Get in for less
The rooms worth knowing
Great American Music Hall
San Francisco · gamh.com
The most beautiful room in SF music — an ornate 1907 hall with balconies and frescoes, hosting everyone from indie bands to jazz legends.
The Independent
San Francisco · theindependentsf.com
Divisadero's essential standing-room club — 500 capacity, impeccable booking, the room where big acts play small.
Bottom of the Hill
San Francisco · bottomofthehill.com
Potrero Hill's beloved punk and indie institution — cheap covers, backyard patio, and thirty years of first-shows-before-they-were-famous.
Bimbo's 365 Club
San Francisco · bimbos365club.com
Café du Nord
San Francisco · cafedunord.com
The basement club under the Swedish American Hall on Market — velvet, low ceilings, and great small shows.
The Chapel
San Francisco · thechapelsf.com
A 1914 former mortuary chapel in the Mission reborn as one of the city's best mid-size rooms — high arched ceilings, warm sound.
The UC Theatre
Downtown Berkeley · theuctheatre.org
The UC Theatre Taube Family Music Hall is a 1,400-capacity live music venue on University Avenue in downtown Berkeley. Reopened in 2016 as a nonprofit after a major renovation, it has become one of the East Bay's most active concert halls.
The Midway
San Francisco · themidwaysf.com
La Peña Cultural Center
Berkeley · lapena.org
Rhythmix Cultural Works
Alameda · rhythmix.org
Alameda's island arts hub — world music, dance, and family performances.
Sydney Goldstein Theater
San Francisco · cityarts.net/theater
The home of City Arts & Lectures — writers, thinkers, and performers in conversation in a restored 1,600-seat hall on Van Ness.
Grace Cathedral
San Francisco · gracecathedral.org
Concerts under the Gothic arches of Nob Hill's cathedral — choral music, organ recitals, and one-off performances with unreal acoustics.
The Plough and the Stars
San Francisco · the-plough-and-the-stars.menu-world.com
Oakland Asian Cultural Center
Oakland · oacc.cc
Oakland Chinatown's performing arts center — pan-Asian music, dance, and community programming.
Angelicas
Redwood City · angelicasllc.com
A Redwood City supper club — dinner tables up front, live jazz, tribute, and comedy on stage.
Calvary Presbyterian Church
San Francisco · calvarypresbyterian.org
A Pacific Heights sanctuary that doubles as a chamber-music and choral concert hall.
The Fillmore
San Francisco · thefillmore.com
The most storied rock room in America — Bill Graham's psychedelic-era ballroom, still hosting the acts everyone wants to see close-up.
Frequently asked
What are the live music venues in San Francisco?
SF live music venues in this guide: San Francisco Symphony, SFJAZZ, Great American Music Hall, The Independent, Bottom of the Hill, Bimbo's 365 Club, Café du Nord, The Chapel, The UC Theatre, The Midway, La Peña Cultural Center, Zellerbach Hall, Rhythmix Cultural Works, Sydney Goldstein Theater, Grace Cathedral, The Plough and the Stars, Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Angelicas, Calvary Presbyterian Church, The Fillmore.
How do I get discount tickets to SF live music shows?
RushTix tracks the venues' own discount programs — rush tickets, standing room, lotteries, free series — and emails members the skinny. Sign up free at rushtix.com — pick SF Bay Area and you'll hear when there's a way in for less at live music shows.
Big live music nights. Tiny prices.
Free to join. Roscoe, your cultural concierge, emails you when there's a way in for less at the venues above.