I love coming here for a concert. It's smallish and intimate, but I don't care for sitting on the sides. I had to sit sideways to be able to see the stage, and it wasn't comfortable for an entire concert. If you sit I the main area, it's great. The staff is friendly and waiting in the VIP line is organized so you don't have people cutting in front. I can't speak for the food, but there is a bar or two. There are plenty of stalls for the girls so the line moves quickly. And parking- there are many lots in the area, but free street parking is not far away as well as hotels across the street in case you want to make a night of it. read more

San Jose Civic - the stage - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Jose, California

We went here tonight, for a k-rock concert. The Rose, Rosetopia Tour. It was a fun night out! The staff here were friendly, accommodating, and the venue is very ADA friendly. Such a nostalgic atmosphere and very cool. I enjoyed watching a concert, at the San Jose Civic Center! read more

Went on a Sunday afternoon for Zakir Khan's "Papa Yaar" show, and overall it was a really good experience. Street parking around the venue can be a little difficult to find, especially during events, but there are plenty of paid parking lots nearby. We found one about a 5-minute walk away and paid $11 for over 3 hours, which felt pretty reasonable for downtown San Jose. The venue itself was very well organized, which honestly adds so much to the overall event experience. The security check process was smooth and efficient, and there were plenty of staff members around helping people navigate and find their seats. The seating arrangement, crowd management, and smooth flow of the event made the whole experience even more enjoyable. Overall, San Jose Civic did a great job hosting such a packed event. A well-organized venue truly makes a difference, and this place definitely delivered. read more

San Jose Civic - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Jose, California

Nice concert venue, easy parking, friendly staff! Food served was as expected of such venues.

What a great venue. Decent size auditorium but still felt very intimate throughout. Staff was nice directing patrons around and assisting with questions. Seating was comfortable with padded seats. The incline of the seating arrangement in the balcony is great. It makes viewing over taller patrons much more comfortable especially for children or those that are vertically challenged. Bathrooms were clean. Great setup for a venue overall. Not too mention a bomb show by Anjelah Johnson-Reyes on her a Family Reunion Tour. read more

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I went here for a concert, and it was a great experience. It wasn't too crowded outside, and it was pretty easy to get an Uber afterwards. We got drinks, and they were fine. Even though the queue was long, the staff was very friendly. The restrooms were clean which is a plus point. At the concert, the screens were placed in visible spots. The lights and sound systems were excellent. It felt like everybody was having a good time. read more

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Came here for the 40th anniversary Lisa Lisa TAKE YOU HOME TOUR concert. The inside is spacious, they had multiple bar areas set up and plenty of restrooms as well. Parking is easy as there are plenty of parking garages near by. The hallways are decorated with many pictures of artists, it's very visually stunning. It was a great night! read more

San Jose Civic - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Jose, California

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I've been here a few time for shows and it's a venue I really like. It's small, the bright side of that being there isn't really a bad seat in the house and the prices for tickets are always reasonable. It's downtown so there's lots of options for parking and even a lightrail stop right in front. Overall it's a venue that's safe, clean and centrally located so anytime an artist I like I hear I will 100% be going. read more

San Jose Civic - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Jose, California

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Our first time at this venue as I wanted to see Hauser in concert and this was the closest venue that he was performing at so I bought tickets months in advance in the front row Platinum seats and they were well worth the money! Great seats in Section 102, Row AA Seats 17 and 18! If you decide to come here for a show on a Sunday, eat before you come as we wanted something quick and the nearby food market hall closes at 7 PM (show as at 8 PM) so we ended up eating a quick snack at the venue's concession (credit card only) and for a quick meal, it was good. Hubby had the cheesesteak and chips and I had a hot dog and IPA beer. When we entered the venue, they just check your purse not like other venues. It is an older theatre but quite intimate and cozy, especially since we were treated like VIPs having front row seats! The usher Patti was quite attentive and friendly and had us put on green wristbands to show we are VIP in the front row! She even took photos for us in front of the stage and even a funny one of herself! The atmosphere was electric and Hauser didn't disappoint! He had us entertained for 2 hours, laughing and having a good time. The seats between the front and second row is wide and we had plenty of leg room and Hauser even came by playing his cello a few times as well as bringing the mike to have us sing along. He went through the crowd a few times. If you're going to experience a concert and can afford the experience, I would recommend sitting up close! There are cup holders on the seats so that's a plus plus the bathrooms are spacious and clean. Street parking around the venue on a Sunday is available. read more

