First time ever to the BAL Theatre and after 45 years in Fremont never knew it existed. Went to see Matt Stone, an Elvis Tribute artist who gave an excellent performance along with his backup band. Every seat is a great seat given the seat versus stage layout. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Venue has been updated but still holds an 'old school charm' making for an enjoyable vibe. Prices are very affordable given the Bay Area and the quality of the tribute entertainers and their bands. Highly recommended and will be going back given the value for price, but most importantly the quality of booked entertainment and the cool vibe of this venue. Will post on YouTube video of Matt Stone. Would love to see him again. Many thanks to the BAL Theatre & staff! read more

See all

I used to go to this theater when I was a kid. I had very fond memories of it, but I assumed that it had been remodeled and modernized so I never thought much about it. About 40 years went by and I saw that a Led Zeppelin tribute band, Led Zepagain, was playing there so got a ticket. I was delighted to see that the theater has been completely restored and looks exactly like it did back in its glory days. It's really beautiful, and I so appreciated that it had not been made to look like a cookie cutter theater. Staff were very friendly and welcoming. The margaritas were really good! Theater was clean and looked spectacular. We had fun! read more

Just downside only street parking. And would be nice to have more snack choices. Seats in the corner isn't good as the speakers in the corners block the screen. read more

Historic BAL Theatre - Cinema Near Me - San Leandro, California

See all

Good time nice people it was a great time older people made in very enjoyable and know how to act .Great venue

All this time I thought this theatre was shut down It kinda looks like it during the day I was soo wrong lol I had a great time at this venue The music line up was great Played all the good songs The acoustics were awesome Line to get in was long but it went by fast The event was organized well Ladies bathroom is small and has curtains instead of doors sooo no real privacy There is a bar/concession stand No private parking lot Street parking only The bartender during this event were nice BUT the drinks were boo boo Low key disgusting The kinda drink that you drink so you don't waste a drink and take one for the team Drink before you get in line (there is a liquor store across the street) You are welcome read more

See all

The sounds great here and I got any seat I pretty wanted for the cheapest price because it wasn't full. Eh man and the musicians on stage really made the audience feel like family. They made us feel like we were all partying together. I hear some people talking about the drinks prices. Them margaritas are good tho. I didn't regret paying for them at all. The curtains instead of doors in the bathroom was different. I can see how it might be uncomfortable but it was great to me. Everyone was respectful and didn't tug on the curtain while I was in the stall haha. The location was great. There was tons of free parking in the area. You might wanna bring a jacket it might get a lil chilly but the lighting and sound was so great that I was dancing so I stayed warm. read more

Historic BAL Theatre - The dreamboats - Cinema Near Me - San Leandro, California

See all

FIRST TIME HERE! I LOVED this group (the Troubadore Experience) and the tribute to George Strait--in fact, I loved everything about it! The location (my hometown, San Leandro), the venue (Bal Theater), ... everything! What a professional experience! The group was from Las Vegas and it showed! Look at all the exclamation points!!!! I'll go back to the Bal, again. If this was an example of the quality of entertainment usually shown, it's a done deal. While the singer did not sound exactly like George Strait, I really don't think that was the intention. He did Strait's songs justice as did the band and I was very happy about the performance from the git-go! Don't expect to pig out at the snack bar; snacks are minimal. Ask if you can bring your own. The whole idea is to enjoy the show, not the snacks. Clapping! Dancing to the beat! Whistling! Standing up and waving arms! Yep--I really enjoyed it read more

Don't come here if you want to have fun. Watching a Bee Gees cover band. The band invited the crowd to come up front and dance. Management made an announcement that we couldn't dance because the people in the front row paid a lot of money for their tickets. Everyone in the front row were at least in their 80s and white. Essentially, they had more value than Everyone else in the theater. T h is included the band. The entire experience was disgusting! If you aren't white, old and able to pay for front row sears, don't bother coming to this establishment. You will be treated as less than.​ read more

Great local Venue in San Leandro; They have had a few good tribute bands come in and play; nice to hear the old music and from new group.

