Purgatory is the most intimate of the Masquerade's three classic afterlife-themed rooms, the smallest of the stages that have defined the venue since 1989. With a capacity of a few hundred, it is where the newest and smallest touring acts play, the entry point in a tiered system that runs up through the mid-sized Hell to the 1,500-capacity Heaven, allowing one venue to host bands at every stage of their development. The Masquerade began in 1989 and spent its first 27 years in the historic DuPre Excelsior Mill, a century-old former manufacturing plant on North Avenue in the Old Fourth Ward. There the three rooms were stacked on different levels of the old mill, making Heaven, Hell and Purgatory close to literal, and the venue built a reputation as one of the city's premier alternative spaces, hosting everyone from Nirvana and Radiohead to Soundgarden and Death Grips. When the neighbourhood's real-estate boom pushed it out, the Masquerade relocated in 2016 to Kenny's Alley on the lowest level of Underground Atlanta downtown, recreating its three rooms around a large brick open-air courtyard. The smaller scale of Purgatory makes it ideal for up-and-coming artists, local showcases and the most intimate gigs on the calendar. That intimacy is part of the venue's appeal, putting audiences within touching distance of bands long before they graduate to bigger rooms, and Purgatory has served as a first Atlanta stage for countless acts. The surrounding courtyard connects it to Heaven and Hell within a single complex a short walk from the State Capitol and Georgia State University. Independent and locally run, the Masquerade credits that ownership for its staying power, and it now promotes hundreds of shows a year across its stages, adding a fourth room, Altar, in 2024. As the smallest of the original three, Purgatory remains the proving ground at the base of a venue that has shaped Atlanta's music scene for more than three decades.

Type: Theater / Concert Hall

Address: Kenny's Alley, Underground Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States, 30303

Website: https://www.masqueradeatlanta.com

Capacity: 300

Opening Date: 01/09/1989