Fox Theater

My first time seeing a show at Fox (Tori Kelly) and I was stunned by the venue! All the fixtures on the ceiling are gorg! Double thumbs up that theres bars in the lodge && easy access to connecting bar/​restaurant! Definitely checking their calendars often for other musicians I follow if and when they perform at this venue.

Gorgeous, plenty of drink options, friendly staff, across the street from Bart, near great restaurants — how could this place not be 5 stars?
If you’ve ever spent time on Telegraph, you’ve been by the Fox Theater, with it’s classic marquee on the outside evoking a nostalgic view into when theaters actually had a presence in the community. In this case, the Fox still does.
I went for the John Carpenter concert and actually walking in was even more impressive than the exterior. Classic lobby, if you turn to your right you’ll hit a bar with food options. Past the initial friendly ushers there were two other bar stations, and when I got to my lower seats there were even a few unused bar stations. Man, at a packed gala this place must be amazing.
As it is, it’s still amazing — there is gilded decorations in front of the stage and work has been done to keep this place stunning. Size-​wise, it isn’t as wide as the Castro, but has a dedicated balcony, thus provides a bit more of an intimate feeling.
And I might be buying tickets for next month for the Welcome to Night Vale show…

One of my favorite theaters ever. Amazing place to see a show. Absolutely beautiful inside. Great sound. I saw Sufjan Stevens here and it was gorgeous. Highly recommend.

I like this theater. Even though I live in SF, I came here with my family a couple of times for the shows. One show was Fineas and Ferb that I took my two kids to. Show sucked (I guess it has nothing to do with the theater itself), voices of the characters were prerecorded and in a very poor sound quality, music was prerecorded, and the whole show was fake and uninvolving. But the theater is pretty good, it’s 80s style is kind of corky and seems to be irrelevant. It’s clean, it’s in a good shape and very spacious.

After being here last Saturday for The Growlers show (⁶⁄₁₁) and attending a handful of other shows here, this venue is becoming one of my favorites in the Bay Area. First of all, let’s talk about the location. It’s located in Uptown, so it’s near a good range of bars and other food establishments. So many places to get food and drinks before a show! They have The Den in the same building if you want to get some drinks before a show, but there’s other bars in the area that have more interesting drinks. It’s also right near the 19^th Street BART station! So easy to commute if you’re coming from the city or elsewhere in the bay. Shows here always end at a reasonable time too, so you don’t have to worry about missing the last train of the night.
The inside is absolutely beautiful. I’ve seen shows from the upper level and it’s not a bad option if you get tired easily or don’t like being near crowds. There’s a section right behind the floor that’s raised that is another good option if you’re short and don’t want to get pushed around. This section is also near two bars so it makes it easier to get more drinks. The drinks here are just ok. I think it’s pretty typical for music venues to have overpriced drinks.
The only reason why it’s not my favorite venue is because I still prefer smaller and more intimate shows, but besides that, everything here is great.

So the day of the Tori Kelly concert, my neck locked up on me & my chiropractor told me to stay my butt home. But I couldn’t flake on my girls. So I called the box office and inquired about handicap seating if I had a doctor’s note, and they said they would be able to accommodate me
At the door. I appreciated this understanding. Got there, workers told me they usually only let 2 people sit in the handicap, but let us 4 sit down on cushioned seats! Super nice of them. Naturally if any other handicap persons came, we’d rotate. Our seats were perfect. Drinks could’ve been a bit stronger. But this place is beautiful! Def will come back.

