Cute, intimate venue. I'm so glad my cousin got there early and saved some seats for us because the place got packed for the Elmiene show. There were still a few available seats sprinkled throughout and they were probably hard to get to when considering navigating the crowd. I love that there was a coat check, bar and I think there was food too. I'm a sucker for an intimate venue, will certainly be back for more shows! read more

Me and my and my girlfriend and her sister and boyfriend came to see Sammy Johnson and the Bayonics. The food here is good but they charge about 8 to 9 dollars for a pizza slice which is insane. The service here is OK but the bartender definitely is a 10 out of 10 just because they give you more liquor and they also mix the drinks quite well. The ambience was super dope. I definitely would come back here again and see another person performing here. read more

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What a beautiful theater! We will be back for sure. The employees are all so nice & efficient! We had the beer & their margaritas, both were excellent! It gets very hot inside here! No joke! I thought my husband was gonna pass out! It was 58 degrees outside & felt like a sweaty 100 inside. But I'd do it all again! Grateful I got a chance to experience this location. Hope to become more of a regular. read more

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This place was great! It was my first time here to see my favorite artist, SnowthaProduct. One of the smoothest venue experiences I've had when seeing her. My only complaint is how high the stage is when you're front row, but they're not alone in a stage configuration like that. Staff were great and on time. Everything was really organized and sound was perfect. Thank you UC Theatre! read more

The UC Theatre - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

This was my first time ever attending this theater, and I love the old-fashioned theatrics behind everything! It seemed rather comical to me that we were watching Wu-Tang crew in such an iconic classic turn of the century theater, but the set up was great!! Great sound system, beautiful Structure, and agree wall of famous people that have performed here! I didn't eat any food, but there were tables that people were sitting at and standing towards the back. We were on the lower floor without any tables around. They had open bars on the side, not open, but available to the customers. And drinks were well poured. The only odd thing I would say was the bathrooms were rather thrashed. It reminded me of an outdated bathroom I saw in a hole in the wall restaurant that had delicious food while in Taiwan. At least they had plumbing, but they were literally holes in the ground, holes in the wall and then random Boards, put up to cover up the holes within the woman's bathroom. About a block away there is a parking garage, other than that their street parking. We were lucky and found some street parking about two blocks away, so it wasn't too hard to walk. I wouldn't mind going back to seeing another show here again. read more

The UC Theatre - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

The UC Theatre totally surprised me, in both good and bad ways. I saw Sixpence None the Richer and Toad the Wet Sprocket here earlier this summer. I had meant to see at least two other shows here in years past, and I actually had tickets to a Steel Pulse concert that I didn't end up using because of--you know, life. Anyway. I expected an old-fashioned movie palace that had been hollowed out of most of its original playhouse velvet seats, with some once-new-but-now-old cushier seats still remaining. I also expected the back of the stage to be toward the street, for some reason. I have no idea why, but I was sure that it would be just so, and it turns out that the stage is to the right as you enter the building from University Avenue. It was an old-fashioned movie palace, but it was so old that it didn't really have the kind of tiered seating that I thought it would. When you enter, you're in the upper area. For this show, they had some seats set up up there, along with some open space. There were no seats in the lower area, where I stood. But there is this huge wall that was helpfully mostly empty when I arrived, so I staked out a place against it. I would be wildly annoyed by the horrid shenanigans of a few concertgoers in front of me, but that's not the venue's fault, so I'll drop it. The wall is at the back of the lower area, but it's still really close to the stage, making it the ideal place to be, as long as you don't mind standing the entire show. But it also just feels weird. Like why is the wall so tall, and what's with having only two levels, and why are they so far apart from each other? There's at least one bar on the upper level, and the one on the lower level is to the right as you're facing the stage. I wasn't standing too far from this bar, so I could see just how ruthlessly efficient these bartenders were, especially during the show itself. I got a drink between acts, and they sell food as well (pizza?), but I didn't try any. Since I worked only a few blocks from this venue for more than a decade, I'm glad I finally got to see a show here, but it was a little bit less exciting and definitely much less historic-feeling than I thought it would be. There are plenty of overpriced parking structures nearby, but if you're coming here at night or on the weekend, you can usually find parking in the neighborhood pretty easily, if you're willing to walk three or four blocks. Or, better yet, take BART. The Downtown Berkeley Station is very close. The sound is decent, at least from the lower level. I'm sure standing right against that wall made it even better. I wasn't upstairs for either act, so I don't know what it's like up there. read more

