Booking a conference venue in San Diego
This guide covers 70 mapped venues in San Diego, California, what each one holds, and how attendees get to them. Petco Park is the largest room on record at 42,302 seats.
Petco Park states a capacity of 42,302. The dots show what event67 would bill at that head count, and where the price stops.
San Diego venue landscape
San Diego has a recorded population of 1,404,452 (2024), inside the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA area of about 3.3 million people.
Across the city the dataset records 3 exhibition or convention halls, 9 dedicated conference and function spaces, 14 arenas and stadiums, 20 theatres and concert halls and 24 independent event spaces.
By type that is 24 event spaces, 12 theatres, 10 stadiums and 5 concert halls, plus a longer tail below.
Exhibition and convention halls (3)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Convention Center | convention centre | not published | 1.1 km (0.7 mi) |
| Convention Center / 5th Avenue Ferry Landing | convention centre | not published | 1.2 km (0.7 mi) |
| Exhibit Hall | exhibition centre | not published | 2.1 km (1.3 mi) |
Conference and function space (9)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days Inn by Wyndham | hotel with function space | not published | 0.9 km (0.6 mi) |
| Comfort Inn Gaslamp Convention Center | hotel with function space | not published | 0.7 km (0.4 mi) |
| Courtyard by Marriott | hotel with function space | not published | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) |
| Liberty Station Conference Center | conference centre | not published | 5.1 km (3.2 mi) |
| Marina Village Conference Center | conference centre | not published | 8.3 km (5.2 mi) |
| Marriott Hall | hotel with function space | not published | 0.7 km (0.4 mi) |
| Copley International Conference Center | conference centre | not published | 20 km (12 mi) |
| Fermanian Conference Center | conference centre | not published | 8 km (5 mi) |
| Manchester Conference Center | conference centre | not published | 6.6 km (4.1 mi) |
Arenas and stadiums (14)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petco Park | stadium | 42,302 | 1.2 km (0.7 mi) |
| SDHS Balboa Stadium | stadium | 15,000 | 1.4 km (0.9 mi) |
| Viejas Arena | arena | 12,414 | 11 km (6.6 mi) |
| Pechanga Arena | arena | 12,000 | 6.3 km (3.9 mi) |
| Torero Stadium | stadium | 6,000 | 6.6 km (4.1 mi) |
| Jenny Craig Pavilion | arena | 5,100 | 6.8 km (4.2 mi) |
| Peterson Gym | arena | 3,668 | 11 km (6.5 mi) |
| Snapdragon Stadium | stadium | not published | 8.6 km (5.3 mi) |
| Starlight Bowl | stadium | not published | 1.6 km (1 mi) |
| Aztec Bowl | stadium | not published | 11 km (6.8 mi) |
| Canyonview Aquatic Center | stadium | not published | 19 km (12 mi) |
| SDSU Sports Deck | stadium | not published | 10 km (6.5 mi) |
| Triton Ballpark | stadium | not published | 19 km (12 mi) |
| San Diego Velodrome | stadium | not published | 3.2 km (2 mi) |
Theatres and concert halls (20)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park | concert hall | 10,000 | 1.2 km (0.7 mi) |
| San Diego Civic Theatre | theatre | 2,967 | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| Copley Symphony Hall | concert hall | 2,248 | 0.7 km (0.4 mi) |
| Balboa Theatre | theatre | 1,339 | 0.4 km (0.2 mi) |
| Old Globe Theater | theatre | 580 | 2.2 km (1.4 mi) |
| Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre | theatre | 450 | 19 km (12 mi) |
| Spreckels Theater | theatre | not published | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| The Old Globe | performing-arts centre | not published | 2.2 km (1.4 mi) |
| Lowell Davies Festival Theatre | theatre | 620 | 2.2 km (1.4 mi) |
| Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre | theatre | 250 | 2.2 km (1.4 mi) |
| Spreckels Organ Pavillion | theatre | not published | 2 km (1.2 mi) |
| Conrad Prebys Concert Hall | concert hall | not published | 19 km (12 mi) |
| Greek Amphitheater | concert hall | not published | 8 km (5 mi) |
| La Jolla Playhouse | theatre | not published | 19 km (12 mi) |
| Mandell Weiss Forum | theatre | not published | 19 km (12 mi) |
| Mandell Weiss Theatre | theatre | not published | 19 km (12 mi) |
| San Diego Art Institute | performing-arts centre | not published | 2.1 km (1.3 mi) |
| Spanish Village Art Center | performing-arts centre | not published | 2.6 km (1.6 mi) |
| Granger Hall | concert hall | not published | 7.8 km (4.8 mi) |
| Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater and Recital Hall | theatre | not published | 1.7 km (1.1 mi) |
Independent event spaces (24)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Cinema | event space | 575 | 7.5 km (4.7 mi) |
| Digital Gym Cinema | event space | not published | 1.1 km (0.7 mi) |
| The Neighborhood | event space | not published | 13 km (8.2 mi) |
| Price Center | event space | not published | 20 km (12 mi) |
| Pythias Lodge Building | event space | not published | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| Civic Center Plaza | event space | not published | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| Co-Merge | event space | not published | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) |
| Rose Creek Cottage | event space | not published | 11 km (7 mi) |
| Salon Monarca | event space | not published | 13 km (8.1 mi) |
| Reuben H. Fleet Science Center | event space | not published | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) |
| Spreckels Organ Pavilion | event space | not published | 2.1 km (1.3 mi) |
| Aztec Aquaplex | event space | not published | 10 km (6.3 mi) |
