The Norva

Great location for a concert. It helps the performer become gain more intimacy when performing for the audience. I’m giving it a ³⁄₅ because I feel as if every time I attend a concert, I feel like my safety isn’t in good hands. The people that scan the tickets never check for anything (weapons) every time I go, but they always want me go through my water bottle away though. mmm. ok.

I came here for a concert last year, the venue was a pretty decent size, and drinks are a bit pricey.

My absolutely favorite place to see bands in Hampton Roads! Next best thing to having them play in your own living room. The Norva is super intimate! Very easy to get up close & personal with your favorite artists. Great video and photos can be taken from anywhere in the house. Comfy, cozy completely seperate VIP room, bar, and bathrooms with the concert on monitor in a sitting area with plush couches. Great bartenders! I’d like to see a wider bar selection & a better price differential between bottom & top shelf liquors. Bar is pretty limited. Pizza avail downstairs. Other appetizers in other bar areas would be great!

Email sent on 11÷19÷15
Hello. I’m at the venue now for the KRS-​One show with my disabled brother. I’m disheartened to learn that you no longer offer companion seating. I’m forced to stand behind my brother as opposed to sitting beside him to enjoy the show.
I hope that you will consider, in the future, that concerts are a social affair and offer companion seats to those accompanying the disabled to shows. This is the first venue we have been to without companion seats.
Yet they were offered here on the past.

Cool venue. The bartenders/​bouncers, etc, were all very friendly and helpful. One of the cleanest bathrooms I’ve seen when it comes to music venues!

The five star rating is specifically for the sound system. The stereo sound BANGS! I saw Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats and Leon Bridges the other night, and I stood in the back of the venue with one of my friends. I could hear everything clearly without it being overpowering (except the Wurlitzer and organ — they were piercing at first) and still have a convo with him without yelling. The high ceilings definitely helped with the acoustics in the building.
As for the venue itself… I’d prob give it 3.5 stars. It’s standing room only, so if you’re vertically challenged I’d suggest you get there when the doors open. The floor will be PACKED once the show starts, and the balcony area will fill up quickly as well. The floor will also be slippery and gross because… ya know… it’s a concert venue. Perhaps some shows have VIP seating, but the two or three I’ve been to were general admission, so they were first come, first serve. You’ve been warned!
Now…having heeded that warning, if you go to the show for the MUSIC, then you’ll be satisfied! Again… the sound is great.

Have been to the Norva a few times now but never written about it. Had great times each time but nothing that made me want to sit down and write about it. Well I guess it’s time to open my trap. Inside of The Norva, the layout, has the typical old school converted movie theater feel where the seats were yanked out but the concessions were left where they originated sans the sticky popcorn butter floor. Small and intimate with good acoustics. Upper area is VIP and bottom floor is SRO. From what I could see, almost no bad viewing angle. Outside, there’s this feeling that you’re going to a vintage movie theater. Parking is a SNAP! Plenty of inexpensive parking at the mall parking complex next door. The ease and pricing of parking is what set this place apart from other venues I’ve been to. Last nights Neighborhood concert didn’t disappoint.

This is a really nice intimate venue that really puts you up close to the artist, because you can get a very good view of the show no matter where you are. There is no seating on the first floor/​pit and very limited seating on the second floor. There are bars on both the first and second floor as well as screens displaying the concert scattered throughout the second floor bar area.
The sound system here is very good it resonates throughout the whole venue. Security is very friendly; however, they’re no nonsense here, so you really feel safe while you’re getting your everlasting life on the dancefloor.
I’ve seen two shows here this past year Fifth Harmony and Monica and both were excellent. All in all, The NorVA is a great venue to have a good time.

This is an excellent venue for a concert that is well-​kept and updated. The GA standing floor is spacious, bathrooms are clean, the staff is friendly, and it didn’t take an hour to get inside (being from NY this is a nice change!). We arrived early for a concert and were super close to the stage, and the sound was amazing! There is also an upper level surrounding the floor and overlooking the stage where you can stand if you don’t want to be mixed in with a crazy crowd. It would be nice if they had some food at the bar, but it didn’t make or break the night.

I love coming here to see shows. We usually come at least 3 to 5x a year. Last night we came and saw Pepper, Ballyhoo, Katatsro with Strange Roots opening up for all of them. Doors opened at 6 with a showtime of 630 and we got there right at 630 and it was damn near empty. Talking to the bar tender they only sold 400 tickets and weren’t expecting a big crowd so they had the upper level blocked off for the VIP idiots who pay 5k a year for a membership. I’m sorry there is no way in hell I’m paying that price to have a strip of upper level and a private bar for VIPs, now if free drinks were included then hell yeah.
My thought as to why many tickets weren’t sold in advance is because of this: tickets were advertised for $ 20 in advance so I was stoked that we would be spending like $ 45ish for 2 tickets. Wrong! The only place that sold the tickets was through some venue company but they charge a $ 11 convenience fee!!! My total for 2 tickets was $ 62!!! On a Tuesday night. I almost didn’t want to go but I love seeing Pepper live and my boyfriend wanted to see Ballyhoo. Bit the bullet and got the tickets. And they weren’t even phone scanable tickets but old school print out ones. Where is the convenience?
The shows were awesome. Great energy and the place filled up quickly with tickets being cheaper at the door the day of the show. We had great a spot up and close and I enjoyed every band that played.
The Norva is a great venue for shows. The bartenders are awesome and bouncers friendly and there always is a good mix of people there.

The best venue in this area for live music in this area! LOVE seeing shows here! Intimate and awesome sound quality.

Standing room only but still a great venue with a good variety of musical artists that perform here. The sound equipment is superb and you can pretty much get a good view of the stage from whereever you are standing. especially on the 2^nd level.

Enjoy at your own risk…
I might consider this to be an excellent venue if they cared more about patron safety. There is no room to spare anyway when a house is sold out-​Packed in like sardines. But on top of that when a mosh pit is started and security doesn’t care… Enough is enough when I lose two drinks to jumping idiots, and security still doesn’t give notice. I’m amazed they aren’t worried about being sued. It wouldn’t be difficult for one of those idiots to hurt someone. After this experience I don’t think I’m a fan of the standing venue concept.

OMG where do I start… I HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME!
Me and Bae saw Juicy J and his upcoming artist which who are from VA… They rocked the crowd. From where we were it was up close and personal! SO FUN!!!

Great venue to watch a concert. 3 levels to watch, although parts of it was closed off for VIP. I went for a Carbon Leaf concert on St. Paddy’s Day, definitely best part of the day.
Parking can be challenging as there aren’t many street parking spaces and you may have to resort to parking at the Mall.
The drinks were ridiculously pricey.

Ever heard of Pat McGee? Neither had I until last Friday when a friend and I decided to catch a show at The Norva on a whim. The band and the opening act (Dustin Furlow) were incredible. Pat introduced a local sax player that KILLED it. I really enjoyed the music.
But, the venu. What in the everloving F***, Norva? It was f***ing 35 degrees in that theatre the WHOLE time! I went to the bar and asked the bartender «Hey, do you know why it is so cold in here?» she said «Because it’s cold outside and there aren’t enough bodies in here.» Really lady? REALLY?
How cheap do you need to be to let 150 or so patrons freeze to save, what a hundred bucks? Our bar tab alone would have paid that bill.
Yes, the Norva is the best venue for live music in Norfolk — which is why I gave them an extra star. They must think because they’re the only game in town they can show complete disregard for their patrons. Even the PERFORMERS were complaining! Come on…
Do not go to the Norva if it is freezing cold outside.

I am most definitely a fan of the Norva. I’m not a huge concert guy any more but I have wandered in a couple of times in the past few years for Better Than Ezra shows. Each time, I have had a great time. First off, the place itself is very intimate for a show. There doesn’t seem to be a bad seat in the house. Given my general disdain for other people, I typically go to the upstairs area and try to catch the show. There are plenty of places up there to grab a spot along the rail and watch. I’ve had good experiences both times.
As for the drinks, they have a decent selection of beers for a concert venue. You aren’t just stuck with drinking Bud or any other big brewery. They did have a few craft beers on tap for you to enjoy. The prices were reasonable, I thought. There is a bar downstairs and upstairs. I’ve yet to wait more than a few minutes for a drink while there so the staff keeps things moving fairly well. Overall, I honestly wish I had more opportunities to catch shows down at the Norva. It’s definitely a great spot if one of your favorites are in town.

I had soo much fun here. I just wish the drinks weren’t so expensive!
Great, smaller venue!
I have always liked this place and the bathrooms are clean for a concert venue.
I like that they schedule big acts and small acts.

Now typically I would say the Norva is the one and only spot to go to for shows, but I seriously wished their general floor was slanted giving people in the back a little more of a chance to actually see the performers. I honestly never understood why tall guys insist on being up front blocking all the short people like us. The Norva gives off a closer knit and more intimate vibe, unlike those big amphitheaters.
Ticket prices vary depending on the performers. Beer is about $ 8 average and $ 10 or more for cocktails. Some times they also serve snack items like popcorn and chicken tenders on the top floor.
Top floor has VIP sectioned off and then a general balcony view for everyone. They also have a few tables with high chairs. There’s also a not as busy bar on the 2^nd floor.
So here are a bunch of tips…
Tip 1: Bathroom upstairs is larger and less crowded than the one downstairs.
Tip 2: Park at MacArthur Mall’s North deck (not South) and then cross the street properly! Not over the chains blocking off the railing for the tide. Walking a few more steps is not going to kill you.
Tip 3: Arrive at least 15 mins early and you can pretty much get the front row, seeing as everyone comes much later.
Tip 4: Get drunk! and fast! Especially if you’re on the first floor with all the teeny drunk kids that act like they’ve never been let out past sundown, because really its the only way to deal with being around them.
Tip 5: Stay wayyy later after the show ends and you can get a chance to meet the band!

I’ve gone here for as long as I can remember.
It’s a great venue to get up and close and personal to your favorite artist. Tickets aren’t as pricey as other venues which makes it nice. Tip: park in the MacArthur Mall garage and just walk over.
What is annoying though is since it’s a level surface and standing-​room only, technology has taken the place of just enjoying a god damn show. Please learn the backlight feature on your phone and turn that shit down. I don’t want to see the show through your phone anymore than I want to see it through your ass. One of these days I may just go postal and start swatting them out of my view line. It’s annoying as hell. What do you do with all your 10 second videos? Really? Just enjoy the show, forget about your stupid phone, and Facebook and whatever else… and enjoy it without ruining it for others.
It’s ok to disconnect. Pretend it’s 1993 again. Don’t be a jackass.