This was my 2nd time at this venue and I have to say that it wasn't bad at all. I'd purchased tix to see Kenny Lattimore months in advance and ended up going alone because I had no date. However, that didn't take away from the experience much at ALL because I had GREAT seats (front row middle) and Kenny put on an AMAZING show!!! The only negative thing I experienced was the theater being FREEZING COLD (not sure if that was because I was front row and they keep it that way for the equipment, or the usual) but me and a few others up front were visibly shaking prior to the start of the show. I found a GREAT parking space right out front (however, I did arrive 45mins early) and it was a smooth process and no line to get in & get to my seat. I went to the concession stand which had wine, cocktails and snacks but by the time I reached the clerk I RE-remembered that I'm on a no meat, no Sweets, no alcohol cleanse so muly only other option was water or chips or hot dogs(I opted for water only) ultimately I had a really nice time and like that the venue isn't TOO large to not still feel intimate. read more

See all

I purchased tickets for what was advertised as a Lynyrd Skynrd and Foreigner concert. Only after purchasing, it was revealed that they are TRIBUTE bands. Of course, tix are non refundable. This was deceptive...not sure if it was the venue or the ticket outlet's fault (it was listed the sane across various outlets)- but not OK. read more

This gem of a live venue is a flash from the past. A variety of live music artists/ groups and film festivals are scheduled for one night stands generally. They've had Malo , Godzilla film festival, Ambrosia, Ready for the World, the Jets and other delightful old school groups. The theater used to be a movie house showing current movies. In its heyday, I know it was considered glam. The seats have been redone, so are comfy. The rows of seats are sloped just enough and staggered that people sitting in front of you aren't obstructing your view. That means wherever you're sitting, you have a decent seat. Of course it's a given that the closer to the stage, the better view you have. Their bar area sells cocktails to help you get in the mood. Staff is friendly and helpful. And the best part is tickets aren't crazy expensive! read more

Historic BAL Theatre - Godzilla character - Cinema Near Me - San Leandro, California

See all

Went there last nite and it was nice. Just have to say the drinks were $14 each. It's outrageous, we are not at the Chase center or AT&T park to be charging that. The drinks were terrible, cheap alcohol and full of sugary lemonade added to vodka or margaritas. The wine was also cheap. when we got home my boyfriend got so sick in his stomach. read more

This was my first time here as I have never been inside and it is a beautiful historic theatre. We came here on a whim as a friend wanted to see Kalimba, the tribute band for Earth, Wind and Fire and I happened to see discount tickets on Goldstar for half price and bought the last 4! Then with yelp check in I got a free small popcorn. So we were excited to come to this theatre and it's pretty large and roomy. The group that was performing had their vehicle break down so they had arrived at the performance time so then the actual performance didn't start til an hour later than scheduled as they had to change into their costumes. The music was good, acoustics wise but it's just that we had arrived at 7:30 before the 8 pm show, then the show didn't start til 9 and was still going on at 10:30 pm and we were tired. The theatre apologized for the inconvenience and offered free show the following Saturday at this venue with our tickets. People were dancing near the stage and having fun. I would come back to see another headliner. read more

Historic BAL Theatre - The stage - Cinema Near Me - San Leandro, California

See all

We enjoyed our show! Went to see an ABBA tribute band from Sweden. The theater was clean & even though coming from out of town..we were a little skeptical of the area but parking was not as big an issue as we thought & we had no problems at all. Was a nice crowd and the owners are providing a great event location. We would definitely go back to see another performance there! read more

The air con was not working!! Sooooo hot in there!! Fix it!! The singer was hot too and mentioned it. Nothing!!

Acoustic is bad. Disappointed. I can't even understand the lyrics of the songs. Too loud for me

I never heard of the Bal Theater. Looked it up online and found it was located in San Leandro. Read some reviews about the uncomfortable seats but decided to come for a benefit concert last weekend anyway. We got easy street parking. Walked over to the Bal and queued up in line for the security bag check. I didn't mind. It went quickly. Heads up - no bottled water allowed inside. I drank mine but our friend tossed hers into the garbage can conveniently placed by bag check. Once inside we were escorted to our seats. The usher must have his right hand confused with his left hand. We knew our chosen seats were on the right but he led us left. He left and then we scooted back over to the right hand side of the theater. This venue is very small and cozy. It's historic looking both exterior and interior. They got a grant from the city so more improvements will happen. As for our seats, it helped to stretch during intermission. Bathrooms are located ground level near the front entrance of the theater. Rather than doors, each stall had a heavy curtain. The sound was great. The four of us enjoyed the concert. read more

