My husband and I attended The Nutcracker in December, and unfortunately the experience was so unpleasant that we have no interest in returning to the San Francisco Ballet. We were seated in the second row of the orchestra, directly behind a group in the first row who whispered, turned around, pointed, and moved almost constantly throughout the performance. Their level of fidgeting was honestly bizarre and impossible to ignore. They also had a very young child with them who repeatedly made noise and turned around during the show. It was so distracting that I barely remember the performance itself. What I remember is the group sitting in front of us. We wanted to say something during the show, but there was no usher visibly monitoring our section. We also did not feel comfortable confronting strangers directly in a dark theater and potentially escalating the situation. This is exactly why ushers should be present and attentive during a performance, rather than placing the burden on patrons to police one another. When we spoke with a manager afterward, we were told that we could have reported the issue during intermission and possibly been moved. That response was frustrating. By intermission, half the performance had already been ruined, and it did not seem fair that we would be the ones expected to leave the seats we selected and paid for while the disruptive patrons remained in place. We contacted the Ballet multiple times afterward. Initially, the response felt dismissive. We were then offered tickets for one specific date in February, which was not practical because we live in Santa Cruz and could not simply travel to San Francisco on a randomly selected day. Eventually, we were offered tickets to a spring program, but the most logical and appropriate resolution would have been replacement tickets for the following Nutcracker season, since that was the experience that had been ruined. What made this especially disappointing was not only the behavior of the patrons, but the way the Ballet handled the complaint afterward. A sincere apology and a straightforward effort to replace the experience would have gone a long way. Instead, the process felt unnecessarily difficult and left my husband unwilling to do business with the San Francisco Ballet again. For an organization charging premium prices for a formal live performance, I expected better audience monitoring and much better customer service. read more

Came here to see the SF Ballet performance of The Nutcracker and this venue is beautiful. You can tell it is so old, and has so much history. The details are everything. We sat in orchestra seating (second to last row, perfect middle section) and had great acoustics. It was a little far for seeing stage details, so maybe being binoculars. Overall, it was cool to have an eye level view of the whole stage. Bathroom lines can get long during intermission, but they move so fast. There are a ton of restrooms and line waiters don't realize it. No food inside the theatre, but drinks with lids are okay! Would love to come back here! read more

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What a stunning venue! I visited to watch the SF Ballet performance of The Nutcracker and was genuinely blown away by my entire experience. The exterior is simply majestic, with lots of white columns and huge posters. There were long security lines that moved quickly, and the lobby was packed with people. The entrance and lobby area were completely decked out for Christmas, featuring wreaths and a cute Christmas tree. I loved looking at the expansive arched ceiling, with gold detailing. There were quite a few floors, with stairs and elevators leading to each. I sat in the balcony area for the performance and had a decent view of the stage. There was so much seating. The entire performance area felt beautiful, with flowing curtains and a live orchestra. After the performance, we checked out the expansive gift shop on the second floor. The opera house is so grand, featuring a perfect stage for the talented performers. read more

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Review #980 Posted on 1.1.26 We came to the War Memorial Opera House on NYE 2025 to watch Shen Yun. This historic venue is located right behind City Hall. This place is amazing inside, it's got sky high ceilings, beautiful artistic walls, & is super nice. They've actually got a buffet room downstairs where the bathrooms are too. Once you come in, you can get food & drinks to the right & left, and enter to your seats straight ahead. Not sure if the venue has any say or controls the snack/bev bar. $55 for 2 waters, 2 chips, & a cheese box was a ripoff though. I'd come here for a show again 100% to see another show. read more

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I got to see the Nutcracker ballet for the first time ever and it was spectacular! It was even better than I had expected. I'm going to try to attend every year. Wait until the very last minute to buy tickets and you can snag a deal on a variety of websites including ticket resellers. I attended a matinee performance, which was mostly families. Some dressed up, others were casual, but all were accepted. It's a beautiful venue, always lit up nicely at night. (The below nighttime pic is from a different evening than the Nutcracker ballet.) read more

