Berkeley’s Greek Theatre is less than a 30-minute BART ride from San Francisco, presenting major musical acts every single year. The storied outdoor venue has remained largely unchanged since it was built in 1903, lending a compelling timelessness to today’s modern concert experience.
We decided to dig a little deeper into the history of this overlooked Bay Area concert venue, from its fascinating origins to present-day events and activities.
History of the Greek Theatre
The University of California was founded in 1868, but many of its most iconic campus buildings didn’t come together until the early 1900s, when architect John Galen Howard led the construction of nearly 20 classical Greco-Roman buildings. The William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre was one such structure, modeled after ancient amphitheaters from Epidaurus, Greece, and Pompeii, Italy.
In May of 1903, the theater wasn’t quite finished, but the university held its graduation ceremony there anyway, and President Theodore Roosevelt dropped in to give a commencement speech. Wrote the San Francisco Chronicle,
In a great walled amphitheater such as has scarcely existed in the world since the memory days of Greece, one whose only roof was a perfect sky, azureous as that above Athens, President Roosevelt delivered the most striking and interesting address of his series of speeches in California.”
Other momentous speakers and performers at the Greek Theatre include President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, opera singer Luciano Pavarotti in 1978, and the 14th Dalai Lama in 2009.
Attending a concert at the Greek Theatre
Despite being a sizable venue with a capacity of 8,500 seats, The Greek’s amphitheater format manages to make even a packed show feel more intimate. It’s hard not to love the juxtaposition of classical columns and detailing against the backdrop of a modern concert.
The venue is owned and operated by UC Berkeley, with concert promoter Another Planet Entertainment managing entertainment and concerts there. Since the Greek began hosting concerts in 1957, big-name performers have included Bob Dylan, The Talking Heads, The Grateful Dead, Elvis Costello, John Legend, Genesis, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Radiohead, Mumford & Sons, James Taylor, Adele, and so many more.
In 2025, some upcoming concerts include Counting Crows in August, Teddy Swims and Mac DeMarco in September, Morrissey and Parcels in October, and Lorde in October.
📍 Location: 2700 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
🌐 Website, concert lineup, and tickets: The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley
