Greek Theatre - U.C. Berkeley Tickets

Greek Theatre UC Berkeley
The Greek Theatre-Berkeley is a venue host to a variety of entertainment plus famous personalities and artists. In the history of its 100 years, the theater has hosted artists and performances such as, Theodore Roosevelt, Sarah Bernhard, Luciano Pavarotti, the 14th Dalai Lama, The Greatful Dead, Bob Dylan, The Talking Heads, Phish, Elvis Costello, Genesis, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Joan Baez, The Gipsy Kings, James Taylor, Dave Mathews, and a lot more! As visible by the long list of various artist and band performances here, The Greek is a favorite place of many artists to perform.

As far as the patrons are concerned, the Greek is the most desirable venue around! The locally called Greek Theatre is formally known as William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre.

It was built in 1903 on the site of a rough outdoor bowl already in use as an amphitheater since 1894 known as "Ben Weed's Amphitheater". The University of California, Berkeley, in Berkeley, California, USA, owns and operates this venue since then.

The construction of the Greek Theatre was financed by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, after whom it was named. The architect who based the Greek Theatre-Berkeley directly on the ancient Greek theater of Epidaurus is John Galen Howard.

It is an 8,500-seat amphitheater which hosts The Berkeley Jazz Festival, pop, rock, and world music concerts, along with hosting UC Berkeley graduation ceremonies, occasional addresses by noted speakers, and other events. Among the past speakers are, President Theodore Roosevelt, William Randolph Hearst, and the Dalai Lama.

The first act done on the stage on the opening of the Greek Theatre was a student production of The Birds by Aristophanes. With the gift of the amphitheater to the university in 1903 by William Randolph Hearst, the Greek Theatre and the campus began to make history with what is now a century of great performances, concerts and addresses by some of most renowned figures in the arts, politics and world affairs.

Since the late 1960s, with the opening of UC Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall, the Greek Theatre has seen fewer theatrical performances. But an ongoing tradition has been to hold rallies there before sporting events, as well as Commencement Convocation, an event held each May to honor all graduating seniors.

The largest rally of the year is the Big Game Bonfire Rally, held at the Greek Theatre before Big Game, the annual football competition between UC Berkeley and Stanford University.

The Greek Theatre is and intimate outdoor venue which had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Events here are scheduled May through October.

The Greek Theatre is responsible for showcasing commendable acts and performances of only the top-caliber artists and entertainers.

The Greek Theatre comes under the category of those extraordinary venues which make any event, let it be a rock concert, a play, or a speech at the graduation ceremony, a truly remarkable experience for both the artist and the audience. The venue is a must see and cannot be missed at any cost!