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I always enjoy going to the opera, but SF Opera's recent performance of The Monkey King was especially splendid. I appreciated the community events that took place before the performance. There was a market featuring themed snacks outside the opera house, while, inside there was dragon dancing. I also loved participating in the calligraphy activity at intermission. Staff were friendly and helpful and bathrooms were plentiful and clean. Can't wait to come back for another great performance! read more

War Memorial Opera House - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Attended the Frankenstein Encore performance by the SF Ballet a few months ago at the War Memorial Opera House. Loved it! Great performances by all, and awesome stage setting with pyrotechnics that really light up the stage. Mesmerizing dances and storytelling that make you feel for each of the characters and their circumstances. Ticket prices can be inexpensive to expensive depending on date, time and location of seats. The War Memorial Opera House itself is grand and beautiful. Can't wait to come back and enjoy the next season's performances. All staff were helpful and polite. Located on Van Ness and Grove. read more

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I am surprised I have not reviewed the Opera House yet. I am one of those people who judged folks going to the Opera when I was younger, and here I am...loving it. Perhaps it's the advent of subtitles at the Opera which has made the difference for a plebe like me. Stunning location/architecture, and I am always in awe when I come here. The folks who work here are consistently nice and courteous. When AI does everything that we can do and most jobs go away...performing in an Opera will still be standing. read more

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We enjoyed the Shen Yun performance at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. This was an incredible venue and we absolutely loved the performance here! Highly recommend it! This is a historic building with incredible architecture. The seats were comfortable and the building is spacious. Tip: Once you step inside, all the food and water is extremely overpriced so plan ahead and bring your own water and eat food ahead of time. An all around incredible venue that I highly recommend! read more

War Memorial Opera House - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

My husband and I have a yearly tradition to attend the Nutcracker Ballet in December to celebrate Christmas. War Memorial never fails to deliver. It is a high quality performance. This year the sugar plum fairies were not in the show. Instead they had a different performance for that portion of the performance. Definitely not something I'd like to see again. They need to add the sugar plum fairy dancers back to the performance. We also always visit the shop after to buy a nutcracker to add to our collection. I recommend a box seat and order food and drinks to deliver to your box for the intermission. I also recommend purchasing parking in the garage when you buy your tickets. read more

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Watched the nutcracker for the very first time here at the war memorial opera house and it was such a gorgeous production! Parking is impossible to find here so I highly suggest public transportation or a waymo! The nutcracker set was so gorgeous and the first ten minutes had an homage to SF which was so unique and quaint! The dancers were elegant and breathtaking and they really utilized the opera house with all the set changes. Acoustics were fantastic and tickets were really affordable for balcony! Highly recommend seeing all the shows at the opera house read more

This place was gorgeous from the outside. The security and ticket line moved rather quickly. Inside is gorgeous and the ceilings are spectacular. One thing I found rough was that thereare no bathrooms on the first floor. You must go down a floor to use the restrooms. If you are dressed up and in heels going up and down flights of steps is not really ideal. There is also a huge line for the ladies room. We got some champagne and snacks before the show and they were alright. After going back upstairs we needed help to find our seats and there were language barriers with the ushers but we figured it out. The theatre itself is gorgeous and kept fairly clean. We really enjoyed our time and look forward to more enriching ballets and performances. read more

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Came back recently to see La Boheme! Beautiful venue, love the art for the title screen. It's always so unique and interesting to see who they choose as artists. Great opera, set design, and acoustics. read more

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Love being at the Opera House since I was a kid . Gorgeous old building that has over the years been renovated and maintained to its glorious beauty. Every part of the building is worth seeing & enjoying, from the lobby with its high ceiling with gold painted details, to the auditorium with all its grandeur. I've attended symphony concerts here before Davis Symphony Hall was built. I've attended many SF Ballet performances here as well as SF Operas. All shows are delightful & memorable in this iconic building. If you ever get the opportunity to watch a show here, it is well worth it for the experience and the memories. read more