Saying I’ve been to a lot of concerts would probably be the biggest understatement of the year. With that being said, I’ve been to a lot of different venues but time and time again, I wind up at the Fox. But you know what? I ain’t even mad.
Fox Theater is such a beautiful older venue. There’s seats at the top and the lower level is all GA. I can’t vouch for the upper level because I’m always GA, but the GA is pretty awesome. There’s multiple tiers in the GA area, the main floor itself and I believe two additional tiers. When you’re like me and starting to feel too old and un-​hip for the GA crowd, you can always just go up a tier or two and still feel like you’re up close and in on the action when you really aren’t.
Tips:
–The best views are from the 2^nd tier right at the rails. If you can get to this spot, stay there! It’s not as crowded and your view will be unobstructed since the only people in front of you are on a lower tier.
–Utilize Bart! The 19^th St station is a block away from the venue. Shows typically end at 11pm so you should not have any problem.
–Enjoy the local bars within walking distance BEFORE going in to the Fox. It’s cheaper and there’s a lot of different bars only steps away from the Fox.
–If you do get drinks, there are 3 bars immediately inside of the main floor. This makes it a lot easier should you decide to drink during the show.
–There’s a small lot ~2 blocks away. It’s around $ 10 but verrrry limited. There’s also a small lot with an attended on the next street over, and that’s somewhere between $ 15-​$ 20. Not sure if there’s any other lots, but there is street parking available (sometimes).
Decently priced tickets, beautiful venue, and the close proximity to Bart easily make this place my favorite place to see a concert. Be back soon, Fox Theater!

Came here for Tori Kelly and last year we came here for The Script. Both concerts were amazing, but the venue really added to it! The acoustics were great! (Unlike at SAP Center) Because Fox Theater is smaller and it’s tiered its much easier to see the stage. As a shorter person, I still feel like concerts should have height limits for the front half. but I doubt that’ll ever happen. For those of you that are 21+ there’s convenient bars at the entrance and the sides just past the Preferred Viewing section. Unlike places like the SAP Center and Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, it’s easy to enter and exit Fox Theater. It might just be because it’s a smaller facility. Or it could be because there are side exits. Overall Fox Theater is a great place to come to. I can’t say if the restrooms are good or bad, but I can recommend using one before getting here and waiting until after the concert to go again. Who wants to waste time waiting in line for the bathroom that may or may not be clean?

Glorious concert hall that’s at the center of a downtown renaissance in Oakland.
Inside, the venue is sized just right for acts as diverse as Keane, Vampire Weekend, Mayer Hawthorne, M83, Kraftwerk, and Diana Krall. Moreover, sightlines and acoustics are generally good no matter where you are in the hall, whether in assigned balcony seating or in the general-​admission pit in front of the stage. Lines and prices for drinks are reasonable and the people who work here are super friendly. Even the décor inside is super funky, right down to the faux Buddha-​like figures guarding the stage.
What’s more, you can enhance your experience, no matter what price or category your original ticket is, by buying an upgrade to the Telegraph Room, which offers a private bar, complimentary food, and, best of all, a private viewing area right in the heart of the theater where you won’t be obstructed by tall folks.
Outside, the Oakland neon sign is iconic, and all around the theater, a variety of happening bars and restaurants have popped up in the last decade or so, making the neighborhood a lively place no matter the time of day or day of week.
Overall, the Fox is an Oakland gem, and one of the best concert venues anywhere in the Bay Area at that.

The venue is really huge and has beautiful interior design. I’ve only been here twice for shows. Mostly stood in the front. Do show up early for a good spot otherwise you’re stuck in the back. They do sell drinks here so make sure you get a wrist band if you plan to drink and bring cash. It’s convenient to have someone go to the crowd and bring drinks while waiting for the show to start, but annoying to deal with when the show has started. Server tends to get in people’s way. Also, the servers won’t take your trash so you’d have to throw it on the floor which I find quite odd due to the nice look of the venue, but whatever that’s their issue. I definitely recommend others to come here to experience a show here. I will be back soon as another artist I like has a show here.

wow! what a beautiful venue. Went here for the Notes & Words benefit concert which included Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. I was hesitant that we would have a mediocre view since we had seats in the very top balcony; however, I was pleasantly surprised. The view was pretty good.
I don’t think there’s really a bad seat in the house. The arabesque design made you feel transported to another time and place. They sure don’t make venues like this anymore. Reminiscent of old-​school hollywood glamour when seeing a show was an event.
All of the ushers were polite and helpful.
Can’t wait to see another show here.

Great location with tons of street parking near by. They serve drinks to you on the floor as well. There are some balcony seats but I think those are always more expensive. The GA area is awesome for dancing and the bathrooms are easily accessible.

