Where to hold a conference in Berkeley
This guide covers 33 mapped venues in Berkeley, California, what each one holds, and how attendees get to them. California Memorial Stadium is the largest room on record at 62,467 seats.
California Memorial Stadium states a capacity of 62,467. The dots show what event67 would bill at that head count, and where the price stops.
Where Berkeley holds a crowd
Berkeley has a recorded population of 121,749 (2024), inside the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area of about 4.6 million people.
Across the city the dataset records 2 dedicated conference and function spaces, 2 arenas and stadiums, 14 theatres and concert halls and 15 independent event spaces.
That is roughly 27 venues per hundred thousand residents, which is a dense field for a city this size — you will usually have a second choice at the same capacity.
By type that is 15 event spaces, 11 theatres, 2 stadiums and 2 performing-arts centres, plus a longer tail below.
Conference and function space (2)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley Conference Center | conference centre | not published | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) |
| Conference Center | conference centre | not published | 3.1 km (1.9 mi) |
Arenas and stadiums (2)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Memorial Stadium | stadium | 62,467 | 1.9 km (1.2 mi) |
| Edwards Stadium | stadium | not published | 0.7 km (0.4 mi) |
Theatres and concert halls (14)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre | theatre | 8,500 | 1.6 km (1 mi) |
| Zellerbach Hall | performing-arts centre | 1,984 | 1.1 km (0.7 mi) |
| The UC Theatre | theatre | 1,400 | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) |
| Freight & Salvage | theatre | 490 | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| Berkeley Repertory Theatre | theatre | not published | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| Hillside Club | theatre | not published | 1.1 km (0.7 mi) |
| Berkeley Community Theater | theatre | not published | 0.4 km (0.2 mi) |
| Ashkenaz | performing-arts centre | not published | 2.2 km (1.4 mi) |
| Zellerbach Playhouse | theatre | 500 | 1 km (0.6 mi) |
| Townsend Amphitheater | concert hall | 200 | 2.9 km (1.8 mi) |
| Ashkenaz Music & Dance | theatre | not published | 2.2 km (1.4 mi) |
| Maybeck Studio | theatre | not published | 1.4 km (0.9 mi) |
| Berkeley Piano Club | theatre | not published | 1.8 km (1.1 mi) |
| Helen and Thomas Wu Performance Hall | theatre | not published | 1.4 km (0.9 mi) |
Independent event spaces (15)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roda Theatre | event space | 558 | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| 924 Gilman Street | event space | not published | 2.5 km (1.6 mi) |
| Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive | event space | not published | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Building | event space | not published | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| Faculty Club | event space | not published | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| Lighthaven | event space | not published | 1.7 km (1.1 mi) |
| The Freight and Salvage | event space | not published | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| Brazilian Room | event space | not published | 3.5 km (2.2 mi) |
| Veterans Memorial Building | event space | not published | 3.1 km (1.9 mi) |
| Berkeley Square | event space | not published | 1.2 km (0.7 mi) |
| Cerrito Theater | event space | not published | 4.3 km (2.7 mi) |
| Cornerstone Craft Beer & Live Music | event space | not published | 0.7 km (0.4 mi) |
| Keystone | event space | not published | 0.4 km (0.2 mi) |
| Masonic Temple | event space | not published | 0.7 km (0.4 mi) |
| Maybeck Recital Hall | event space | not published | 1.4 km (0.9 mi) |
Every venue mapped in Berkeley appears above. The ones with enough published detail to be worth reading have their own guide and are linked; the rest are named here, which is honest about what the record holds without giving each of them a page made of three facts.
Where the largest programmes go
Nothing in Berkeley is classified as a convention or exhibition centre, so the largest rooms here are arenas, theatres and function spaces. The ceiling is 62,467 seats, at California Memorial Stadium.
Capacities are the figure the venue or an encyclopaedia entry published. They are usually the seated maximum, and the same room in banquet or reception layout can differ by half. Confirm the layout you want before you plan around a number.
Travel, time zone and arrival
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is 30 km (19 mi) out — a normal airport transfer, worth an hour in the run of show on the first morning.
Berkeley keeps Los Angeles time (America/Los_Angeles), which matters most for the remote speakers you are dialling in.
At about 11,671 residents per square mile the city is compact enough that a venue and its hotel block are usually walkable, which removes a shuttle line from your budget.
Oakland, Richmond and Alameda are close enough to draw from for a day rate, and to fall back on if Berkeley has nothing free on your dates.