This place is fantastic!!!! Small, the bathrooms are kind of funky, but clean. The staff is less than friendly, but the few who are will go above and beyond to make sure you get what you need. read more

Been a fan of Jon B since the 1990's and jumped at the chance to see him, having since relocated out of the Bay Area. I had never heard of the BAL Theatre, having grown up in Oakland. Venue reviews were pretty good so I said let's roll! The BAL is in an older part of San Leandro, in a kind of strip mall-ish type area. Parking not plentiful but should be able to secure parking within two blocks. The BAL reminded me of an old, old theater that needs a hard remodel. The bathrooms have shower curtains instead of doors, first turn off for a number of reasons. Sinks were the kind I remember in elementary school. Inside the theater, the ceiling and walls are screaming for TLC. Seating were old school theater seats like they had at the Roxy Theater back in the 70's in Oakland. The theater is not insulated so we were freezing and kept our jackets on throughout much of the concert. Jon B didn't hit the stage until 8:43PM (concert time 8PM). Concert ended 10:13PM. Jon B was cool, it was nice to finally rock the house with him after being a decades long fan. Once the concert was over my husband and I headed to the restrooms to prepare for our two hour drive home. As soon as I was walking behind the shower curtain (folks I am not making this up, a whole shower curtain), a staff security guard comes and announces to all the ladies, "Hurry up, I need clean the bathrooms, it's time to go." Totally not my character but after the aesthetic condition of the theater, no heat, shower curtains instead of bathroom doors, I had had it. I came from behind the curtain and said, "Ma'am are you serious? I just finished enjoying the concert and you're rushing me out of the rest room so you can clean up? Guess what, I'm going to use the restroom and come out when I'm done, this is unacceptable." The female security guard had the dreaded apologetic look on her face and said "Sorry..." but what she really wanted to say is, "I'm just doing my job." I don't fault her I blame BAL's leadership team for training their staff to herd paying customers like cows. There was literally no standing; ladies left the concert hall and went to the bathroom area. I could appreciate the announcement if the concert had been over for a while and folks are just standing, socializing like it's 2PM. I tried to find the guard so I could apologize to her, I know it's not her fault. My husband texted me and said he was being told to wait for me outside. He wasn't socializing, just simply waiting in the common area for my to use the restroom. BAL management shame on you. I didn't see anything being rushed away from patronizing the concession stand. I respect the Theatre doesn't want to pay overtime, but there's a way to avoid that, empty the venue, and lost leave consumers feeling like they are being rushed out of the club at closing time. Free Tip: If you want patrons to leave the venue in timely fashion, make and end-of-concert announcement before the show and a reminder of same after the show. In this way the audience has heard the instructions twice and most will adhere to them. Stop running the venue like a club that has hired a bunch of bouncers. My heart softened at the age of the Theatre when the announcer talked about the youth camps. The ticket prices need to be higher and the City of San Leandro and State of California need to kick in some dollars to bring the theatre back to its glory. However after our treatment and observations, BAL couldn't command a high ticket price because more money will mean higher expectations from the paying public and they aren't there yet. Retraining leadership and empowering and inspiring the paid staff is an easy fix, please start there. Love the mission that was shared in terms of being non-profit. Despite the aesthetics we had determined to continue to patronize on that reason alone. However as an overall experience, we won't be back. read more

Historic BAL Theatre - Bathroom stalls have shower curtains instead of doors... - Cinema Near Me - San Leandro, California

