David Geffen Hall is home to the New York Philharmonic and is located at the northern end of the Lincoln Center Plaza, with main entrances facing the Plaza'a main fountain.

New York Philharmonic concerts begin promptly at the announced starting time. Ticketholders who come late will not be seated in the hall until after the conclusion of the first work on the program. We suggest you arrive 20 to 30 minutes before the concert is scheduled to begin. That will give you ample time to find your seat, relax, read the Program Notes, and watch the musicians as they take the stage.

Designed by Max Abramovitz, the hall opened in 1962 as the new home concert venue of the New York Philharmonic. In 1973 the hall was renamed for Avery Fisher, a member of the Philharmonic board of directors, following his $10.5 million donation to the orchestra, and in 2015 renamed for David Geffen after his generous support.

The hall has a capacity of 2,738 seats, larger then originally intended, and the acoustics have been a source of controversy over the years. Robert C. Ehle succinctly states the issues surrounding the acoustics: "The seating capacity is large (around 2,600 seats) and the sidewalls are too far apart to provide early reflections to the center seats. The ceiling is high to increase reverberation time but the clouds are too high to reinforce early reflections adequately. The bass is weak because the very large stage does not adequately reinforce the low string instruments." In order to address the acoustic deficiencies as well as modernize some of the amenities, the hall is slated to undergo renovations in 2017. The shell of the building will be left intact and work will focus on improving the hall’s poor acoustics, modernizing patron amenities and reconfiguring the auditorium.

The hall is accessible through automated doors from the Josie Robertson Plaza, via the accessible ramp on the corner of 65th Street and Columbus Avenue, and from the handicapped parking area in the Lincoln Center Park-and-Lock Garage. Elevators on the concourse level, located to the left of the Cork Gallery from the West 65th Street entrance to the garage, provide access to the David Geffen Hall Box Office, Josie Robertson Plaza, and all levels of the concert hall. Security guards are posted in the area and available to assist all patrons.

Open 1 hour before showtime through intermission nightly and during matinees. The hall also features full-service bars with cocktails, wine, beer, coffee, sandwiches and snacks in the Promenade lobby.