Came here for the Sacramento Horror Film Fest and had a memorable time watching a diverse range of short films, featuring unique plots, plenty of gore, and comedic twists. The picture quality was more than sufficient for viewing the amazing works of artists and filmmakers. The subwoofers brought the rumbling during the first set of films, a little too strong if you ask me. But when they turned it down (probably at the request of attendees), the sound became echoey and a bit hard to understand for some of the later showings. It worked out though, and didn't take away too much from the overall experience. Seats in the auditorium were outdated but in decent condition, fold down cushions, a bit hard/stiff, comfortable enough. No cupholders at the seats though. And no reserved seating. Good news is, view of the stage and projector screen is pretty good from any seat in the house. Very basic offerings at the concessions stand, classic theatre refreshments... popcorn, nachos, hot dogs, and candy, along with 4 types of soda flavors. But at least they offer snacks and drinks here. We got some peanut m&ms and a small container of popcorn, it was nice and salty. Women's restroom is small and cramped with only 2 stalls, minimal space, the stall doors almost reach the sink when you open them. In the end, even with its imperfections, I liked the theatre as an event space. Staff was friendly, and the atmosphere was very chill. It's a historic venue with appeal in its simplicity. read more

See all

Cool vintage theatre. Seats in the back 4 rows are more comfortable. They have lots of different artsy & spooky events throughout the year. There's a vegan restaurant and a Turkish convenience store in the same building. Only negatives are limited parking and vintage building means vintage(small) restrooms. read more

The Colonial Theatre - Set up for Circus show. Back four rows have more comfortable seats. - Music Venues Near Me - Sacramento, California

We bought tickets to a Rocky Horror Picture Show event at the Colonial Theater and were so excited to attend. The theater is super cute and there is plenty of street parking available nearby. The lobby is small, but the actual theater is bigger than I expected and perfect for an event like Rocky Horror. The seats are older and do not have cup holders. They're a pleathery material so you'll want to make sure you're wearing long pants vs shorts. We were also very close to our seat neighbors and arm rest space is at a premium. We were also here in the evening in mid-July, from 8pm-11pm and it got HOT with all the people in the theater. Cold drinks helped. We ended up buying some waters, M&Ms and a soda while we were here and the movie screen, audio and entertainment was great. read more

Damn I wish they had more black and death metal shows here with some name stature. They have a lot of local bands do shows. Well, I came to see Profanatica and Panzerfaust and they were both killer! I met the guys in both bands. The place is very small and intimate. Probably 50 max standing room and close to the stage. Mixer table even in with the 50. Fabulous under-utilized venue in the edge of Oak Park (rough area). However, I parked apprehensively in the hood their and my car was in one piece after the show. The lot was tiny and full and once you drive in, you need to back out. Dangerous. So street parking worked. I love this venue. Very simple. Entry with bar and merch booths leading in to the room with the stage. Shoulder to shoulder kinda place. Best for metal. C'mon Colonial. Book more death/black metal shows in 2024! read more

The Colonial Theatre - Metal concert Profanatica (US)/Panzerfaust (DE) - Music Venues Near Me - Sacramento, California

I saw a performance here & this venue was very nice. All of the ushers, security & concession workers were friendly & pleasant. I got a bottle of water & a large popcorn, which was the size of a normal small popcorn but only cost $3! Seating was roomy & not cramped at all. read more

Beautiful theater very vintage very true to the historic culture of Sacramento always have a good time coming to shows here I highly recommend read more

The Colonial Theatre - Picture of the stage in The great Colonial Theater - Music Venues Near Me - Sacramento, California

Terrific single screen theater! We attended a film festival there today. Wonderful old theater! Prices on the concessions were super reasonable! Staff was super friendly! Loved this place! read more

Parking is small but the location is so nostalgic. We watched Empire Stripes back and it was tasteful, funny, and location was perfect for it. As locals, we need to support it so they can upgrade their seats!! Its a regular concession stand food, non-alcoholic beverages. read more

The Colonial Theatre - The Empire Strips Back - Music Venues Near Me - Sacramento, California

Went here for a comedy show. It was fantastic! They have a really good concession stand too. Love the old school theater decor.

