The Greek Theatre

Address:	2001 Gayley Rd, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
Phone:	+1 510-548-3010
Site:	thegreekberkeley.com
Rating:	4.6

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 11

Tracy Hoss

The Greek is a beautiful, amazing outdoor theatre. With that said, it is extremely old. The bathroom situation is horrible. The real bathrooms have a huge line at all times during a concert so the wait times are almost 30 mins. You do have another option of port-a-pottys but its way at the top of the venue which is a very rigorous hike to the top with many stairs. I am middle aged & not used to hiking for 15 min to a bathroom. Also, I thought some of the Bay Area people we encountered were extremely selfish. Our seats were along the edge of the floor & people would come & stand right in front of us & blocked our view. Several times we ask nicely if they could please move along but, they ignored us so they could enjoy the concert instead of us. The staff people would continually come around to get people out of this lane that needs to be open but they would still come back after they were told not to stand in front of people. I live in Lake Tahoe & when I go to shows there you can always tell the difference from the mellow fun people that live in Tahoe & the selfish, rude people from the Bay Area. The food at the Greek is absolutely horrible. I saw people entering with pizza. Bring your own food & dont sit in the side seats on the main aisle. Oh and dont pee!! Haha haaaa

Ian Dickinson

History? Check. Accessibility? Check. Overpriced beer? Check. Nestled in the far corner of the UC Berkeley Campus, you too can visit William Randolph Hearsts gift of greekness to Berkeley. Should you take BART, youll dodge through the myriad of weirdos (are those homeless people? No, just Berkeley residents) to find a venue crammed to the gills with students. Make sure you bring warm clothing because the characteristic Berkeley chill is in full effect, and always go to the beer tent on the upper level, never the lower (unless you really enjoy waiting in line). It wont be the loudest concert youll attend, since they have to keep it quiet for the neighbors, nor the latest, since they have an agreement to be done by 11:00 pm every night, but hey, youre sitting on a piece of history, and if there is one thing the Greeks knew how to do right, it was build theaters. So go enjoy your show... just dont expect an incredible jaw dropping venue. Because its merely okay.

Nalani N

Somehow Ive missed seeing a concert at The Greek Theatre even though I was born and raised in the Bay Area. Im getting old(er)... and I know this because I kept thinking I should have popped for the premium folding chair seating through the whole Sarah McLaughlin concert. The concert was amazing, so beautiful. The amphitheater seating is concrete, with no backs. I had a hard time sitting on the concrete for hours without a back. Bring cushions, bring blankets... bring a stadium seat. You can also bring your own picnic too. This is a beautiful place to see a concert... youre outdoors, its a semi-intimate concert setting (its not The Utah, its also not HP Pavilion). Just be sure to come prepared :)

Zed star

I had first heard about this music venue when Neil Diamonds Hot August Night album came out in the early 70s.I never really thought I would see the place while living in Australia nearly all my life.My wife and I wanted to see Gary Clark Jr and he was performing here in November.We lived in San Diego now so it wasnt such a big trip.The venue is very interesting but it was absolutely freezing by the time the sun went down...and we thought we were rugged up enough.The amenities were very out of date and the buildings looked dilapidated.The venue is not up to the standards people expect these days given the high cost of tickets,food,drinks,etc.I doubt if we will come here again.

David Liang

Came here for The XX. Doors opened 6pm for a 7pm show, so we arrived at the main gate (where Will Call is) around 4:30pm. We found out the other gate next to Bowles Hall was less than half as long, and the merch store was open, so we switched to that gate around 5pm and only had about 30 people in front of us. We ended up getting 3rd row from the barricade, but I moved up to 2nd row by the time The XX started playing. Overall layout of the Greek is very nice, with plenty of seating in the back. However, the stage is pretty high, so I couldnt get a great view of the lasers. Still, being only a couple feet from The XX more than compensated.

Hayley Carlson

I really did not like this venue. I am new to the bay area and did not realize what I was in for attending a concert here. First, it is located on Cal Berkeley campus so parking sucks and is expensive. Food and drink choices were horrible. There are not actual seats so youre smashed in on what is basically large concrete stairs. People are constantly spilling their drinks/beer which will be soaking your butt if they are behind you. Sitting there was very uncomfortable and definitely not worth the price we paid for the tickets. I will never come back. I have the two stars because it is an amphitheater so the sound quality was decent.

Janice Albert

Nice venue but some problems. I attended a concert at this theatre in August 2017. The performance was great but people kept blocking our view and talking during the performance because they arrived very late or wanted to buy refreshments during the performance. There were no ushers to ask people to wait until a break in the performance before asking others to move. Also, the less expensive benches are extremely narrow and the space is crammed. There is a no smoking policy but does this apply to marijuana? People kept blowing smoke in our faces.

Don V

The best ambience of any concert venue in the bay area. I always love having a chance to watch a show here. Its open and outdoors, and the music sounds great while having the stars above you. Parking can be a pain, I would park a bit further away from the theatre and walk through campus, so you dont have to deal with trying to get out. Try to arrive early if you want a good spot like the "throne seats". If you like standing, then you can arrive later, since you can always squeeze your way in.

Jennifer Tokarski

I have seen a number of concerts here and I am never disappointed. Recently I went to the Chris Stapleton concert, and yet again I had a fantastic time. Parking can be tricky but there are plenty of lots close by if you are willing to pay. They sell beer and wine inside and have a good selection of food items. I like that you can choose a closer spot and stand or there are plenty of options up higher to sit. I will continue to look for concerts to attend at this venue.

Vincent Fazzi

Twenty One Pilots concert. Long line in the hot sun, waiting two hours to get a good seat with a great view in the amphitheater. The wait was not that bad and pretty typical. Lazy line cutters, especially those coming out of the parking lot (yeah you dude with your son), were annoying. The amphitheater offers great views all around but it is hard on your rear end while you wait for the concert to begin. Also the people seated next to us were friendly so that helps.

Ismael Castillo

This outdoor theater beats Shoreline Amphitheater by a long shot. Great view of the performances even from the lawn section of the venue. Dont forget to bring a small backpacket/small blanket. Take time to prepare a twenty minute walk from the BART Station. Always head for the South Gate if you are picking up for Will Call tickets. Probably eat something before the show----very expensive food and drinks. Plenty of food stops before entering UC Berkeley Campus.