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Horrible venue, horrible environment... The place is gross and overcrowded. I couldn't hear or see the musicians. I reached out to the venue and they don't seem to care. The show was just totally awful. Everyone seemed overserved and none of the staff seemed to care. Avoid this place if you are interested in performing arts. read more

The UC Theatre - My view, the whole show... everyone behind me chattering the entire time. - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

My first visit to The UC Theatre since I saw The Rocky Horror Picture Show years ago. What a magnificent space! I think the UC rivals the Fox Theater and The Paramount as an East Bay location to see music. Just a classically beautiful interior. An amazing show by Bonny Light Horseman - an American folk band who I first saw at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass a few years ago. If you have a chance go see this band. They rock! About the UC, everyone from security to the nice lady in the ticket both to the ushers to the awesome lady serving drinks to the audience were kind and obviously loved their jobs. The UC Theatre is a non-profit organization. Their Concert Career Pathways education program teaches young people the technical, creative and business aspects of concert and event promotion. Through hands-on workshops and paid internships they train the next generation of music industry professionals. A worthwhile cause. Matt says if you love music, go check out the UC Theatre. You will love the experience. read more

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Decent theatre for seeing bands perform. I saw the Linda Lindas here last night. I was in the first come, first served sitting area and I could see the stage pretty well. The sound is pretty good here too. Is it me or are shows getting louder or am I getting older? I had earplugs in and it still seemed obnoxiously loud. It's close to the BART station as well which makes it super convenient. I'd stop in again if there's a band I want to see. It's not too big and not too small. Only thing is, it gets super packed even for the seated area. read more

This is a review for the venue not for a performance. First off, it was very easy to get in though we arrived after the opening act started. There is a spot adjacent to the box office where you can get drink wristbands- easy process and quick. Box office person was also very efficient and helpful, easy security and ticket check. Grabbed drinks and again, efficient and friendly. Anyone working there that we interacted with was helpful and friendly. The ambiance of the venue was simple though some cool chandeliers and you could tell there was some history in the bones of the building. It's a nice neighborhood and I now have this venue on my list of cool places to see a show. read more

Good acoustics and a view of the stage from various parts of the theater area. It was clean and security staff was making sure everybody behaved. Staff walks around with a digital tablet to ask if anyone wants to order drinks, even in the pit area. I saw some food there but couldn't figure out how that worked - delivery maybe? They don't have on-site food so don't go hungry. read more

Went to see Oteil and Friends at the venue. The mosh pit was packed and we were constantly reminded to keep the back pathway clear. So if you end up in the pit, make sure to stand within the blue taped floor border or you will be asked to move along. There seem to be mixed reviews about the sound quality, but I found it pretty good! Been here once before for traditional Latino music and the sound was good, too Perhaps the quality depends on the type of music being played. Just taking a glance, the poor reviews seem to be directed towards heavy metal type music. I don't know. Guess your milage may vary. BTW. Love the high ceilings. Gave the place a sense of spaciousness even though it was totally packed. read more

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I purchased tickets to see pinback at UC theater, at some point they changed venue to Bimbos in SF. As a retired person that can't drive that is a deal breaker for me. I emailed the 3 times and called them twice and finally got a response an 2hours after cut off for ticket refund This is ridiculous way to inconvenience a customer and then provide terrible customer service afterwards. read more

I came here to see Valley in concert. A cute small venue! Very minimal amount of seating, so expect to be standing for the entire concert. There's a little bar that conveniently placed near the stage, and they provide complimentary water. The sound quality was great and the stage is quite elevated. Lighting and visuals were fun, but VERY BRIGHT lights would shine into the crowd often. read more

The UC Theatre - VALLEY - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

First time at the UC Theatre... employees were friendly and the venue was cool. However, I felt like the venue was oversold. It creates a lot of confusion when there are reserved tables + general admission. I understand everyone is trying to cash in these days but it created a traffic jam at this concert. Be ready for the hot dog vendors that pull up outside the venue after the show. read more

