Planning a conference in Oakland
Everything an organizer needs before committing a date in Oakland, California — 58 mapped venues, capacity where it is published, airport distance and local time.
Oakland Coliseum & Oracle Arena Parking Lots (A, F, D, H) states a capacity of 63,122. The dots show what event67 would bill at that head count, and where the price stops.
Oakland venue landscape
Oakland has a recorded population of 443,554 (2024), inside the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area of about 4.6 million people.
Counted by what they are for, that is 1 exhibition or convention hall, 2 dedicated conference and function spaces, 13 arenas and stadiums, 8 theatres and concert halls and 34 independent event spaces.
That is roughly 13 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 34 event spaces, 11 arenas, 3 theatres and 3 performing-arts centres, plus a longer tail below.
Exhibition and convention halls (1)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Convention Center | convention centre | 575 | 0.4 km (0.2 mi) |
Conference and function space (2)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starline Ballroom | banquet hall | 400 | 0.9 km (0.6 mi) |
| California Ballroom | banquet hall | not published | 0.4 km (0.2 mi) |
Arenas and stadiums (13)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Coliseum & Oracle Arena Parking Lots (A, F, D, H) | arena | 63,122 | 8.5 km (5.3 mi) |
| Oakland Ballpark | stadium | 34,000 | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| Oakland Arena | arena | 19,596 | 8.5 km (5.3 mi) |
| Laney College Football Stadium | stadium | 5,500 | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| Henry J. Kaiser Center Arena | arena | 2,000 | 1.2 km (0.7 mi) |
| Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | arena | not published | 8.5 km (5.3 mi) |
| Days Hotel by Wyndham Oakland Airport-Coliseum | arena | not published | 9.5 km (5.9 mi) |
| Rodeway Inn & Suites Near the Coliseum & Arena 2 | arena | not published | 6.5 km (4 mi) |
| West Wind Coliseum Swap Meet | arena | not published | 7.1 km (4.4 mi) |
| Coliseum BART | arena | not published | 8.6 km (5.3 mi) |
| Coliseum College Prep Academy | arena | not published | 8.4 km (5.2 mi) |
| Coliseum Center | arena | not published | 9.3 km (5.8 mi) |
| Coliseum Connections Apartments | arena | not published | 8.5 km (5.3 mi) |
Theatres and concert halls (8)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paramount Theater | theatre | 3,040 | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) |
| Fox Oakland Theater | theatre | 2,800 | 0.4 km (0.2 mi) |
| Calvin Simmons Theater | theatre | 1,500 | 1.1 km (0.7 mi) |
| Fox Oakland Theatre | concert hall | not published | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) |
| Paramount Theatre | concert hall | not published | 0.7 km (0.4 mi) |
| Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts | performing-arts centre | not published | 1.1 km (0.7 mi) |
| Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts | performing-arts centre | not published | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) |
| The Crucible | performing-arts centre | not published | 1.7 km (1.1 mi) |
Independent event spaces (34)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Lake Theatre | event space | not published | 2.2 km (1.4 mi) |
| Piedmont Theatre | event space | not published | 3.1 km (1.9 mi) |
| Alameda Theatre | event space | not published | 5.1 km (3.2 mi) |
| Alameda Veterans' Memorial Building | event space | not published | 4.8 km (3 mi) |
| Ladies' Relief Society Children's Home | event space | not published | 3.4 km (2.1 mi) |
| Civic Center Parking Garage | event space | 352 | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
| Yoshi's | event space | 310 | 1.1 km (0.7 mi) |
| Chapel of the Flowers | event space | not published | 5.5 km (3.4 mi) |
| Orinda Masonic Center | event space | not published | 12 km (7.1 mi) |
| The Bridge Yard | event space | not published | 4.4 km (2.7 mi) |
| Nomadic Bookshop | event space | not published | 1 km (0.6 mi) |
| The Alice Collective | event space | not published | 0.4 km (0.2 mi) |
| The Continental Club | event space | not published | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) |
| Women's Athletic Club of Alameda County | event space | not published | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| Civic Center Annex Oakland Post Office | event space | not published | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) |
| Scottish Rite Center | event space | not published | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) |
| Orinda Civic Center | event space | not published | 11 km (7.1 mi) |
| Piedmont Veterans' Memorial Building | event space | not published | 4 km (2.5 mi) |
| Sudo Room | event space | not published | 3.4 km (2.1 mi) |
| Oakland Community Hub | event space | not published | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) |
| Qilombo | event space | not published | 1.1 km (0.7 mi) |
| Civic Center Lodge | event space | not published | 1.1 km (0.7 mi) |
| Colombo Hall | event space | not published | 4.1 km (2.5 mi) |
| Lake Temescal Beach House | event space | not published | 6 km (3.7 mi) |
| Liberty Hall | event space | not published | 2.1 km (1.3 mi) |
| Masonic Temple and Lodge | event space | not published | 5.2 km (3.2 mi) |
| The Jabberwock | event space | not published | 6 km (3.7 mi) |
| The Overlook | event space | not published | 0.7 km (0.4 mi) |
| Bloc15 | event space | not published | 1.1 km (0.7 mi) |
| Brix 581 | event space | not published | 0.9 km (0.6 mi) |
| Chalaca Annexo | event space | not published | 0.9 km (0.6 mi) |
| Lake Merritt Sailboat House | event space | not published | 1.1 km (0.7 mi) |
| Piedmont Memorial Hall | event space | not published | 4.1 km (2.5 mi) |
| The Terrace Room | event space | not published | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) |
Every venue mapped in Oakland 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.