- Nearest major airport
- SFO
- San Francisco International Airport, 30 km (19 mi)
- Local time
- UTC−7
- America/Los_Angeles, in September
- City population, 2024
- 121,749
- 4.6 million across the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area
Who else books Berkeley
Berkeley already carries Berkeley Folk Music Festival or XIII International Congress of Genetics on a recurring basis, which tells you the city can absorb an event of that shape.
- Berkeley Folk Music Festivalmusic festival, since 1958
- XIII International Congress of Geneticsacademic conference
Recorded in Wikidata, which covers event series with an encyclopaedia entry. It is a floor rather than a full calendar for Berkeley, and it is not a listing service — check dates with the organiser.
Worth knowing before you sign
No exhibition hall on record
Nothing in the Berkeley dataset is classified as a convention or exhibition centre, so a trade floor needs either an arena floor, a fairground, or a nearby city. Check the arena listings above before you promise exhibitors a booth plan.
The city is smaller than the market
121,749 people live in Berkeley itself, but about 4.6 million live in the wider San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA. Your local audience is far bigger than the city line suggests, and so is the commute your day-rate attendees will make.
A worked example, sized to Berkeley
Take 950 people through the door in Berkeley — sized to California Memorial Stadium, the largest stated capacity in the Berkeley dataset. The first 50 activated attendees are free on every event, so only the rest are billed, and the total stops moving at 1,000 however many more turn up.
- activated attendees
- 950activated attendees
- billable, after the first 50 are free
- 900billable, after the first 50 are free
- for the whole event, at $5 each
- $4,500for the whole event, at $5 each
You are billed for people, not for the venue, so the room you choose in Berkeley does not change this figure. Nothing is charged for an attendee who registers and never opens the app.
Which kind of event this suits
With a stated ceiling of 62,467 seats, Berkeley can carry a full trade show or a multi-track annual meeting without splitting the audience across buildings.
- multi-track conferences
A 62,467-seat room carries a plenary with breakouts running alongside it.
- association annual meetings
An association meeting needs one big room, several small ones and a hotel block, which is the combination Berkeley is set up for.
- festivals
An arena or stadium floor at 62,467 takes an audience no conference venue in Berkeley can.
- sports tournaments
The same rooms already run fixtures, so load-in and crowd flow are solved.
- award ceremonies
14 fixed-seat houses give you a stage, lighting and sightlines without building any of it.
Where this data comes from
- GeoNames, CC BY 4.0
- US Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 estimates
- Wikidata, CC0
- Geographic data © GeoNames, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Venue data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License.
- US population figures are US Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.
- Retrieved 3 September 2026. event67 has no commercial relationship with any venue listed.
Last updated
What it costs
- Free up to 50
- activated attendees, on one live event
- $5
- per activated attendee beyond 50
- $4,750
- the most one event can ever cost, whatever happens past 1,000
Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
Questions people actually ask
Price a Berkeley event at 950 attendees — what is the total?
950 activated attendees means 900 billable after the free 50, so $4,500 for the event. The price is $5 per activated attendee beyond the first 50, and the total for one event stops at $4,750 however many more attend. Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
What is the largest venue in Berkeley?
Of the 33 venues mapped in Berkeley, the largest stated capacity belongs to California Memorial Stadium at 62,467. Capacities in open data are the figure the venue itself published, and they are the seated number rather than a standing or exhibition figure, so confirm the layout you actually want before you plan around it.
Can you run a trade show in Berkeley?
Nothing in the Berkeley dataset is classified as a convention or exhibition centre. A trade floor here means an arena floor, a fairground or a venue in a nearby city such as Oakland. For a conference without an exhibition, the 33 venues on this page are the field.
Which airport do attendees fly into for Berkeley?
San Francisco International Airport (SFO), about 30 km (19 mi) from the city. It is the highest-traffic airport within reach in this dataset. Local time is America/Los_Angeles; publish every session in that zone and let attendees' phones convert it.
Is there a free tier for a small Berkeley event?
One live event with up to 50 activated attendees costs nothing. Beyond that it is $5 per activated attendee beyond the first 50, and the total for one event stops at $4,750 however many more attend. Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
What events already happen in Berkeley?
Recurring shows recorded for Berkeley include Berkeley Folk Music Festival and XIII International Congress of Genetics. This list comes from Wikidata and covers series with an encyclopaedia entry, so it is a floor rather than a full calendar. Check your dates against it: hotel rates and venue availability both move around a returning show.
Keep reading
Nearby cities
- Holding an event in Oakland
58 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Richmond
6 venues mapped
- Holding an event in San Francisco
161 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Walnut Creek
3 venues mapped
- Holding an event in San Leandro
2 venues mapped
Up a level
Running something in Berkeley?
Set the schedule, invite the room and watch who actually turns up. Free for your first 50 activated attendees, on one live event.