See all

This will probably be my favorite location for concert entertainment in the Bay area. After seeing the notification of the Howard Hewett Intimate concert on Facebook we made a decision to see him since we wanted a special Christmas outting. Consequently, I tried to order the tickets online but did not get an email notification and was concerned that I would not have tickets. I made a few phone calls to the Box office and later became aware that the phones were not be answered until 12 o'clock noon. We were frantic to get tickets and unexpectedly the owner Dan as well as theater staff began communicating with me through Facebook. To make a long story short we were blessed to be gifted 2 tickets to the concert sitting in the 5th row which were amazing seats. Unfortunately, We arrived at the theater 2 minutes after scheduled show time. There is no on site parking and you may have to drive into the local neighborhoods. It was very cold outside and there was A Line literally around the corner. We braved the elements and patiently waited in line. After getting past security we were warmly greeted inside the theater grabbed some drinks and we were ushered to our seats. The show was amazingly good. It was a wonderful experience considering the lack of parking and going through metal detectors. The Bal Theater historic and classic. I anticipate returning soon. read more

See all

My experience with the management (or whoever it is that operates the box office) is beyond horrible. It says clearly on their webpage that you can email them to get help, and a simple question that requests the cost of tickets goes unanswered. Instead, whoever it is on the other side of my email exchange wants to know MY first and last name and MY phone number! There is NO way to contact their box office directly and they apparently have nobody available to answer phones. I left a phone message with them in August to call me. It's September now and I never got a callback. This terrible customer service prompted me to check reviews, and I'm not surprised to see so many others complaining. I've never been to this theater, but reading how unhygienic the place is reported to be, I'm not sure if I want to take a risk going. I understand that this is a family-owned business, and I hate to be negative. But getting the kind of little information I want shouldn't be such a chore! read more

Man I hate to give this place a 1 star, but based on the pure filth of the seats, floor and bathrooms I have to. I will try to add pics from my phone to this review later. But let me start with the goods. Place is not too big so just about anywhere is a relatively good seat. I saw El Debarge last night and the show was awesome. Lights and sound was pretty good. People were friendly. Service was good. Drink/snack prices were good. I bet you are wondering "Well all them goods how come the 1 star?" But that is just how dirty and filthy the place is. My wife refused to lean back THE WHOLE NIGHT. There was mold and mildew pretty much every where towards the back and on the ceiling. I literally felt like throwing my jeans and jacket away after leaving. Instead I immediately at 2am threw my clothes in the washer. This place has awesome potential. But you only get one time to make a first impression. And barring some radical renovation I will not attend another show here. And the cold part is I am not easily grossed out or a germ-a-phobe by any means. So its a feat that I have this level of discomfort with this place. Please guys, do something with the overall hygiene of this place. It can be a great place with the right care taken to bring the venue up to a higher standard. Off topic: El is bringing lightskin back! ** edit in response to owner ** I will give you the ceiling as I was not up close to confirm the unsightly stains were mildew. But it looks terrible. I am however all but sure the seats were not clean and had mildew as I could smell it. I cannot figure out how to post pics. But we have them to show if anyone is interested. I sincerely wish the best for this place, as I used to stay right around the corner from it. Good luck bro read more

Historic BAL Theatre - Our seats were really dirty and smelly (all seats were like this). Please see my review for the rest - Cinema Near Me - San Leandro, California

I hadn't been to the Bal since I was about six years old when my extended family would take in a classic Cantinflas or silly India Maria comedy and we kids would wonder why we couldn't see the movies featuring the guys with machine guns. Back then, the Bal was one of many Spanish-language theaters in the Bay Area and we visited a lot despite those horribly itchy seats. I returned to this childhood fave this past weekend for a Godzilla anniversary. Lured by the hosts, courtesy of KOFY, and the promise of kitschy memorabilia, we endured the 100+ temps for a fun night of rock music, photo opps with monsters, and an audience experience that reminded me of the long-gone Parkway. Minus one star for the lack of A/C but otherwise, a beautiful theatre that deserved to be resurrected. read more

Originally opened on July 1st 1946, the Historic Bal Theatre operates as a theater of live music, entertainment, movies, comedy and lectures. The theater does show its age as some of the seats need to be cleaned/reupholstered. Came here recently to see El Debarge. El put on a great, though short performance. What was unusual is that people were not allowed to stand up and "get down" to the music. Event personnel would walk up to people and ask them to sit down. I could tell patrons would be discussing with the event person as to why they couldn't dance. I found this distracting for me watching the show. Small local venue, but with some quirks. read more

