List of punk cities - Definition and Overview

For much of its history, punk music has been focused on energetic live shows and local music scenes, due to the non-marketability of most punk music and to the anti-corporate politics of many punk bands. As such, certain cities throughout the world have been important centers of the development of punk. The most significant are London and New York City, the birthplaces of the genre, though other scenes have brought regional variations to the core sound.

For each city, significant local events, bands, record companies and venues are listed in alphabetical order.

• Canada
  • Vancouver, British Columbia (D.O.A., Dayglo Abortions)
• Czech Republic
  • Prague (Destyl)
• Germany
  • Berlin (Die Aerzte, Beatsteaks, Terrorgruppe)
• Malaysia
  • Terengganu (Joe Kidd, Mallaria, The Pilgrims, Rator)
• South Africa
  • Durban (Wild Youth, Power Age)
• Sweden
  • Örebro (59 Times the Pain, Liberator, Millencolin, No Fun At All)
  • Stockholm (Ebba Grön)
• United Kingdom
  • Belfast (Good Vibrations Records, Stiff Little Fingers, The Undertones)
  • Brighton (Peter and the Test Tube Babies, The Piranhas)
  • London (The Clash, The Roxy Club, Sex Pistols, The Bromley Contingent, 100 Club Punk Festival),The Damned, The Adverts, Sham 69
  • Leeds (Fast Product, Gang of Four, The Mekons)
  • Manchester (Buzzcocks, The Fall, Factory Records, Joy Division)
• USA
  • Akron, Ohio (Devo, Tin Huey, The Cramps (1973 - 1975), The Waitresses)
  • Austin, Texas (Big Boys, Dicks, Lower Class Brats)
  • Berkeley, California (Beserkley Records, Berkeley Square, Gilman Street Project, Green Day, Lookout! Records, Rancid, AFI)
  • Bloomington, Indiana (Ghost Mice, Operation Cliff Calvin, Plan-It-X)
  • Boston (Bastard Squad, DMZ, Dropkick Murphys, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Mission of Burma)
  • Cleveland (Disastrodrome, The Pagans, Pere Ubu, Rockets from the Tomb), The Dead Boys
  • Chicago (Big Black, Screeching Weasel, Urge Overkill)
  • Columbia (In/humanity, Antischism, Guyana Punch Line, Stretch Arm Strong)
  • Detroit (MC5, Don't-Ask, The Sillies, The Stooges, Bookie's Club 870, Nebula Records)
  • Gainesville, Florida (Less Than Jake, Hot Water Music, Discount, Against Me!, No Idea Records)
  • Long Beach, California (The Middle Class, SST Records, Sublime, Suburban Lawns)
  • Los Angeles (Bad Religion, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, The Germs, The Screamers, NOFX, X, The Masque, Cathay de Grande, Raji's)
  • Milwaukee (Death, Violent Femmes)
  • Minneapolis (Babes in Toyland, Dillinger Four, Husker Du, The Suicide Commandos, The Replacements, Twin Tone Records)
  • Minot, North Dakota (the Liberty, the AMP)
  • New Haven, Connecticut (The Anthrax, 76% Uncertian, Youth of Today, Incas Records, The Tune Inn, Broken, The Pist, Das Fuors, The Reducers)
  • New York City (CBGB, Agnostic Front, The New York Dolls, Ramones, The Misfits¹, Patti Smith, The Velvet Underground), Max's Kansas City, Television, Talking Heads)
  • Olympia, Washington (Bikini Kill,Nirvana, Riot grrl, Sleater-Kinney)
  • Philadelphia (The Dead Milkmen)
  • Pittsburgh (Anti-Flag, Aus Rotten)
  • Portland, Oregon (The Wipers, Poison Idea)
  • Richmond, Virginia (Avail, Hoi Polloi, Sixer)
  • San Francisco (The Avengers, Dead Kennedys, Flipper, Mabuhay Gardens, Negative Trend)
  • San Pedro, California (The Minutemen)
  • Seattle (The Berserkers, The Gits, The Screamers, Sunny Day Real Estate)
  • Ukiah, California (AFI)
  • Washington DC (Bad Brains, Dischord Records, Fugazi, Minor Threat, straight edge punk)

¹ Technically from New Jersey but often played in New York City.