There are so many things I like about Fox Theater! The ability to find street parking or get to the theater by BART but the simplest among these. The fact that I felt like I was walking into a Buddhist temple in Thailand might’ve been my favorite. Seeing Father John Misty was the reason for our visit and I didn’t even mind the security pat down to get in (I’m in in Durham, NC anymore my friends!) You’ll immediately be impressed by the mosaic ceilings and hanging lanterns when you walk in, this screamed Moroccan designer to me. You’ll find standing only on the first floor, but if standing is not your thing, you have the ability to purchase seats on the second flood, which is what we choose to do (we were seated in the Mezz section and could see over the ground floor).
When you get into the main auditorium, I hope you’ll get the feel of walking into a temple-​esk area. Think Indian Jones if you’re a movie goer, but this place utilizes gold coloring, geometric elements on the ceiling and you won’t be able to miss the two enormous statue on either side of the stage (think Oscar meets Buddha). The second floor seats were comfortable and included cupholders. There was still a great view of the stage and the sounds was great, although sounds was also the only downside to the experience. They seem to be working out some kinks with the sound equipment, there were several times when there was feedback or interference with the sound, and my sister-​in-​law who attends concerts here regularly said that it’s a normal occurrence. But for me, not something that would keep me away.

I went to this venue for the first time tonight to see M83. The venue has very high, extraordinary ceilings. It’s an old-​fashioned building. This is a good place to catch a rock show, but it is a more expensive ticket. The 19^th Street BART station is across the street.

WOW! This place totally rocks! Well they had some serious help from String Cheese Incident on the night I was lucky enough to be here for the first time. It looks like your typical old school theater from the outside but once you step inside you will be blown away by the ornate décor that surrounds you everywhere you look. The floor is slightly terraced (4 total) with railings so even for standing room only events the view of the stag is quite good. There is also a huge balcony with seats but I didn’t get a chance to check that out.
Bars Bars Bars, lot’s of em everywhere you look. It was easy to get a drink without wandering too far from your spot during the show. What blew my mind was that they had a cocktail waitress that would roam the completely packed floor with a tray of cold beers and water that you could just buy off her right on the spot. All night long I would see a full tray of beers slowly make it out to the depths of the floor and then return empty. Her rounds eventually brought her to my section and I jumped on the convenient cold beer delivery!
The layout was such that it never really felt all that crowded even though it was a full house. The entry/​exit area is massive and can accommodate really large groups and keep the traffic flowing. Coat check upstairs was $ 3, handy as it was raining this night and we had wet coats to store. Bathrooms were large and clean and not to crowded, I don’t think I had to wait to do anything that night!
Oakland is not too close to me but String Cheese lured me out to this awesome venue and I had a great time. Probably wont be back soon but this place is highly recomended!

Literally, the most unforgiving management ever. They all need to be fired and replaced. i had a terrible experience after a minor miscommunication with a friend. They need some emotional iq lessons.

With time, I’ve found it more and more miserable to attend shows at this venue. Both the staff and the patrons often make your experience horrible. Some of the highlights from 5 different recent shows:
1. Entrance security was padding down my midsection to check for weapons. I laughed because I’m ticklish. Security started screaming, «Where are the weapons? You have weapons, don’t you?» at me. Other security guards stared on in horror and discomfort but didn’t say anything.
2. I asked security for permission if I could step outside for a second for a phone call. I then had to spend the next ten minutes begging to be allowed back in, even though I hadn’t left security’s sight, because apparently they have a no ins and outs policy that they hadn’t bothered to tell me about when I asked for permission.
3. My girlfriend went to the other side of the crowd to see her friends. 3 people groped her along the way.
4. The performer unplugged and asked for a quiet audience while singing his song. Audience started singing and cheering halfway through, ruining the song.
5. I started to open an unmarked door upstairs. I assumed the door was an alternate route to downstairs. Security started yelling that they would kick me out if I opened it, and refused to tell me why.
They do have good artists and alright sound, but I recommend avoiding this venue. There are way better East Bay venues, like the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse, where the staff and patrons treat you with decency.