Went here for a concern and the sound system was really good for a theater. Could hear it evenly from front to back and was clear. Stage is also really neat for a music venue. Lots of space to use. Jane the Message, Crunk Witch & MC Chris all killed it up there with the space and the stairs. Staff is great too. Really made the whole experience a good one. Area is solid too. Limited parking onsite but plenty of street parking right by the venue. Neighborhood is nice and no issues getting to and back to the car. You can drink next door if you want. Looking forward to going to see some movies, music and wrestling here again. read more

"Let's Do The Time Warp AGAINNNNN!!!" SITREP The Colonial Theatre ("Colonial") continues to provide a wonderful venue for the....uh... more .. "Alternative Fun" in the community! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-colonial-theatre-sacramento?select=aW4Z9AJhhyoFdQ4z_gT8TA&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w THE SETUP I actually first experience the Colonial back in 1998 when I got to enjoy the Frontline Assembly and Switchblade Symphony Concert. THAT was an enjoyable experience and I always told myself I would come back to do that again. Never happened..... The venue went through a series of some remodels, owner changes or something akin to that, thereby disrupting my patronage. TRASH FILM ORGY (TFO)! But then Christy Savage and her remarkable team in TFO came along! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-colonial-theatre-sacramento?select=SXx5Kpl5NAbtWtEepHGZsA&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w The TFO crew specialized in "classy" (I use that word loosely, but in a fun macabre sort of way) events that we could enjoy! A rowdy repertoire of burlesquey acts and slutty movies! (Oh the hell yeah!) https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-colonial-theatre-sacramento?select=Uxbb4WgguQml3prADHBu-Q&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w Of course, emceeing ALL TFO events was the Angry Tiki god himself! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-colonial-theatre-sacramento?select=L0I88eU36BlnGC_2GckGPQ&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w ENTER BRAD, "ASSHOLE!" ENTER JANET, "SLUT!" And most recently, I got to enjoy the Amber Sweet's Sac Horror Community production of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show!" https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-colonial-theatre-sacramento?select=CM5Txaf_v99Oqhc9ZJTLHw&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w If you haven't had the opportunity to see a "LIVE" staging of performers in conjunction with the film itself, oh my gawd you must! Such fun! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-colonial-theatre-sacramento?select_video=eExv_WPHLWFNHzuRqR25qw&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w PARKING Not easy, but not totally unmanageable. There IS a parking lot adjacent to the theatre. HOWEVER, if there are a lot of performers, vendors, musicians, etc., who get there earlier to set up, then you are going to go into the parking lot on one end, and then right back out of it on the other because you won't be able to find a thing. * Park on the side streets (just don't block some resident's driveway or you WILL get towed) * Uber/Lyft there, and pre-game at the Colonial Cafe next door to your hearts content with all the drinks you like! THE LOWDOWN A rowdy, fun time is to be had at The Colonial Theatre! :D read more

See all

We always love our experience here! Great staff and the environment is always energizing!

The theater was old fashioned and nostalgic. The bathroom only had 2 stalls. It wasn't as bad as the other reviews said about the location. Yes it wasn't in a good area but we didn't hear gunshots etc. Get to the event early because parking is very limited. read more

The good: The performances that are held here are great. (that's the second star) The bad: Could hear gunshots from parking lot upon arrival. Upon leaving, there was gunfire VERY CLOSE to our car along our route (14th to 12th to I-99... DON'T GO THAT WAY!!!) The area is seriously to be avoided. Would rate the location zero stars if I could.) Unfortunately, if you are not one of the first 40 or so cars to arrive, you will have to park on the side streets next to the crazy SOB tenants who shoot guns in the air for kicks. Don't bring your shiny new car. Drive to the venue in a old dirty beater, dress yourself in less expensive clothing, and don't flash any jewelry (I guess in this area it's "bling".) Note there are only two stalls in the ladies room, and 3 urinals without splash guards and one stall in the men's. One sink in each bathroom so hardly anyone washes their hands. read more

This charming little theater on Stockton Blvd has been getting some good shows. Mickey Hart played there last Thursday and Little Feat has an upcoming show on St. Paddy's Day. The sound was great at the Mickey Hart show, and the crowd space was just right. There's plenty of open space in front of the stage for lots of people to get up close and dance - a lot more space than the much larger Crest Theater downtown. Overall its a cozy, comfy, unpretentious venue. Also, there's plenty of parking. The only downside is that they don't sell alcohol, but that's easy enough for the subtle to remedy. Its a shame that most of their bookings are for wrestling and re-runs of that silly genetic opera. Keep bringing us good live acts, and the Colonial could become my favorite venue in Sac. read more