Convention and exhibition space
One venue in Oakland is classified as exhibition or convention space.
- Oakland Convention Center575 seats
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.
Arrival logistics
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is 23 km (14 mi) out — a normal airport transfer, worth an hour in the run of show on the first morning.
Local time is Los Angeles time (America/Los_Angeles) — set every session time in the app to that zone and let attendees' phones do the conversion.
Alameda, Berkeley and San Leandro are close enough to draw from for a day rate, and to fall back on if Oakland has nothing free on your dates.
- Nearest major airport
- SFO
- San Francisco International Airport, 23 km (14 mi)
- Local time
- UTC−7
- America/Los_Angeles, in September
- City population, 2024
- 443,554
- 4.6 million across the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area
Shows that return every year
Recurring shows on the Oakland calendar include Art and Soul Oakland. Check your dates against them: hotel rates and venue availability both move.
- Art and Soul Oaklandmusic festival, since 2001
Recorded in Wikidata, which covers event series with an encyclopaedia entry. It is a floor rather than a full calendar for Oakland, and it is not a listing service — check dates with the organiser.
What to check before you commit
The city is smaller than the market
443,554 people live in Oakland 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.
Choice is not the constraint here
With 58 venues mapped, availability rarely fails. What fails is comparison: shortlist on capacity and distance from the airport first, and only then start touring.
What event67 costs for a Oakland event
Take 950 people through the door in Oakland — sized to Oakland Coliseum & Oracle Arena Parking Lots (A, F, D, H), the largest stated capacity in the Oakland 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 Oakland does not change this figure. Nothing is charged for an attendee who registers and never opens the app.
By event type
With a stated ceiling of 63,122 seats, Oakland can carry a full trade show or a multi-track annual meeting without splitting the audience across buildings.
- trade shows and exhibitions
1 exhibition or convention hall means a booth plan is possible in Oakland without renting a marquee.
- multi-track conferences
A 63,122-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 Oakland is set up for.
- festivals
An arena or stadium floor at 63,122 takes an audience no conference venue in Oakland can.
- sports tournaments
The same rooms already run fixtures, so load-in and crowd flow are solved.
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
What does an event app cost for a 950-person event in Oakland?
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 Oakland?
Of the 58 venues mapped in Oakland, the largest stated capacity belongs to Oakland Coliseum & Oracle Arena Parking Lots (A, F, D, H) at 63,122. 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.
Does Oakland have a convention centre?
Yes — 1 venue is classified as exhibition or convention space in Oakland, including Oakland Convention Center. Exhibition halls are booked by floor area rather than by seat, so ask for the hall sheet with column spacing and load-in access rather than a capacity number.
Which airport do attendees fly into for Oakland?
San Francisco International Airport (SFO), about 23 km (14 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 Oakland 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 Oakland?
Recurring shows recorded for Oakland include Art and Soul Oakland. 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 Berkeley
33 venues mapped
- Holding an event in San Leandro
2 venues mapped
- Holding an event in San Francisco
161 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Richmond
6 venues mapped
Up a level
Running something in Oakland?
Set the schedule, invite the room and watch who actually turns up. Free for your first 50 activated attendees, on one live event.