This is a beautiful classic theater. I was fortunate enough to watch a free showing of The Great Wall. There's lots of parking in the neighborhood. The seats are comfortable but kind of a vinyl, if you wear shorts prepare to stick. Come support this place so it stays open. read more

Pretty much a dump. It's "historical" but not in the way you might like (i.e, not the Oakland Paramount or Fox). No, this is in need of a LOT of money to bring it up to standards and who would invest that in this location? So it's old, with narrow chairs, narrow aisles, bad acoustics, horrible "concession" area, and bad lighting. Oh, did I mention the sound system? Terrible. To top it off, someone from the theater (not the act) decided we were a captive audience and this would be a good time to tell us how much he loved Jesus and how we needed to as well. Pretty weird before a music show. I hear they get some good acts so I would not say I will never return, but I would not recommend it to anyone. read more

I never knew about the BAL theater before the Oakland International Film Festival. What a gem! I am so glad that despite Multiplexes, people still have the passion to hold on to these old-time theaters and maintaining them! Yes, the chairs are not like your couch at home, so what? I didn't see the dirt some people here described. And the place is not decrepit either. Just old and full of history. Staff is super nice, drinks are cold and popcorn is poppin'. I like it! And even more important: cool movies you won't see anywhere else! I need to check out a concert here as well... The ladies bathrooms however I found a bit strange. Shower curtains instead of stall doors... hm, at least a creative solution, but it still felt kind of awkward ;-) read more

Wow. I always thought this place was a closed down little hut. But man was I wrong. I came here because of a Groupon deal for a comedian named Darren Carter. I wasn't expecting much from this place, but I was blown away with my experience. The place was clean. The bathrooms were decent. (Woah!) The staff was super friendly and professional. We even got free popcorn! I would definitely recommend this place. It doesn't look much from the outside, but it's quite lovely inside. read more

I love the Bal Theater and have been to several events there. Last week I saw Liquid Sky and Piece of my Heart tribute bands. They were amazing and very talented singers and musicians. This week we saw Ready 4 The World. There was plenty of security and ushers for the event. The margaritas were good and staff friendly. I loved the new upholstered seats and they were comfortable. The lights and sounds system were excellent. I Stevie Humble started the show. He was good and it's nice to see local talent on stage. Ready 4 The World were excellent and brought back good memories of my youth. I was dancing and singing in my seat. During the last two songs we got to go up in front of the stage and dance and see the band up close. I had the best night and look forward to more events . I feel very lucky to have such a wonderful theater in my neighborhood. read more

See all

Beautiful theatre. They worked out a great deal to have our fundraiser there. The staff was super nice. read more

See all

I've seen many concerts at the Bal thanks to their great line-ups and to Groupon for awesome concert ticket deals. My favorite concerts were Jon B. and K-ci and JoJo. I would love to see El Debarge, Teena Marie, Chaka Khan or Boys II Men there. The venue is intimate. Every seat has a great view of the stage. Well, unless the people in front of you decide they want to stand up and dance. Which is perfectly fine with me because I like to stand up and dance at concerts, too. The people who do mind need to get front row seats if they don't want their view blocked! There are lots of restaurants near the Bal in case you need to grab a bite before a show. My favorite spot is a few steps away: Fat Fish Sushi. I'll have to Yelp about them next... read more

Historic BAL Theatre - Recently saw Jon B. (again) at Bal. Great venue! - Cinema Near Me - San Leandro, California

See all

Great, place! The acoustics are wonderful since the place is just the right size, not too small or too large. Our latest night at BALS was to see the REO Brothers and we had a blast! So nice to find people like Dan and his lovely wife and family that truly care about the importance of history and how in keeping our old buildings alive how we can learn and better the future! I was at the O2 in London last month to see Alicia Keyes and although she is a gifted talent beyond compare the instruments were so loud we couldn't hear Alicia! Yet a few years back I saw her at the Paramount in Oakland and it was perfect. Bravo for the old movie houses!!!! read more

Bought tickets today kind of on a wim For the van halen tribute band Ann Halen...It was our first time at the Bal theatre and it was awesome!!! The staff were very friendly and the show rocked...I would definitely go see another show at the Bal Theatre...we thank you for a great night out read more

