Fox Theater (Oakland, CA) Concert Venue

The Fox Theater, located in downtown Oakland, California has had a tumultuous and glamorous past. Featuring 2,800 seats, the “Fox” originally opened as the West Coast Oakland in 1928. The theater was originally going to be called “The Baghdad” because of the Middle Eastern flare reflected in its architecture.

In 1929, William Fox bought the West Coast Theaters chain, merged it with the Fox Theaters chain and renamed it the Fox Oakland Theater. The newly named Fox opened with the film The Air Circus.

Confronted by the popularity of television and a barrage of new multiplex theaters, the Fox slipped into decline and stopped showing first-run movies in 1962. It tried to resurrect itself with a brief flirtation with soft-core porn, but finally closed its doors in 1970; The Beatles’ Let It Be was its final film.

Following several arson fires, vandalism, and widespread dilapidation, the Fox was slated to be converted into a mall or a parking lot around 1975. Just three years later, the Fox was snatched from the jaws of fate when it was made an Oakland City Landmark. Finally in 1996 the City of Oakland purchased the theater for a cool $3 million and began a serious renovation.

In February 2009, after 40 years of neglect, the Fox made an incredible comeback and now serves as a charter school for the arts and a restaurant (The Den). Popular live music at the Fox Theater have included big-wig left-of-center acts like Bob Dylan, Animal Collective, Fiona Apple, Beirut, and Green Day, among many others. The theater features orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony sections and offers three seating configurations: general admission, reserved seating, and cabaret seating.