World Cafe Live

History

World Cafe Live opened October 2, 2004, at 3025 Walnut Street with a set by Jonatha Brooke. Founder Hal Real built it with WXPN, the University of Pennsylvania station behind the syndicated World Cafe radio show, which had outgrown its studios and licensed the name to the club. The venue’s history describes a room meant to replace smoky clubs and bad sightlines with a seated, full-service concert hall for artists and audiences of all ages. In 2019 it merged with the education nonprofit LiveConnections, which Real and partners had started in 2008 to bring school programs into the building.