| Eagles Hall | event space | not published | 0.9 km (0.6 mi) |
| Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center | event space | not published | 17 km (11 mi) |
| Darlington House | event space | not published | 17 km (11 mi) |
| Promenade Plaza | event space | not published | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| Quartyard | event space | not published | 1.2 km (0.7 mi) |
| The Casbah | event space | not published | 1.7 km (1.1 mi) |
| Anthology | event space | not published | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) |
| San Diego Athletic Club | event space | not published | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) |
| Humphreys Concerts by the Bay | event space | not published | 5.5 km (3.4 mi) |
| La Jolla Woman's Club | event space | not published | 18 km (11 mi) |
| Mickie Finn's | event space | not published | 3.7 km (2.3 mi) |
| Concert Lawn | event space | not published | 5.5 km (3.4 mi) |
Every venue mapped in San Diego 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 an exhibition fits
3 venues in San Diego are classified as exhibition or convention space. They are the only rooms here designed around a floor plan rather than a seating plan.
- San Diego Convention Centersize not published
- Convention Center / 5th Avenue Ferry Landingsize not published
- Exhibit Hallsize not published
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 Diego International Airport (SAN) sits 4 km (2.5 mi) from the centre, close enough that a same-day arrival is realistic for most of your speakers.
San Diego keeps Los Angeles time (America/Los_Angeles), which matters most for the remote speakers you are dialling in.
National City, Chula Vista and La Mesa are close enough to draw from for a day rate, and to fall back on if San Diego has nothing free on your dates.
- Nearest major airport
- SAN
- San Diego International Airport, 4 km (2.5 mi)
- Local time
- UTC−7
- America/Los_Angeles, in September
- City population, 2024
- 1,404,452
- 3.3 million across the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA area
Who else books San Diego
San Diego Comic-Con International, ConDor, CRSSD Festival and ToorCon come back to San Diego. A returning show is the best evidence a place has the rooms, the hotel stock and the airlift to carry one.
- San Diego Comic-Con Internationalfan convention, since 1969
- ConDorrecurring event, since 2002
- CRSSD Festivalmusic festival, since 2015
- ToorConconvention
- 3rd International Conference on Learning Representationsacademic conference
- American Chemical Society 251st National Meetingacademic conference
- American Chemical Society 258th National Meetingacademic conference
- The Thirty-Ninth Annual Conference on Neural Information Processing Systemsacademic conference
Recorded in Wikidata, which covers event series with an encyclopaedia entry. It is a floor rather than a full calendar for San Diego, and it is not a listing service — check dates with the organiser.
What to check before you commit
Choice is not the constraint here
With 70 venues mapped, availability rarely fails. What fails is comparison: shortlist on capacity and distance from the airport first, and only then start touring.
Check the city calendar first
San Diego carries recurring shows including San Diego Comic-Con International, ConDor and CRSSD Festival. Hotel rates and venue availability move sharply around them, so pick your dates against that calendar rather than against your own.
A worked example, sized to San Diego
A San Diego programme at 950 activated attendees — sized to Petco Park, the largest stated capacity in the San Diego dataset — prices like this. Nothing is charged for the first 50, and nothing at all is charged past 1,000.
- 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 San Diego 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 42,302 seats, San Diego can carry a full trade show or a multi-track annual meeting without splitting the audience across buildings.
- trade shows and exhibitions
3 exhibition or convention halls mean a booth plan is possible in San Diego without renting a marquee.
- multi-track conferences
A 42,302-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 San Diego is set up for.
- festivals
An arena or stadium floor at 42,302 takes an audience no conference venue in San Diego 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
Price a San Diego 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 San Diego?
Of the 70 venues mapped in San Diego, the largest stated capacity belongs to Petco Park at 42,302. 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 San Diego have a convention centre?
Yes — 3 venues are classified as exhibition or convention space in San Diego, including San Diego Convention Center, Convention Center / 5th Avenue Ferry Landing and Exhibit Hall. 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 San Diego?
San Diego International Airport (SAN), about 4 km (2.5 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 San Diego 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 San Diego?
Recurring shows recorded for San Diego include San Diego Comic-Con International, ConDor, CRSSD Festival and ToorCon. 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 Chula Vista
13 venues mapped
- Holding an event in El Cajon
3 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Santee
1 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Encinitas
5 venues mapped
Up a level
Running something in San Diego?
Set the schedule, invite the room and watch who actually turns up. Free for your first 50 activated attendees, on one live event.