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Attended a reggae concert here this past Friday (J Boog, The Green, Mike Love) and had an interesting experience. I mainly came for The Green, but all of the bands and musicians put on an extraordinary performance. Sound and lighting were quite impressive, allowing audience members a pleasurable music-filled evening. The music hall had beautiful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, which worked nicely with the lighting during the show. Even the lobby had great appeal, decorated with artwork, photos, and posters of past events held at the UC Theatre. The standing room for general admission was a bit awkward and confusing in the venue (with reserved seating also an option for a higher ticket price). Luckily, we didn't have a problem finding space for enjoying a good view of the show. There were three bars inside the theater, but the drinks they served were gross. We got standard cocktails, and they were pretty much undrinkable (we took a few sips and tossed them). The venue was remarkable in many ways... too bad their drinks suck big time! At least that was our experience this past weekend. If you manage to find good drinks here, then consider yourself lucky. read more

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Love it when metal bands and artists choose The UC Theatre as their venue! Close to downtown Berkeley Bart, beautiful venue, small and intimate with beautiful architecture and acoustics, this is a perfect concert hall to come to! I've been here twice in 2023 to see Tarja Turunen's first USA tour (Berkeley was her last stop, what an honor to have her visit here!) and Dragonforce with Amaranthe, NanowaR of Steel, and Edge of Paradise opening. Both times I've come early enough to stand close to the front, and had an absolute blast rocking out and singing along and taking in the performers' presence! What makes me love small concert halls like UC Theatre is that you get the best of both worlds of small and big venues. You get the intimacy of a small venue, with the great acoustics and performances on par with bigger venues. The UC Theatre is a winner, and I hope to come back for many more concerts. read more

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10/10 Concert!! Hubby and I came to watch Layla Hathaway a few months ago and the venue was lovely! Her music was superb and she brought a great guitarist called Jubu Smith!!! Great drinks and great performance! It's very close to the UC Berkeley campus and highly recommended!! read more

As EVERYONE says...great for a small show. But they shoehorned Rise Against in last night (to a sold out show of course) so if you want to watch your band without standing or being in the pit...not a great venue. We literally stood in the back by the bar with tiny glimpses of the band from time to time. Almost walked out. I won't go back for anyone well known. Pluses include good sound, ample bars and staff, clean bathrooms etc. But if you want to occasionally sit and be able to enjoy the show at the same time...this ain't it. read more

The UC Theatre - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Awesome venue! Such a cool place. The times I've gone they just had general admission so you could go wherever you want to see the show. There are three levels depending how close you want to get to the stage. They have a bar at the 2nd and 3rd level. The people who work there are what you'd expect at a concert hall. Be ware of parking! The parking garage across the street implies you can park til 2am but it's a trick, they lock the gate at 10pm and you get a parking ticket. Bad parking, great venue, no food. read more

The UC Theatre - Ext - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

Small venue with big artists! Finally got around to a show at the UC Theatre earlier this year and it was such a vibe. The show itself was incredible (I love STRFKR). The in and out of the theater was smooth. Security is standard, they do a lil padding down, check your bags, you know the drill. A quick stroll from downtown Berk bart station, plenty of street parking and there are multiple inexpensive parking garages in walking distance as well. Bathrooms are clean. Coat check is cash only. Plethora of bars on each level, keeping the lines short. Drink prices are typical: $13 dollar cocktails, $9 small brewskies. $8 white claws, if you want to keep it classy. The venue is refurbished theater, so I will say the acoustics aren't the greatest. The stage sits very low to the floor so it's not as visible as bigger venues but it's much more intimate. This space is a bit larger but feels are comparable to The Independent in city or Ace of Spades in Sac. I do not recommend if you don't like tight shows - this is probably one of the most packed pits I've been in. Very crowded and there was basically no moving once you picked a spot. I didn't explore the other levels but I heard there is seating. Best part about The UC Theatre is the minimal ticket fees!!!!!!! By the time I'm through purchasing a ticket through Ticketmaster, it feels like I've double the price with those damn fees. I think I paid maybe $12 in fees, which is very acceptable. read more

The UC Theatre - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

First time coming to this venue. It's very nice and the air clean. Plenty of seat at the back section. Audience are chill. I'd definitely come back! read more