Historic BAL Theatre - Cinema Near Me - San Leandro, California

This is the little theatre that can! Love, love, love the soul and character that the ownership puts into this landmark along with their "PC & MAC Computer Repair" during the week, Event Venue over the weekend schedule. Flicks are chosen by patrons who want to see films that deserve to be seen on the Silver Screen but have been absent for a few. Decades. Looks like I just missed Ferris Bueller's Day off, starring a fresh-faced Matthew Broderick and Jennifer Grey's real nose in the 1986 movie. But I would settle for the short-lived TV series with Jennifer Aniston's original nose, too. Dammit! My recent experience to see American Graffiti went like this: * Raffle tickets at the counter (3 people won DVDs!) I'm not gonna lie; I was really hoping my number would be called, since I've never won anything at a raffle. There's just something about a raffle that makes me giddy. A guy one row back and the gent sitting one row in front of me both won stuff. * Instead of suffering through the dreary/dreaded canned "Movie Trivia for Morons" and Annoying Dancing Concession Stand Items, we rocked out to Judas Priest, per an audience member's request. * We were treated to a Looney Tune featuring Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck for some classic slapstick "wascally wabbit" antics, a welcome reprieve from the exhausting previews you must endure at other theatres. * The Bal also hosts fund raisers like BBQ's and Comedy Nights for organizations that give back to the local community. This weekend? ALL YOU CAN EAT BBQ and a screening of Grease, and yeah, it's a sing-along event! Did I mention it's only $25? You had me at ALL YOU CAN EAT BBQ. I can't wait to return... maybe they will stock some nostalgia candy at the concession counter to further transport me. Hmmmm - I need to think of an excuse to host a par-tay here in the not too distant future. UYE, anyone...? read more

Remember the OLD theaters we used to go to? Those huge cavernous places with the long walk all the way down to the closer seats? (When I was there it felt quite larger than the Castro Theatre.) The Megaplex has done away with the romance for the old time theatre. The Bal Theatre keeps the magic alive. Not only that, local home-town owner, Dan Dillman has brought new cool to old school. He plays movies, of course, but he also hosts insanely cool events! Live music, comedy and more! Dan brought me in as one of the headline entertainers for is recent UFO Conference. - Where I opened my show with a chant for all the REAL aliens in the audience (while twirling a long gymnastic ribbon I cheered:) ... "Welcome to Earth Where it just gets HOTTER, Check out Machu PIcchu, But don't drink the WATER!" ... "X Fest " (read the bottom of this email to find out about the next one coming up)...was a very well attended UFO Conference with heavy hitters from all over the world to disclose and discuss information you just couldn't get anywhere else. What I learned there is a bit too mood jostling for a Yelp review, but suffice to say, the evidence is out there and its plentiful! Check out the Historic Bal Theatre and catch a movie, music and maybe even magic! BUT HOLD THE PHONE! Here is some late breaking news posted 1/26/11, there will be ANOTHER X-FEST coming up 2/26/11 Go to this cool site to see all the amazing things planned! http://ufoxfest.com/ read more

Used to like coming here when it wasn't all "Motown" events. Nice theater, but liked it better when their was more diversity for Caucasians there and other races. read more

This is a world away from San Francisco and I love it. I've attended this theater on several occasions to see Lord Blood Rah, Psychotronix, and Creature Features film shows. It's a small theater, owned by a family. Be sure to attend the Rock and Roll Picture Show coming up on May 14th. It's put on by Bob Johnson and BAY AREA FILM EVENTS. Bob is a good personal friend of mine. read more

My girlfriend and I went to see the confunkshun on sat Aug 28, 2021 the show started out good but apparently the air condition was not working will not be going there again. It was too hot for anybody. read more

My husband and I went to this theater a few weeks ago to see a showing of one of our favorite films, The Goonies. What a great place! The theater itself is beautiful and the staff was all super nice. Popcorn and candy were inexpensive- a great deal! We hope that they play more fun 80s favorites soon - we are sure to return! They did a raffle before the movie started and got some kids in the audience involved - very cute! read more