What a cool venue! Can’t believe it’s taken me this long to check it out but alas I finally went. Last night I saw Madeon and had «floor» tickets. I love the street presence the venue has and think the inside also lives up to the out. The staff was friendly and quickly got us in and where we needed to be. I like that it was multi leveled so there were great vantage points all over, especially for us shorties ;)

Superbe salle de concert datant des années 30 à la programmation nombreuse et variée!

I am happy to be writing a review for one of the best venues of live music. I love The Fox. There is so much history… Oakland History that Fox holds. I remember driving by this theatre when I was little, but unfortunately never attended any shows… until recently. I am a fan of live music and intimate live music is even better. Fox holds the perfect size for a great show in an intimate setting. From the grand theatre to the old fashioned, the timeless décor perfectly defines what Oakland shows are all about.
I love the exterior lighting. The entrance has an old school vibe of a box office. There is lodge seating and two very large dancefloors. One that is closest to the stage and the one that is on the upper level (which gives you a elevated view of the stage). I love standing by the center railing on the upper dance floor. I find that the best spot to dance and it has amazing view of the stage. I was honored to attend a couple concerts at the Fox. Both have exceeded my expectations. The staff are very efficient in checking your ids, tickets. body searches what not. Their system makes any line go by extremely quick.
Pricing are usually by the artists, but most times I’ve paid no more than $ 60 for a great show. I wished more shows are held here because SF is definitely overrated. They need some culture and some real urban love from the Fox.

Beautiful theater. View to the stage was better than other theaters I’ve visited in the GA area. Stage is higher than others giving a wonderful view of the show. Decore is interesting. Restrooms are clean. Get there early for parking or you’ll be taken advantage by small parking areas raising their price!

Super disappointed in last night’s concert at the Fox Theater :(
Yes, the place is beautiful, but…
The seats are so ridiculously jammed in that my knees were pushed against the seat in front of me for the duration of the event — it sucked.
Hated the number of loud-​mouthed drunks carrying on shouting «conversations» during the entire performance. Fox management, can you monitor patrons behavior if you are going to push booze on ‘em?
Annoying, but not much can be done — people up and walking around during performance. Geez folks, can you sit down and watch the dang show you paid to see?
Sound — super loud to the point that Sturgill’s voice was muddled. Not sure where to direct that complaint — Fox sound system, the dude who runs the «board?»
The horribly cramped seats were the biggest negative for me — are they all like that or just in the cheap seats up top?
2.5 stars

KuntasGrooveSessions! Beautiful venue. atmosphere/​vibes were all around amazing definitely want to come back again soon for another show! Staff were friendly, not strict. I enjoyed myself!

I’ve been to the Fox Theater a few times over the years and always have a great experience. I love that all my favorite indie/​alternative/​punk/​whatever other counterculture bands always seem to stop there. The venue is beautiful, the interior décor is a gorgeous slice of yesteryear. The acoustics and sound system are on-​point. There’s a handy outdoor (but still enclosed, so not to freeze to death) smoking area just to the side of the main floor. I made use of the bar the for the first time last month and they poured some solid drinks; I asked him to pour it strong, he said «Pour it like you had a bad day?», I said «Pour it like you hate me». And so he did! Good on ya, barkeep.
I would definitely check out the Fox if you’ve never been, if just to see how lovely it is.

Beautiful theater, great customer service, very attentive staff, fabulous acoustics and overall the show was a great experience.
I went for the fist time on 10/​21/​2015 for the Marina and the Diamonds, Neon Nature Tour. We had VIP/​Reserve Room tickets (for an extra $ 50.00 on top of the floor price) and it was worth it.
VIP/​Reserve: Typically VIP opens an hour before the show starts but this time it was only 30 minutes and therefore we did not have time to enjoy any appetizers, alas it was still great. You do get your own bathroom (separate from general) and it was never crowded although there were only two stalls for both sexes. The bar never had a line and the ability to go back and run to the bathroom with ease (in the middle of a set) was divine.
There is a separate entrance that allows you in just before the general admission to the stage, which is pretty stellar. The VIP viewing area was nice and relaxing, having the ability to sit and see clearly is pretty cool. VIP also includes coat check, they will also give you a separate ticket if you go and buy merch for them to hold.
The overall show was fantastic, there wasn’t a bad seat in the house and the acoustics were on point, the décor was lovely and the building itself has oodles of history. I would definitely attend another show here without hesitation and the VIP upgrade was well worth it. Plus it’s right off bart and the show, with the encore, ends well before the last train.