Came here for their production of Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. You can buy tickets beforehand, but we walked up as it was starting and were able to purchase tickets. They do accept cards, but they charge a small fee to use them, so cash it is. They had a snack bar (like movie theaters) that seemed to be on the cheap side. The theater is a good size and there was ample seating. I really liked the older details - like the light fixtures and the relief murals on the theater walls. There didn't seem to be a bad seat in the house. And yay! for non-sticky floors and arm rests. Thank goodness! Dr. Horrible was funny and well put together. It was preceded by an '80s cover band which was good fun. Having seen their marquee list only wrestling matches and horror flicks, I was thrilled that they were finally showing stuff I would be into. I hope they continue to host non-thrasher-style stuff. The Colonial has a private lot -- it was filled up when we went, but there was plenty of nearby street parking. If you want to eat before a show, there are two restaurants adjacent to the theater - a Mexican and a vegan one. It's in a great spot and I, for one, am a new fan of the Colonial. read more

I recently attended a Devil's Carnival & Repo the Genetic opera double feature at the Colonial. I really enjoyed the restored, historical theater. The venue is similar in size to the State theater in Modesto. The show was great fun and I was pleasantly surprised by how lovely the theater is, considering that the neighborhood is reminiscent of it's street namesake "Stockton". We were easily able to find parking in walking distance. The theater doesn't sell alcohol, so, we enjoyed fresh Chinese food and a few adult beverages at Louie's before the show. I only gave the theater 4 stars because of the neighborhood. read more

I'll always have a special place in my heart for the Colonial Theater. It's one of the oldest independently owned venues in town. It hosts a wide variety of events including movies, wrestling, dance performances, church even...that is the flexibility that an independent theater can bring. The more the theater is used, the more it can be renovated. I encourage everyone who host events to give Colonial Theater a second look. I work on the committee for the Sacramento Horror Film Festival, and our director has chosen this location two years in a row because it 1) is the perfect setting to host horror movies and 2) Jim the owner, is really flexible w/ us, is working very hard to improve the theater and has already made tremendous improvements to it, and we want to support him. Jim's family also opened up a Mexican restaurant next door, and will soon be getting their liquor license. I think if given the proper attention, patronage, and support from the community, this family run theater can not only survive, but continue to be improved upon and last for many generations to come! read more

Going with my bestest friend to Rocky Horror Shoe was so much fun! The Colonial Theatre is beautiful and has the most amazing history! The show was exceptional and funny! I totally recommend and will go again!! Loved it!!! read more

This will be my second event hosted at this venue. The staff and the manager Jim and extremely kind. The venue is in an easy to find location and is large enough for big names. As far as sound goes, each renter provides a system so its not the venues fault someone has a crappy system. The seats are prefect for those who need to seat every now and again and there is enough room in front of the stage for those who like to be up close and personal. It is a little rundown but that adds to its historic appeal : ) Look forward to future shows... read more

I saw John Spencer's Blues Explosion play here a few years ago. The seediness of the neighborhood and the slightly run down theater were actually a perfect venue for my first time seeing them live. My friend and I sat on the tops of the seats and damn near blew our ears out the sound was so loud! The crowd was rowdy and friendly. Great experience. I've heard they host wrestling at this theater, don't know if that's true. read more

The Colonial is a piece of Sacramento history. The neighborhood has seen better days, and the theatre itself has resorted to taking whatever shows it could to keep the lights on. That said, I'm thankful it's even still standing. The Alhambra Theatre and The Del Paso are only memories now. There's a blues show coming on April 1, 2011...no april fool's jokes. Robben Ford should bring out a slightly less rowdy crowd than the Colonial is used to. More info at www.sblentertainment.com read more

Not a thing wrong with this place! Spacious, charming, great acoustics & easy parking.