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This was my first time at the War Memorial Opera House, and I would definitely come back again. I actually sat in the farthest row on the highest floor, on the 4th floor in the balcony area because The Monkey King was a newly adapted play that was really popular in the city and even though it was really good, there was very limited seating. On the fourth floor, there were two screens that we could see, and you could still see the stage rather well, especially for tickets that only cost about $35. So I would definitely recommend coming back to this place. It's really nice and bougie area inside. Security is pretty streamlined, and in general, you can go in, show your ticket, and run up four flights of stairs if you desire or find the elevators nearby. Would definitely recommend coming back again. At night, it's a very well-lit area with really cute decor, especially in the holiday season. I would only caution any visitors to realize that at night, this is near the Civic Center area and it's near City Hall. Because of that, there are a lot of homeless nearby. I would definitely not recommend a girl walk alone around this area at night, even though it is very well lit, and there's a public library and the Asian Art Museum with nice decor. Be mindful of your surroundings at night, especially your bags. The Opera House itself is a beautiful place to be once you're inside. read more

War Memorial Opera House - The cast to the Monkey King opera show. - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Interesting place. Came here with the fam to see the sensory friendly show of the Nutcracker. Free parking was tricky to find until one learned to read the signs and then hoping not to get towed... The lobby got a bit crowded. Bathrooms were spacious with old school touches. The architecture and the fixtures were quite fun. For this specific show fidgets were given out freely, which was nice. The auditorium is a bit strange, maybe not elevated enough, but it was hard to see the stage over the heads of the people in front. Granted, elevating cushions were available for the kids. Curtain is impressive as were the stage designs. The stage itself is pretty big too. All in all, I was impressed and will likely be back at some point. read more

Love love coming here to see some amazing performances. Just saw La Bohéme. It was fantastic!!! read more

War Memorial Opera House - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came here with the family and had a great time. The Opera was wonderful and the atmosphere was majestic. I am not a regular opera goer but once in awhile it's such a pleasure to be at the Opera house and submerge yourself in the art of the Opera singing and storytelling. read more

Everything was lovely. Saw La Bohem. Stairway is accessible and lobby and building are beautiful. Seats were comfortable. read more

Beautiful stadium, came for Easter. The sound bounces off well and it is huge. Right across the street is city hall and there is usually stuff going on. read more

Lots of opera and music shows. I've been here for La Traviata, Tosca, Rheingold and more recently the nutcracker ballet. The inside has older seats and can be stuffy and hot. The performances can be hit or miss. Some are excellent others mediocre. The nutcracker was excellent and reasonably priced this year. There are too many people who are looking at their phone, texting or showing up a half an hour late. These distractions can ruin the experience. read more

War Memorial Opera House - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Beautiful building to see the opera. Amazing architecture. We had great sight lines and the Opera House was amazing. Rest rooms will be a little tough of you are handicapped, and the access is not up to current code. Just incredible to look at the detail of the building and how well they have kept it up. read more

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My family and I went to the Nutcracker ballet at the War Memorial Opera House on Christmas Eve at the 4:00 show. There is parking at the Civic Center garage a quick walk away. The building is absolutely stunning: architecture, seats, and the holiday decor. Loved the show! No food or drinks are allowed inside. Make sure to come on time (early!). Show begins promptly. I wish there were more options for drinks and snacks -- some hot chocolate or coffee would've been nice! The elevators are a bit slow, but the ushers were super helpful to get us into our seats in the dress circle. read more

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Purchased tickets through Ticketmaster to go watch The Nutcracker Ballet here in San Francisco. There was parking located near the theatre so luckily we found parking fairly easily. The building has stairs and elevators that go to throughout all levels of it. We were seating in the higher balcony seating area and many workers were available to help show us to our seat. Although we were high above, we saw almost everything perfectly. The show was amazing but next time I may pay more to have a better seat as some of the items through the ballet were too small to see. read more