This place is soooooo beautiful! If you ever have the chance to experience an event in here, take it! I had never went inside before till last night! I went and saw Marina and the Diamonds and had such a great time!!! Its so close to BART too which makes it even better.
Youre walking to the venue at night with the bright lights on which makes you feel so excited on the inside. You walk in and its so romantic and elegant. Theres a bar too. Make sure when you come, you take the time to really look around at the ceiling, the walls, and just take in the whole beauty of this classic place

My absolute favorite concert venue in the Bay Area. Beautiful inside and out, well designed for smaller and larger crowds alike, and sound that transports vocals and instruments of every kind of music well into every angle of the theatre.
The bar on the main floor is special — nice leather chairs and lounge sofas, a well stuffed bar, plus hot (fast) food options.
For parking I recommend using the nearby parking garage ($ 12 max).

The Fox Theater is absolutely beautiful, and I had a blast here this past weekend when I came to hear Tove Lo for her Queen of the Clouds concert tour. What I love about the theater is its gorgeous interior, which has statues and intricate designs framing the stage, cool window-​like inserts on the walls that make you feel like you are in a European village, and a beautiful design on the ceiling that dazzles with different colored light. The stage, too, is really wide and low to the ground so that people standing at the stage level feel like they are truly interacting with the artist playing on stage. I was impressed by how great of a view you can get of the stage from any spot you stand at in the theater, whether you are at the stage level or up at the balcony level, and I didn’t feel like I needed to get particularly close to the stage in order to see Tove Lo well and take great pictures of her.
The Fox Theater is probably one of my favorite concert venues, and while I pick my concerts based on the artist and not the venue, I would like to come back to this theater for other types of events, like plays, which I also greatly enjoy. As for Tove Lo herself, she was incredible, and I had an absolute blast that evening at her concert!

The Fox Theater is an absolutely gorgeous venue, a total classic. I’ve been lucky enough to see a few shows here (Foster the People and Metric), and the location only enhances the performances.
There are a wide variety of bars and restaurants in the area, making it easy to hang out before the show. The only thing I’m not a fan of is the fact that it isn’t a fantastic neighborhood in general. Some unfortunate soul had stuck two nails in my back tires while we were in the show, placed too deliberately to be just a coincidence :(
Minus that little headache, I do love the Fox Theater, and I can’t wait to go to another show (but get there in someone else’s car…).

The theater is in Oakland so you already know the area isn’t very nice. The surrounding streets are very sketchy at night. Once you get inside the theater, it’s very nice. Don’t get balcony seats if you want to be able to see the performers. The seating is the worst part about this theater. The seats are way too close to each other with no leg room whatsoever. In order for others to get in to their seats, the people in the rows need to physically get out of their seats. You can’t just move your legs to the side and let them through. The theater is very decorated, but they probably should have invested money into making the seats wider & with cup holders. This caused me to not want to order a drink for fear of having to hold it the entire time. The seats are definitely not friendly to those that are not a stick.
Pointless to have a designated seat since everyone was stealing other people’s seats. A lot of annoying drunks that weren’t regulated by anyone working there. The crowd was pretty sloppy & the staff didn’t do anything about it. Don’t expect to be sitting at any point during the performance as people don’t care if you can’t see & staff doesn’t do anything to mitigate that.
The concert also didn’t start on time. Not even with the opener. Could have showed up late & still caught everything. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t ever come to this place again.

I’ve been to the Fox probably 10 times now, and it never gets old. It’s such a beautiful and historic venue for seeing live shows. I live in SF, but since the venue is super close to the bart station, it’s easy for me to bart there after work to catch a concert. There are also cute cafes and bars right next door so great places to grab dinner, a snack, or a drink beforehand with friends.
If you like being in the action, you definitely want to make sure you buy floor tickets and not the assigned seats in the balcony. I’m more of a front-​row concert type of gal, so I only go to shows here if I can get the GA floor tickets.
I don’t think all shows are 21 and over either. If they aren’t, they just card at the door and give you a wrist band if you want to drink.