I've been here twice over the years.. first time to see Todrick Hall in 2019 and again to see Jesse and Joy in 2023. It's a great, intimately sized venue. Good sound quality, good lighting and they often have incredibly talented artists that you may not always be familiar with but that you really should get to know. To see artists of such high caliber in a small setting is an absolute treat. Most shows seem to be either all or mostly general admission standing room only on all three levels. Occasionally there are a several VIP/Reserved tables and/or lounge seating areas on the sides. As shows go, tickets are fairly reasonable though I do think the service fees can be high. (Aren't they always.) The staff is friendly and helpful. There's a bar at the top area furthest from the stage with a large selection and a small bar on the bottom area closest to the stage with a handful of options. The draft beer I had was $12 and I don't think they do Apple Pay but credit cards are fine. They had fans going to circulate the air when I was there last time but it can still get pretty hot inside so be sure to drink some water. I also noticed a Coat Check for a few dollars and the restrooms are large and clean. We easily found street parking with just a short walk of a block or two and there's plenty of restaurants nearby for a bite before a show. We will definitely be back. read more

The UC Theatre - Music Venues Near Me - Berkeley, California

The best aspects of the UC Theatre for me are the proximity to where I live, easily BARTable or neighborhood parking, plenty of nearby restaurants and bars for food/drinks before and after, and easy in and out. Another bonus is that they have 2-3 bars (and free water to stay hydrated) inside the theatre so you can grab a drink without missing the show. All of these aspects combined make it an easy choice to see a show even on a weeknight. The building itself- the lobby is NARROW, but it's amazing how big the theatre is, especially considering what you can see from the outside. The bathrooms are super dated and also narrow. Overall it could use some upgrades but that didn't affect the show. The main deterrents for me were the warm-up DJ (I won't disparage her by name but I would plan to arrive late to avoid her if coming to a future show that she opened) and the smoke. I came fully aware of the prevalence or smoking at concerts- but it was like the old days. Just regular cigarette and joint smoking. I'm more accustomed to vaping these days. It was especially uncomfortable because I was getting over being sick so my sinuses and lungs were being tortured. There was zero effort to even request that people not smoke. Maybe just a me thing, but it was a lot. My clothes and hair were stinky. I'll go back, but maybe only if I'm fully healthy. read more

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Decent theater, not the most memorable but good enough for small shows. They have multiple bars including one in the mosh pit area. Views can be hard to get if you don't get there early for front row standing or seats. Highly recommend getting there early to snag seats so you don't pressure your knees all night. I'm lookin at you 30+ year olds lol read more

Very big open space, I went to see Steele Pulse on their 50th anniversary tour! The venue the service and the SHOW were all AWESOME!!

Went to see Balance & Composure and Turnover last night. When I originally bought tickets, the venue website would only let me buy VIP tickets, it said GA unavailable. So I buy the VIP. Get to the show, apparently the venue sold VIP tickets and didn't inform the bands so we didn't get any of the guarantees that came with our much more expensive VIP ticket (vinyl, signed poster, and a T shirt). Instead they had some poor guy writing down the information of everyone this happened to and said "I think we will figure something out for you". Meanwhile the band manager was livid because they didn't see any of the funds that came from the venue charging extra. I will never come back to this venue for another show. I will update my review if I receive a refund for the VIP experience I didn't get. read more

Great venue for small concerts. Three levels to give you the option to dance on dance floor below or two upper bar areas. The vibe is great. Red walls, chandeliers. Safe place with many people walking outside, along the streets. read more

Sweet venue for live music! Really great vibe from the ticketing at the front and on the street to the bar and back of house crew. The drinks are decently priced $9/$14 beers which is respectable for a show. Food works, nothing to call home about. The reserved tables are nice for a concert you may to stay sitting for. Chill area for merch sales near entrance and back of seating area. read more

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I really don't like this place and it put me off of any small bay area club. The SRO is ridiculous for petite people and so crowded. The tables make it awkward. Some great acts come to this place, but I am not likely to return. read more

not an ideal venue for a sold out show staff was kind of rude and the spacing was not that good either. love osama tho

Such a wonderful theatre, such horrible sound. Gogol Bordello played their hearts out , but all you could hear was the bass, it was like hearing the band through bank glass. I saw Bouncing Souks right before lockdown and reserved a table, and the sound was just as bad. Four years later I tried the floor. All low end. Eugene if you read this: the reason the crowd seems a bit non responsive , was we couldn't hear you . So disappointing. read more