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In early June, my friend & I caught the American premier of "Innocence," a contemporary opera with a school shooting & a wedding at the center of its storyline. Composed by the late Kaija Saariaho, this opera is obviously devastating & not for the faint of heart. We sat at the front section of the dress circle. Our perspective, higher up & with a wide view of the entire stage, was perfect to take in the unique staging -- a constantly-spinning cube of rooms where different scenes took place. Sung in multiple language (English, Finnish, French, Romanian, etc), the English translation appears on a digital board above the stage. Short talks & Q&A were given before & after the show. San Francisco is an impressive playground for the arts; War Memorial Opera House puts on diverse productions & is one of the most beautifully elegant venues. Short walk to the shops & restaurants in Hayes Valley; convenient to grab pre- or post-show bites & drinks. Closest parking lots are at 360 Grove or 355 McAllister. read more

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Such a beautiful venue. Outside there is a lovely open air space that is a tribute to the fallen war soldiers that is moving and well worth taking the extra five minutes to view. There are many entry points so there was no line to scan tickets, which is nice. The space at the lowest level is huge with tons of seating for food and drink. I also appreciate that the ladies room is huge so it can accommodate everyone (hear that baseball stadiums?). The ushers are wonderful and very helpful. We went for Frankenstein (which was fantastic) and I did have to ask where the programs were, they just don't hand them out as you enter. The seating was fine and the stage, lighting, and acoustics were so good. The patrons were very respectful (no talking or phones). At the multiple intermissions it was easy to get around and there were many food and drink areas available. The folks seated next to us were late and were asked to stay at the back until the first intermission which I appreciate since all of that activity takes away from the experience. We retunred our programs upon leaving and were thanked by the staff. Great experience! read more

War Memorial Opera House - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is a lovely old building, around 91 years old at the time of this review. It certainly doesn't feel 91 years old once you are inside. There are plenty of restrooms and bars, on every floor, and this should be appreciated by all. Sight lines inside the theater portion are not bad at all and the acoustics are good. We came for the San Francisco Ballet's performance of the Nutcracker so they obviously do more than just opera here. In fact, based on their calendar of events, opera performances may be the minority of what they do here. The lobby is absolutely beautiful and it's definitely worth visiting the building a little earlier than your performance to explore this architectural gem. The website is pretty decent and is worth checking out for some tips on getting around and what to see. read more

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We had an amazing time at the SF BALLET watching the Nutcracker! Excellent venue and an even more excellent cast! Such Unique set designs and phenomenal acting ! We had an exceptional experience including meeting some old friends and family ! Play lasted 2 hours long! Great seats and amazing sound ! Highly recommend coming to the opera house ! Every thing about it was 5 star!! read more

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Such a beautiful event space. The ballet is always a spectacular treat for the holidays! Always a must do in sf for Christmas.

Once in awhile I enjoy seeing the Opera and being at the Opera House. It is a beautiful building where you feel inspired for a higher art. They hold different events here beyond Opera. Parking can be a pain but you can always park at the underground parking garage behind the City Hall. read more

As always a splendid show to be had. Eugene Onegin by P. I Tchaikovsky, an Italian opera. Seated in the balcony with a large screen for close ups together with subtitles, perfect as I forgot my binocculus. It was a special treat today as Ferriccio Furlanetto who played Prince Gremin was bestowed the SF medal. He first performed in SF in 1979 in many stage productions including Aida etc. Always a treat to visit the War Memorial Opera. read more

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I went to see an opera. It's the first time since Covid. Theater is still as pretty as ever. The opera was sung in German. English translations were in the middle of the stage above the curtains. I found this very distracting. My eyes had to move up and down. Prior to Covid, translations were on the side walls which is much easier on the eye by going sideways instead of up and down. I found an interesting musical instrument. It's the same instrument that is in the movie Miss6 Congeniality. There is a full service restaurant and bar on the lower level. It's a little pricey but it's convenient if you want a pre-opera dinner. read more