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I've been going to this auditorium for so many events over the years. And now, it's a disappointment to go. The seats are so cramped it's uncomfortable to sit there for the entire show. I have sat in different areas of the auditorium from floor seats to side to balcony's and the issue is the same. No space. The worst part is that no one can stand to dance for the concert or event because security comes and yells at you for standing because of course no one can see because the seating is so close together that you block others. Concerts are Made to be enjoyed, but unfortunately staying seated the entire time makes the experience restricted and Boring. This place is very outdated--the screens are in black in white, so you don't get all the visuals of the performance if you can't see. The sound is outdated too. It's not very clear or good. The drinks are good and a fair price the times I've been there. The bartenders however are slow and it takes forever to serve. We arrived with decent amount of time. And it took the server the whole 45 minutes to serve two beers and two margarita. The show had started by the time we got our drinks. The aisles are very big and wide, they should use that space for spreading out the seating and making the place appropriate for event read more

My first time coming to the Civic Center and it was a nice experience. There are three different sections of seats to choose from - we were on the top floor. The main complaint is that there is almost no leg room in between the seats. If someone needs to get by you, it is a huge pain to do so. Plenty of concession areas to stock up on some snacks and even hot food (pizza, pretzels). They also had several bar areas throughout the venue and lots of bathrooms so you don't have huge lines that build up. Closest parking would be in the outdoor lot across the street although there are other garages available in the area. read more

Deeply disappointed. For a multimillionaire artist like Ringo Starr concert, the lack of technology was shocking: screens present but not implemented, weak lighting, and chaotic sound. Act Naturally was drowned in disorganized noise. Ringo barely sang his own songs, and the show felt like it belonged to his bandmates, not a former Beatle. This a personal opinion from a old Beatle fan read more

Been to a few comedy shows here now (Theo Von, Andrew Schulz) and had a great time. Food looks to be standard bar fare, staff leans older, parking is scarce being downtown. Uber/Lyft drop-off is recommended. The interior is gorgeous, but imo if you're not at floor or the 100's, the view of the stage isn't ideal. Try to splurge a bit more for front row of whatever section you're at. 202 against the wall is obstructed by the curvature of the building at certain angles. No major issues. A bit more comfortable than being seated at the SJ Improv. No drink minimums. Usually larger talent, roughly $100-200/ticket. Can't speak for non-comedy events. read more

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Beautiful venue and very clean. I like that it's not a massive venue so it still feels intimate. Seats are relatively comfortable. Staff is so-so. Some are eager to help and some don't care. Parking is convenient. There's a lot across the street. I would suggest getting there a little early to get a good spot. It is $35 since it is parking for a "special event." If another event were to happen here, I would come back again. Just with earplugs. It is VERY LOUD. read more

Tiny venue. I wasn't sure if it's the auditorium itself or the sound engineers but the sound felt off to me, like I could hear a lot more of the main performer but not much from the other instruments or backup vocals. Kinda underwhelming for a venue that's housed big names before. There is some food available at the concessions. It's not too overpriced but it's obviously still going to be marked up. The bathrooms are to the sides and upstairs. I thought it was very quick and easy to get in. The staff were nice and attending to us. read more

San Jose Civic - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Jose, California

I've been to this venue for various events. Once on the floor and the rest of the times in the balcony. The bathroom is in an awkward place. An elevator ride or many steps are required. It's scary getting to the front of the balcony without falling. The railing helps, but it's still nerve-wracking. We couldn't get out of our seats at the end since one person in the group in front of us was too scared to climb the stairs. The people on the other side refused to get out of their seats at all so we couldn't get past them, either. When seated on the floor, there are no risers, so it's difficult to see over heads in front of you. The shows were great, though. read more

San Jose Civic - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Jose, California

It's been quite some time since I've been to San Jose Civic Center. I think potentially the last time I was here was to see a cosplay contest for Fanime Con. But before that we were there for like a Zelda Concert. I guess I have an affinity to coming here for all things gaming/anime. I just remembered that it's a relatively small venue so seats would be okay sitting anywhere. Well this time around, we came fore "Whose Live Is It Anyway?" P A R K I N G We decided to park at San Carlos and 2nd St. one of the covered ParkSJ garages. It was about 2 blocks-ish away which wasn't too bad, but it was also pouring rain that day. There's an open air lot that's not owned by San Jose that's closer, but again it wasn't covered which is what we kind of liked at 2nd St. V E N U E Well I didn't realize but there was a line out the door as we all needed to go through 2 security lines then past that it was getting our tickets scanned. So that was unexpected as it was not as bad as TSA but only having two scanning machines was a bit unexpected and should've been communicated through the emails for the event to come a bit earlier for that. We were in the Balcony on the right side so we went up a couple sets of stairs. What was funny was folks were only utilizing one side of the stairs and crowding when the other side was completely empty. Guess who went on the other side? Yeah...well after the first set of stairs is the bathroom. Right side is women's and men's is on the waaaay on the other side. The bathrooms at least had a lot of stalls and I didn't have to wait at all the times I went to the bathroom. In the middle walkway looked like some concession sales. There is an elevator on the far right to go up and down if you're unable to go up stairs. There were two large screens on both sides of the stage. We did have a slightly obstructed view and couldn't really see the right side of the stage but it's ok. The only other thing was the acoustics in here were rough. You couldn't really hear too well. Seats are not great and tight in terms of leg room so for you tall folks, you'll have to side saddle. O V E R A L L Although it's a smaller venue, acoustics may be horrible on the side seats, but due to the convenience of this location to see events. It's not too bad. read more

