Since it opened in 1891, Carnegie Hall has been one of the premier venues for music performance in New York, and it's a landmark space for many gay performers. Countless LGBT+ composers have played here, including Samuel Barber, Benjamin Britten and Aaron Copland.

On one legendary night in 1961, Judy Garland performed. The show was recorded for her Judy At Carnegie Hall album, a masterpiece nearly all gay men of a certain age possess. She became the ultimate gay icon. Rufus Wainwright declared Garland to be a "gay saint" and recreated her show in 2006: Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall.

Carnegie Hall is a major gay landmark in New York. The Gay Men's Chorus often perform here.