I like this venue for their selection of artists aka LIVING LEGENDS february 16. It was amazing. The venue was small enough to be able for me to meet almost all the guys afterwards. It's weird how they have theatre seats though...so everyone was basically crowded in a tiny space around the stage. Luckily I was in the front. Ummm this whole Indian family basically seems to run the place. I was uber confused as to why these two like, eight year old kids were selling food in the lobby area - child labor much? Getting here from Davis sucks balls and is hella bank...thank god the Indian guy gave me a phone book to call a cab. The sound quality was pretty terrible, especially where I was standing, since the speakers were strategically placed to blast your fucken ears. My ears rang for three days. It was quite torturous. read more

I drove by the other day and brought me lots of memories, I saw Ozomatli in concert back in april 1999 great venue for concerts am glad still has the magic, it is by no doubt a piece of Sacramento history. read more

We recently filmed a scene for "razed Life" at the Colonial. The owner was awesome! We are truly grateful. http://youtu.be/s1De3o19UtQ read more

Shows seen at the Colonial: - Del tha Funky Homosapien w/ 2mex and Motion Man 2mex rocked his entire set with a giant booger hanging out of his right nostril that was visible twelve rows back - Talib Kweli w/ The Cuff Talib Kweli berated Sacramentans for being so lame. "That's why nobody wants to play your city" I believe was the exact quote. This venue is marred by: - A bad layout. As a former theatre for movies, there's tons of theatre style seats, meaning, a lot of people sit through performances, which really brings the energy down. The space in front of the stage is limited for those of us that like to get hype. - Bad location? I'm not one to shy away from the hood, but this particular stretch of Stockton is beyond seedy. - Bad acoustics and/or bad sound engineers. Couldn't hardly make out a single word the MCs were saying. - Lack of a real bar within walking distance. There's what I think is the Cobbler Restaurant now next door. I remember then only serving bottles of beer. No shots. - Lame Sacramento crowds. God I hate seeing shows in Sac. Are these shows past out bedtimes or what? People are too cool to be enthusiastic, even watching Del the freakin Homosapien. I'm fairly certain we were to blame for Dave Chapelle's retirement from performing life too. Read the accounts of the show he did in Sac in, I believe, 2005. He disappeared from public life shortly thereafter. Positives? - The vibe is of this place is actually quite good, despite all of the above mentioned issues. - The breakers got breakin at the Talib show. - One of the few places to attract good hip hop - That's about it. read more

I love the Colonial. Its great for live shows, concerts, wrestling, film festivals, and even fashion and dog shows. I've seen the place filled to the brim and I've seen it nearly empty. It depends on the promoters in combination with what's hot or not. The place is historic with what I'm told is its original movie screen from 1939. That's amazing. The colonial should upgrade to digital projection and a top notch surround system so promoters like me can utilize the place to its full potential. Working with the owners has been a great experience. The only complaint I have is the trusses of lighting on the left and right part of the stage. It lessens the mystic of stage productions and blocks peoples views if films are screened. I love doing the horror film festival and the repo! shows at this venue. Its like a home away from home for me. Special note to reviewers, the colonial empowers the promoters. If an event is subpar then find that event and or promoter and issue your review with them. The people in the box office, the security, door people, etc are employed by the promoter of the event you attended and not the colonial. The colonial staff works the concession stand at all the events however. read more

This place is a throw down of a theatre. I attended a rap concert here and had VIP tickets. Where should I start? I should have known something wasnt right when I walked throught the door and they were serving popcorn like it was the movies. I was directed to "VIP" by one of the ushers which was located up the stairs right as you walk through the front door. I was lead to a small room with a window that appeared as if the capacity would have been around 10 people comfortably. You pretty much need binoculars to see the stage from the VIP room. To make a long story short, we ended up going on the stage after expressing our dissatisfaction to the promoter and that wasnt all it cut up to be because we couldnt see the performance due to major over crowding. All in all, this building appears to be somewhat of a historic dungeon more suitable for Romeo and Juliet type of stage plays. And did I mention the place smelled like moth balls. 2 thumbs down!! read more

I've been here twice-for Living Legends and Little Brother. The place is pretty small and old and it's kinda difficult finding parking if you don't get their early. There's some good real hip hop here though. For Living Legends, the place was pretty full, but not so much for Little Brother. Also, the sound system for Little Brother wasn't so good and they had to keep switching the mics. read more