What’s NOT to love about this venue?! It’s fantastic!
I absolutely love the old-​school theater feel and the Middle Eastern influences! No matter what show I come for, I have a blast! I recommend it for everyone.
Check out their shows on their website! Oh, and my pics below! ;)
Shake your tail-​feather! =D

First time at the Fox which is unbelievable to me. The website for the place needs a revamp. The seating chart could be more detailed as well. The place itself is gorgeous, employees friendly, bars plentiful, acoustics above average and parking options were much better than SF (although I’m a get there early kind of guy). Eye popping art deco architecture while not quite on par with the Paramount, is still a must see. I will definitely watch the listings to see when my favorites play here but my experience for the incredible night with Jason Isbell was great.
See my review of the Telegraph Room as well.

You know how, half the time, the acts you’re stoked to see are booked in a venue that’s in a sketchy/​nasty block or undesireable part of town? Not the case here.
Situated in a nice little district called «Uptown», the Fox is proximal to restaurants, bars, as well as convenient to BART (one block away). Parking is a challenge but can be found.
Renovated several years ago, it’s akin to L.A.‘s Wiltern and S.F.‘s Warfield. Beautiful interior. Don’t forget to enjoy the glowing-​eyed Buddhas on the walls flanking either side of the stage.
Loge and Mezzanine seating are very comfortable and sport cup holders. Only possible drawbacks:
1) when sitting higher than Loge, production lighting might induce near-​epileptic seizures– or at least a headache. But that depends on the artist.
2) acoustics being a little distorted if it’s dance electronic stuff plus a lot of guitar, things might sound «off».
Good vantage points down on General Floor level. Overall this Fox Theatre is a mighty kool place to catch live music. Some day I’ll have to hit Pomona’s, to see how it compares.

This venue is legit (now); I remember the first show I ever went to here, Social Distortion, it was one of their opening night concerts and the sound was so horrible I couldn’t believe they would have opened their doors without some trial runs. Thankfully, the venue has come a long way since that concert all those years ago.
I’m a general admission kind of gal, so I’m usually on the floor and from the floor there is not a bad viewpoint to the stage where the glory happens. Bars are all around and accessible to all, you never have to go far to get re-​hydrated.
There are three tiers for the floor, two open general admission and one is reserved for signature visa card holders, this tier includes lounge seats and generally stays more open than the other two available to all ticketholders in GA.
The real stunning bonus is the venue itself. It is a gorgeous refurbished theater with ornate details all over the building and simply stunning.
Since my first experience the sound has been rectified and I’ve yet to have a bad show here since that blemish in my concert record.
The venue is easy to access from the freeway, generous parking on the street and in lots all around the location. There is a ton of good food in walking distance; seriously, this place is legit.

Magnificent acoustics and breathtaking architecture are what the Fox Theater is all about. Rarely do I venture into Oakland for anything, but when Damien Rice was on the bullitin for a live show I gassed up and crossed the bay.
Because I purchased my tickets last minute I was left with nose-​bleed seats. Literally the row behind me was at the wall! Even with being high in the sky, the sound in this music hall is MAGNIFICENT! In my opinion I would say sit upstairs in the balcony. Here is where you will experience the best sound and views of the impressive craftsmanship in the architecture. Though built in the 1920’s the prominent theme reminds me of a temple in India. Trust me, any place that has a designation on the National Register for Historic Places is worthy of your time.
As a concert hall there are plenty of seats for everyone to enjoy the show. 2,800 in fact, spread over 4 levels. I could only imagine watching a film here in the old days, getting dressed to the 9’s. ‘Just mahvelous dahling!’ What would the next Star Wars look like here on the big screen? More importantly what would it sound like? Epic!
There is a small, as is enough for 50 cars, parking lot just around the corner. Otherwise you may find a spot on one of the side streets. There are several restaurants and bars nearby to enjoy pre or post show. Bart is also nearby, so pic a show and get going! I definitely want to return for another.