Nice little timeless theater that allows you a great vantage point of the stage regardless of where you're seated (or standed). Came up on Simi Liu aka Shang-Chi (or Jung from Kim's Convenience) with his guest panelist, NBA Champion Jeremy Lin, representing for the culture. Would definitely check this venue out again when I'm in the area! read more

Went to see Vulfpeck and requested disabled seating. Got there about an hour before the show began and unfortunately found the first tier of disabled accessible seats taken so we had to sit in the second tier. When the show began we were unable to see what was going on onstage. The acoustics were fine but we could see very little. The area around our seats was very chaotic the entire time with people wandering around. Vulfpeck were wonderful, full of energy and engaging but the venue let us down. I won't go here again unless it's someone I'm desperate to see, because I probably won't be able to see them unless I buy floor tickets which are SRO and I can't stand for very long. read more

I love this place for shows . You can usually make your way to the from , the floor will be sticky though . Parking is usually around the corner . They also sell food there if you get hungry . Service is great . read more

Some really cool groups and artists come through here. The staff are super professional and the bartenders work quickly to get drinks out. The acoustics inside the venue are really nice too. Parking can be a bit of a hassle. read more

This was my first time here on this October Saturday night for an Obituary/Abbath/Midnight/Devilmaster show. According to my metal concert pal, they have 2 metal shows a year here generally. Since it is a theatre it had a nice old school ticket booth. We waited about 30 minutes to buy tickets and get in. Man it was crowded. Maybe 1000 peeps or more at the end of the show. Inside the lobby there was a lot of room around the merch tables. Best venue for space and less breathing on your neck. Then through some side doors heads right into the theatre. 2 bars at the top and tables ahead, food can be ordered at the bar and a well lit sign in the side saying food pickup here. Ahead of the tables are the theatre seating. Since we got in later, those and the tables were all taken. We had the back upper landing area just inside the doors and that was the only bad part. There is no elevation so we could not see with all the people standing behind the tables. Terrible view. We had to walk up away from the bar side to see the band which was about a football field away still. I guess it pays to get in early and snag a theatre seat down closer. The bathrooms were clean. The cleanest I have seen for a metal venue. But then again metal is not their main shows. Lobby was clean. Staff was cool. I love this venue. Best one hosting a metal show. Lots of room inside so it never felt like cattle pens like Ace of Spades in Sac. Solid venue, chill staff and bartenders. Nice open layout. Good merch setup. Only bad is the area above all the seating but I guess most shows don't have this many people attending so it was like the overflow area to stand. The bars I witnessed being busy almost all the time from beginning to end. Merch sales were brisk too. Tickets at the door were $30. This place was killing it with the Bay Area cash cows attending this night. This place and the bands banked big time. Iam most certain more metal shows than 2 per year will likely be in their future. If you see an act you like on the UC Theatre calendar, do not miss checking out this venue. read more

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I was looking forward to hear the desert blues group Tinariwen last night. The opening act was loud to the point of causing pain. Pain threshold is 130+ dB. I had to leave after 25 minutes. I still have ear ringing 12 hours later. One and done for this venue. I love Tinariwen, but I dind't want it to be the last thing I hear. Standing room only is also a bummer. (too old for this) PS: Berkeley not Detroit LOL! read more

Ok so first off the staff are super on point with every detail In their work. In regards to safety and keeping the lines organized and sidewalks clear for pedestrians. Answering all the oncoming questions from the concert goers, super friendly and patient. They had 2 full bars open for the CIX concert. And was so happy they had pizza for purchase on their menu at the bar. Very clean spacious venue. Restrooms were clean, super plus. So glad I had balcony seats. I couldn't do the floor standing all night. Very nice venue. Ample parking around the corner and street if you are lucky. If another Kpop group comes to the theater, I will definitely be there!! read more

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They should tear down this theater and put in a theater. This place was better in the '80s when it was a decrepit place showing old films. Now it's a music venue where there's very little chance you'll SEE the act you paid to see. That said, if you have the chance and money to reserve a table, do it. The staff is great and the place is clean -- but you can't SEE the act. read more