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One of the nicer opera houses in the Bay Area. Spectators were well-dressed. Full house on a weekend. Wonderful architecture. Talented performers. Use Uber/Lyft if you don't want to deal with the parking situation in San Francisco. read more

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Came to watch a performance of Swan Lake. Make sure to have your COVID vaccine card and ID ready. They also don't allow any food or beverage inside the auditorium. We were in the balcony circle and view were decent. You can't see faces, but you get a good view of the dancing. However, in a few scenes where the dancers were standing on a prop, you were only able to see their feet like at the end, which is unfortunate. There were some people with binoculars. Seats were comfortable and wider than most broadway theatres. There is parking in a nearby garage for $20, but I recommend looking on Spothero as we were able to snag a parking spot for $5 a couple of blocks away. Overall, I wouldn't mind sitting in the balcony circle again since prices were decent with acceptable views for most of the show! read more

War Memorial Opera House - Balcony Circle DD Seat 28 - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

My mom and I went to the nutcracker performance today at 2:00. It was so magical and everyone was so great! The set was so creative and the orchestra was amazing. My only complaint is that they were seating people during the beginning of the performance. If people are late they shouldn't be seated because it interrupts everyone who arrived early. The show is worth every penny and I love the nutcrackers at the gift shop! I will be back and highly recommend the show ! read more

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Came here for a concert and everything here is well organized. The staff here are very nice, helpful and professional. There were quite a lot of restrooms throughout this building as well. This is a beautiful place. Inside and out. The design of each room is intricate and gorgeous. read more

War Memorial Opera House - Performing Arts Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had discount tickets to the ballet. The elevator was stuck on the 3rd floor, so i decided to take the stairs. Five flights of stairs later, i finally got to the balcony level. Whew! Got my steps in. I didn't get anything to eat or drink, but they actually serve dinner on the lowest level. read more

They've put on so many good operas, some classic, some new but always worth getting excited for. Beautiful building, and very sensible layout. The ushers are really friendly and helpful. Always feels special to come here and see a show in nice clothes, and see others in nice clothes. I love seeing some people going all out for opera, you won't see that at the ballet or the symphony haha. Honestly I wish more young professionals like us would come enjoy the opera, it's fun and it does not have to be pricy ($30 for the balcony seats). Subscribers get 20% off (maybe 30? I can't remember) for booking a series of shows ahead of time. And you don't have to be "sophisticated and cultured" to enjoy the opera. Just have an open mind, and let yourself follow the dramatic plots, appreciate the amazing music and dancing, and experience the strong emotions! They work so hard to put on a good show, just immerse yourself in it and enjoy! read more

It's always great to step into the War Memorial Opera House for a fine arts performance. The War Memorial Opera House holds both the SF Ballet and SF Opera. Opera runs from Jun-Nov and Ballet runs from Dec-May. The seats at the War Memorial are a little bit older but are well kept. The only issue sometimes is that the staggering heights don't quite account for the difference in heights of people viewing the performance so if you're sitting behind someone taller than you it might be difficult to see a portion of the stage. The second floor is the gift shop and there's also a closed off area during certain events that are reserved for VIP. There's a bathroom on almost every floor (including the basement) so if the line is too long during intermission you can always try to see if there are shorter lines on other floors. It's a gorgeous building that's full of history and you won't be disappointed in any of the performances whether you're an opera person or a ballet person. (Also -- there are supertitles in opera so no worries if you don't understand the language) read more

Absolutely gorgeous Opera House. We went for the Nutcracker Ballet on Christmas Eve, and sat in the dress circle. I have to say ladies and gents if you are 5'7 or taller expect your knees to be flush with the seat in front of you. We were hoping to get pics after the show and were rushed to leave immediately when the show ended so that they can prep for the next? Not sure. We just wanted pictures in the pretty halls and with the nutcracker prop outside of the opera house but we were told everyone had to leave. For as much as we paid and as far as we traveled to see the performance I felt we deserved a few minutes of pictures. read more