Home Global Sensations

Aca-Secrets Revealed: 5 Shocking Locations Where 'Pitch Perfect 2' Was Actually Filmed (It Wasn't Copenhagen!)

• minute read
Contents

For fans of the Barden Bellas, the journey of Pitch Perfect 2 remains an iconic cinematic experience, culminating in a high-stakes performance at the World Championships of A Cappella. Released in 2015, the sequel took the beloved a cappella group out of their comfort zone and supposedly across the globe. However, as of late December 2025, behind-the-scenes facts continue to surface, revealing that the film’s globe-trotting narrative was largely a Hollywood illusion, with the vast majority of the movie shot in one surprisingly hot American state.

The film, directed by Elizabeth Banks, successfully convinced millions of viewers that the Bellas were studying at Barden University and competing in Europe, but the truth is a fascinating testament to movie magic. The real-life locations that stood in for the fictional world are a must-see for any true aca-fan looking to trace the footsteps of Beca, Fat Amy, Chloe, and the rest of the group.

The True Home of the Bellas: Barden University's Real-Life Campus

While the fictional Barden University is supposedly located in Atlanta, Georgia, the actual setting for the campus scenes in Pitch Perfect 2 (and its predecessor) is a world away—or at least a state away—in the heart of the South.

The vast majority of the collegiate drama, from rehearsals to class scenes, was filmed in and around the capital city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This location served as the primary production hub for the sequel, transforming a real-life major university into the Bellas' home base.

  • Louisiana State University (LSU): LSU's beautiful, sprawling campus was the main stand-in for Barden University. Fans of the movie can visit the campus and instantly recognize many of the iconic backdrops.
  • The Greek Theatre: This open-air amphitheater on the LSU campus is one of the most recognizable locations. It was used for several iconic performance and rehearsal scenes, capturing the essence of the college environment.
  • Huey P. Long Fieldhouse: Named after a former Louisiana governor, this historic building on the LSU campus was also utilized. Its distinct architecture provided the perfect collegiate atmosphere for various interior and exterior shots.
  • Swine Palace and Exxon Quad: These are other specific LSU locations that were reportedly used for filming, adding to the authentic feel of the fictional Barden campus.

The production team’s choice of Baton Rouge was a practical one, leveraging the state’s film incentives and the readily available, picturesque campus of LSU. This decision meant that the cast, including Anna Kendrick (Beca Mitchell), Brittany Snow (Chloe Beale), Rebel Wilson (Fat Amy), and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld (Emily Junk), spent their principal photography time in the humid, southern climate rather than the cooler, northern setting of the fictional Barden.

The Biggest Aca-Deception: The World Championships in Copenhagen

The climax of Pitch Perfect 2 sees the Barden Bellas travel to Europe to compete against the formidable German group, Das Sound Machine, at the World Championships of A Cappella in Copenhagen, Denmark. This global setting was central to the movie's plot, symbolizing the Bellas' final, international challenge.

Here is the shocking truth: The cast and crew never actually traveled to Copenhagen for the championship performance.

The entire, elaborate outdoor finale—the one where the Bellas perform their original song "Flashlight"—was meticulously constructed and filmed back in Louisiana. This revelation is perhaps the biggest secret of the film's production.

The production team built an entire outdoor concert area from scratch in Baton Rouge to replicate the international setting. The only elements of Copenhagen that made it into the final cut were likely a few establishing shots of the cityscape, used purely to set the scene for the audience.

The Intense Heat of the World Finale

The conditions for filming the World Championships were far from the cool, Scandinavian setting depicted on screen. The climactic performance was shot over a week in the intense Louisiana heat, with temperatures soaring to around 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

The cast had to perform their complex, four-minute routine over a hundred times in the sweltering heat, a true test of their dedication to the a cappella sequel. This behind-the-scenes fact highlights the incredible effort that went into creating the seamless movie magic of the finale, which was packed with hundreds of extras to simulate the global audience.

Other Key Filming and Setting Entities

While Baton Rouge and LSU were the main stars, the film’s narrative included several other key locations and entities, some of which were also filmed locally, and others that were simply part of the fictional world.

  • Highland Road Community Park: This park in Baton Rouge, LA, was used to film one of the large performance/competition scenes, further cementing the city's role as the primary backdrop for the sequel.
  • The Kennedy Center: The opening scene, where Fat Amy has her wardrobe malfunction during a performance for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, is set at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. While the exterior may have been a stock shot, the interior performance was likely filmed on a soundstage in Louisiana.
  • The Riff-Off Location: The underground a cappella riff-off, a fan-favorite scene, was also filmed in or around Baton Rouge, likely in a local warehouse or studio space dressed to look like a gritty, clandestine musical battleground.
  • The European Subplot: The film's subplot involving Fat Amy and Bumper (Adam DeVine) includes a scene set in a European city, and there are unconfirmed reports that the Czech Republic capital, Prague, may have been an intended or rumored location for some of the European-set drama, though this detail remains less certain than the Copenhagen deception.

The intricate logistics of filming a major Hollywood production like Pitch Perfect 2 across a single city while making it look like a global adventure is a clear demonstration of the power of filmmaking. The movie successfully blended specific university buildings and local parks in Louisiana with the exotic appeal of European cities, all while telling the story of the Barden Bellas' quest for redemption and their final, perfect performance.

The next time you re-watch the sequel and see the World Championships of A Cappella in Copenhagen, you can appreciate the true "aca-magic" of the scene—a stunning, 110-degree performance in the heart of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, proving that sometimes, the most memorable movie moments are made right in your own backyard.

where was pitch perfect 2 filmed
where was pitch perfect 2 filmed

Detail Author:

  • Name : Bradly Steuber
  • Username : xcarter
  • Email : danielle27@hotmail.com
  • Birthdate : 1986-12-31
  • Address : 77506 Alexanne Glen Apt. 192 Port Rosalyn, SD 26763-3293
  • Phone : +1 (559) 272-3704
  • Company : Gerlach Inc
  • Job : Geography Teacher
  • Bio : Maiores labore saepe facilis nihil expedita. Nam ad eos atque amet aut. Dolore doloremque illum quod alias vitae sunt. Cupiditate id ut architecto autem.

Socials

linkedin:

twitter:

  • url : https://twitter.com/mustafa.cruickshank
  • username : mustafa.cruickshank
  • bio : Est adipisci numquam aut non aut. Soluta accusantium voluptatem quis non reiciendis. Eaque molestiae quo quis culpa deleniti. Eos id repudiandae labore aut.
  • followers : 4624
  • following : 1036

instagram:

  • url : https://instagram.com/cruickshankm
  • username : cruickshankm
  • bio : Ipsam ut architecto quos dolores harum. Sed iusto magni molestiae.
  • followers : 3702
  • following : 2761

Random Posts