Historic Bal Theatre

When the BAL Theatre opened on July 1, 1946, the local press called it dazzling and lavish, and the opening night celebration featured a Big Band orchestra, a Hollywood movie star christening the box office with champagne, and airplanes dropping streamers over the crowd outside. Nearly 80 years later the BAL is still one of the most special live music destinations in the East Bay, a beautifully preserved Art Deco movie palace that has been continuously operating in the heart of San Leandro since the day it opened. Designed by legendary theater architect Vincent Raney, the venue features the striking geometric elegance of the Art Deco style throughout, from the lobby to the 800-plus seat main hall, creating an atmosphere that makes every show feel like an occasion worth dressing up for. Operated by San Leandro Curtain Call Performing Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to keeping ticket prices affordable and programming culturally diverse and accessible, the BAL books an eclectic and genuinely impressive lineup of concerts, comedy shows, tribute acts, classic film screenings, and community events. Recent and upcoming performers have included Barry Gibb, Boston, Santana, Tevin Campbell, Howard Hewett, reggae acts, R&B tributes, and Beatles tributes, reflecting a booking philosophy that leans heavily toward established artists and premium tribute productions across soul, R&B, classic rock, reggae, and pop. For music listeners, the BAL delivers a theater-quality concert experience with excellent acoustics and an intimate enough scale that no seat is far from the stage.