type of girl. Either way the venue is sure to boast a good time. I’ve never had any issues with security, but I also hardly bring anything with me. The times I have brought a purse I don’t bring stupid things that would get confiscated.

I went to the Mayan last night to see Bad Rabbits and Allen Stone.
Pros: Friendly staff. Easy to get to a bar for drinks. Room to move around.
Cons: Acoustics in here are absolutely horrid, especially on the floor. I tried to find a spot where it sounded better, but it didn’t. The singer’s voices were totally buried. Things did improve when Allen Stone was performing, but I was still extremely disappointed, because the building sucks the feeling out of the music. Unless they go through a major sound spec and upgrade of their house gear, I won’t be going back any time soon. Also, if you are in the balcony, there are two risers set up in the center back to back. Expect to have obstructed viewing unless you’re near the front 30% of the balcony.

I’ve been to the Mayan twice now, both times to see VNV Nation. I really like the venue. Its huge, it has a great sound system, and a HUGE floor area for dancing.
Only a couple issues that I have, which is why this isn’t a 5 star review:
Drinks are ridiculously expensive. $ 11 per shot? No thanks. Plus… and maybe it was just because the show was 18+, but you couldn’t bring your drinks down to the stage area. Not cool, especially when I’m paying so much, I don’t want to chug my drink before I go back to the front of the stage.
parking was a bit ridiculous this time too, but I don’t know if the lot we used is The Mayan’s or not.
Last time, we payed $ 5, and just put the money into a little slot, and once spots were gone, they were gone.
This time, we paid $ 15 for valet, and when we slipped out before the crowd, the parking attendants had to move a bunch of cars… they’d blocked us in completely!
I will most definitely come back here, although I’ll come back early to try to find some better parking, and so I can pre-​drink while my friend holds my spot in the front.