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Well, it has its history.... I haven't been back here since we had our grad year F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C.S. in 20XX, but the only thing that's changed is that it looks a lot smaller with a bunch of chairs on the floor vs a gang of teenagers dancing to Missy Elliott for a sketch. I overheard staff tell an attendee this place was built back in 1934 and it shows (in a good way). SJ Civic has those old cushy leather chairs where if you plop back down after letting someone pass to get to their seat, a puff of air shoots out on either side. It's fun. I'm back to attending another show by the end of the month. It'd be cool to survey it from balcony this time, but even Ticketmaster has their grubby hands on this venue's sales and switching. read more

San Jose Civic - view from 202 - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Jose, California

Love going to the Civic, I wish there was more concerts I enjoyed that took place here. The old posters from previous events are such a time capsule. Didn't get any good here but the drinks were reasonable. It took a while to get through the line to get in but that could've been because of all the minors at the show, no offense. It was 98% minors who maybe hadn't been through the process of going through the lines. Everyone had an incredible time and the sound was awesome. read more

San Jose Civic - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Jose, California

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I was here on July 28 with my sisters to watch one of my favorite K-pop groups, The Boyz, during their finished Zeneration II tour. It was my very first K-pop concert after years of missing out on previous chances to attend a K-pop concert; but now that I got to experience my very first one, I checked off "Go to a K-pop concert" off my bucket list. But I hope to attend more K-pop concerts in the future. Anyhow, the day of, after arriving at the front of the venue, the staff was nice enough to show me where to go for VIP check-in since I had a Platinum ticket. It was my first time ever checking in for VIP for my very first Platinum K-pop concert experience. Check-in was smooth-sailing. All I had to do was tell them my last name, get wristbanded for the hi-touch event that took place after the show, and redeem my VIP kit. Those who got Platinum/VIP1 got not only the VIP kit (consisted of a special pouch, an exclusive photo card, depending on which U.S. stop we were at, a Tour ID card and a lanyard), but we also got to take part in the hi-touch after the show, like I did. I wish us Platinum/VIP1 fans got more benefits, like a laminated commemorative lanyard and get a bigger VIP gift package, but it's cool though. I also saw the merch line was very long, cause from my understanding as a K-pop super fan, merch lines tend to get long to say the least; and from what I heard, they sold out of the official T-shirts among other things. Other merch they had from seeing pictures online from their previous tour stops in the states were their plush dolls, photo pickets, key rings and more. The show from start to finish was lit. I sat in Section 102 on the floor, and my sisters had balcony seats in Section 309. Even though I was short, I was still able to get good shots on my phone. I had the time of my life there and I had so much fun screaming, cheering, singing and everything. The San Jose Civic staff was actually nice. At the hi-touch, we weren't getting pushed or yelled at, unlike what happened at New York's Radio City Music Hall. Getting to take part in my very first hi-touch was a life-changing experience, I was literally starstruck saying hi to each of the members. Overall, I would come back here again 100%. read more

I visited the San Jose Civic to see Matt Rife, a stand-up comedy show. It was my second time visiting the Civic and I had a great experience. We were seated on the balcony, right hand side of the stage. I had no issues hearing and was able to see just fine. There is a bar on the second floor, although I'm not sure if they sell food. The show was HILARIOUS! My sister and I had a really great time! Their jokes really landed with us, and some of my favorite parts were the bits about Brandon -- iykyk! The only downside of the show (oddly enough) was the audience. They kept being disruptive and heckling the comedians during the show, but they handled it p smoothly. Shout out to the security who were keeping an eye on the crowd and stopping ppl from shouting at the stage. Really difficult leaving because of how many people there were (it was a sold out show). The merch line was difficult to find bc it was right in front of the exit doors and they unfortunately sold out of the merch pillow we wanted by the time we got up to the front. Parking in DTSJ is difficult, so your best bet is to park at the convention center SJ parking garage, which is about 2 blocks away. Next best place would be to park at the garage at 50 West. Other than that, had a great time and a great show! read more

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I went for a comedy show and all the staff were so amazing. I recently had a total knee replacement surgery and couldn't sit comfortably in the seats I had purchased. They went above and beyond to accommodate me by finding a seat that would be better and safe for me to get in and out of. They all made me feel comfortable and supported. This goes a long way for many people who may need that extra support in whatever their health needs are. read more

It's a lovely theatre and a great venue to see shows. Easy parking and great restaurants to eat at beforehand within walking distance.

First of all there are ample parking garages in walking distance. They do a nice job of keeping the venue organized for concerts. Lots of senior citizens working the venue and they were so pleasant and so helpful. The concession area was organized and they had the regular hot dogs and nachos, sodas, candy options. The venue had a nice sound system and every seat had a good view. Restrooms were clean and had little waiting read more

San Jose Civic - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Jose, California

Only at a Lindsey Stirling concert would I ever see a multi-talented musician flying in the air and doing flips and tricks on stage while masterfully playing the violin! She was amazing on Tuesday night! San Jose Civic was not. The venue is sufficient for holding shows of different kinds (I've attended both comedy and music events here), and I like the cozier size, so even if sitting in the back, you feel close enough to the entertainment. But otherwise it doesn't really stand out to me, nothing really noteworthy. Plus legroom is pretty horrible. We sat in the upper level during our recent visit, front row, and we could not move our legs at all while sitting cramped in our seats (and I'm a petite woman, so this says a lot). I was also a bit disappointed cuz they ran out of wine at the beginning of the show (and we had waited in line for a bit). Running out of wine?!? How can a venue be so unprepared to run out of wine by the time the show starts?!?! By the way, the drink stands on the balcony level are inside the auditorium, so you can pretty much view the stage while waiting in line... which is probably a good thing, because with the slow workers, you'll probably miss part of the show while in line for drinks. If that's not enough of a turnoff, the parking here is a pain as well. I know they may have better days, but based on my current experience, I am not impressed with this venue. On the bright side, at least I got to see Lindsey Stirling here. Love her! :D read more

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I love this venue!! I have come here for several concerts over the years. Pentagon, Eric Chou, ARMNHMR... All great experiences! The venue is not huge, but not too small either. Honestly any seat inside is decent. You can see the artist pretty clearly and there's jumbo screens as well. The staff are pretty friendly and helpful. Many were constantly asking people if they need guidance finding their seats. For the Eric Chou concert, they even provided light sticks for all the attendees! So fun! Many notable artists have had concerts here recently. Omar Apollo, NCT 127, Crush, deadmau5... to name a few. They also house Dancing with the Stars, Disney Junior Musicals, Peppa Pig Live, and other fun shows. A very versatile venue. read more

San Jose Civic - View from Section 213 - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Jose, California

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I have walked past this location so many times and never realized it was this big and has a history of legendary acts like Bob Dylan and Fleetwood Mac who have played here. It is deceptively small when you see it from the outside but is quite huge once you get in. The staff were nice, it is clean, the drinks were strong and the seats were quite comfortable. The show we came to see started late which was annoying but that's not on the facility. read more

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We were very disappointed to see the Spotlight performance at the San Jose Civic stadium. They arranged for the judges to sit across half the stage. They had no respect for the audience whatsoever. We were extremely disappointed with this thoughtless treatment. read more

The seating is not very space-friendly; it is actually crammed, no elbow space, and not very comfy for the expensive price tickets

First time coming here and will probably be my last. Came to see Air Supply and was just ok. I was very excited as it was valentines weekend and I had bought all the tickets for me and my wife and my two cousins and their husbands. The concert started at 8pm but entry was as soon as 7pm. Getting in was fairly easy as the line moved pretty fast. The first issue I had was that they only have one elevator. I'm handicapped and on a wheelchair so there's a line and quite a wait to get to the balcony. I don't want to be judgmental but there were plenty of younger people jumping in the elevator when they were perfectly able to use the stairs. Secondly, I purchased a wheelchair accessible ticket and when the usher showed us our seats, mine was NOT accessible. The seat was for handicap but was permanently stationary. The usher did say not to worry and that they will fix it. She then called another usher and they had to call a supervisor. After about 15 minutes, they decided to let me sit at the very back where there were folding chairs that could be removed. My wife and I were separated from my cousins and their husbands. Thirdly, the sound didn't sound very good and clear. The performance from Air Supply was the only saving grace and made the experience memorable. read more

Weird interaction with staff member. I went to a show here and while checking in, I showed my ID and got an above 21 wristband so I could get drinks from the bar. I'm 24 years old to add context. I order a drink from the bar and the guy behind there says you look really young. Can I see your ID. I point out I have a wristband and my ID has already been checked. My friends say yeah she already has the wrist band. He says no you look young let me see your ID. He then starts to hit on me really creepily. Weird interaction. read more

I love smaller venues because it offers a more intimate experience with the show/concert your attending. We came here for Pat Benatar and got the cheapest seats in the house. It was on the upper level which was about 3 flights of steps. When finding your seats, be careful, the stairs to the seats are narrow and steep. One wrong move and you can roll down the stairs and hit the safety wall placed on each staircase. I was worried about the baby boomer generation using those staircases. As expected from an old small venue, the seats are very upright and lacked any leg room. I kept hitting the cup holder provided in front of me. But otherwise, the venue is great! Lots of paid for parking lots in the area. We were able to find a place that charged $12... not too bad. read more

I used to enjoy this venue for events - until last night. I attended the Bert Kreischer comedy show and there were 3-4 obnoxious and/or intoxicated audience members that ruined the entire evening. There were two opening comedians who did about 15 minutes of stand-up each, and these same 3-4 people were behaving abhorrently the entire time throughout all of the performers - but they really got more intense when the main comedian was performing. These are not crowd work comedians, so yelling and screaming questions and statements at the performers is not welcome. The atmosphere was hostile and cringeworthy, and a couple of times other audience members yelled "Shut up" to these 3-4 people who were constantly interrupting the performers, but to no avail. I watched multiple people leave early out of sheer frustration, including a couple sitting right in front me, and my companion and I almost left early for the same reason. We stayed until the end out of respect for the comedian, but were very frustrated that not one of the many staff theater staff members standing around or security officers made any effort to rectify the situation. These disruptive, rude, and disrespectful audience members should have been given a warning by staff, and then escorted out if they couldn't heed the warning, period. I've been to the San Jose Civic for other performances and never had an issue - that is the only reason I'm rating two stars instead of one. Their staff is clearly in desperate need of training. It's not okay to allow a handful of immature, intoxicated, and disrespectful people ruin the night for everyone else. I'm a huge Bert Kreischer fan and I've seen him perform at two other downtown SJ events without an issue. read more

Extremely invasive security. I attended a show here last night and was groped by security (open, front of hand feeling entire chest) upon entrance. I spoke to the Assistant Manager, who at first told me that security followed TSA guidelines. It took over 10 minutes of insisting that TSA does not put their hands inside your undergarments before he finally went outside to watch the woman who groped me. Immediately, he and the security manager saw her (open, front of hand) grope another woman in the same way. They finally said something to her and I watched her laughing with other security workers directly after. Not a safe venue for women. read more

Beautiful venue to enjoy and watch concerts. Recently enjoyed watching Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons; really cool to watch such a Rock & Roll Icon in such an intimate setting. It's not always you walk into a building from 1934 that has a good bar, and decent grab and go food. The service was great for navigating the building and guiding guests to their seats. Highly recommend trying out this venue, it's smaller than the newer facilities but it's like stepping back in time (in a good way) to enjoy some unique shows. read more

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No free water during a heavy music show is crazy $6 per water bottle Gross negligence & greed read more

I can't believe this is the 1st time I been here to see a concert. The San Jose Civic center was open in 1936 and was renovated between 2009-13 and seats 3,036. The lower level has pictures of former great performers such Charlie Daniels and Duke Ellington. The seating is kind of cramped front to back but the seats are comfortable. There's really not a bad seat in the house and the because of the renovations the acoustics are really good. Wifey and "eye" really enjoyed watching REO Speedwagon their, such A great venue. read more

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This Venue is a wonderful place to catch a show . We have seen many acts thru the years here . Centrally located in Downtown San Jose . Lots of parking around the theater and restaurants and bars . It's a Historic part of San Jose . Which we Love ! The folks who work there are very courteous and accommodating. Many Bathroom areas and concessions . There is a Fire pit in the courtyard that we like to get a glass of wine and sit before the show starts . read more

San Jose Civic - Courtyard Firepit :) - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Jose, California

No chairs for a concert and some unstable walls. Interior looks good and rustic. They have air conditioning on. Not a bad place for concerts, just needs seating in the front. read more

Let's face it, it's an old theater. The seats can use an update. Especially the sound system definitely needs an update. The food in the concession is pretty standard, like nachos , chips, cheesesteak sandwich. Like any other event site, food and drink prices are sky high. So eat and drink somewhere before the event read more