The Regency Ballroom

Great acoustics and conveniently located. Has a bar inside where you can get drinks and pizza. Not the most tasty but works in you don’t want to head out of the venue. I wen there to see Blue October and the show was amazing.

Summary: Cancelled act. No notification whatsoever.
My story:
I’ve been to this venue about 5 – 6 times throughout the years. The venue itself isn’t too bad. My theory is if I want to see the artist live, I’ll go to whatever venue they’re playing at. Which leads me to my major disappointment in this venue.
I bought tickets to AlunaGeorge for the sole purpose of seeing Kiiara as the opening act as her SF debut. I purchased these tickets they day they were released, which was months in advanced. Fast forward to the night of the show and Kiiara is not the opening act listed anymore. There was no email notification of the change. I average going to 50+ shows per year so I can confidently say that the other venues I frequent are very good about promoting/​notifying ticket holders of changes in the lineup.
To add to the frustration, I frantically dug around Kiiara and AlunaGeorge’s Facebook Pages and Twitter accounts, went to The Regency Facebook page and looked at past posts. There was nothing. NOTHING that said Kiiara was changed or Kiiara had cancelled. Also let me preface that this is the day of the event, so I know they won’t be responding to an email I send to The Regency customer service. Nor does the regency have an on-​site box office to call. I confirmed Kiiara’s set was cancelled due to someone responding on Twitter that they had emailed The Regency earlier in the week to confirm.
Some people have a theory that The Regency Ballroom has been doing this to drive ticket sales by putting a highly anticipated act that was never signed as an act to begin with. I’m kinda on board with this theory, at least from this instance. Kiiara never responded to me, nor was there ever a posting of a North American tour supporting AlunaGeorge from Kiiara… So beware!

I don’t know why I havnt read any review on here that talks about the sound quality yet! Absolutely garbage! The show I went to last night sounded muddy, clipped, and completely lacked any power in the low end. I could not even pretend like I enjoyed what I was hearing. It would take a Beatles resurrection and reunion to get me to go back there. Don’t waste your time or money on this place.

A big thank you to Jaime & the first class Regency team.
If you are looking for a Venue that is beautiful and full of SF history with an engaged and thoughtful team this is your place. I must also thank lodge mgr. Shawn and his crew for going above and beyond to ensure our event went off without a hitch.
Hope to work with you all again soon!
:)

I’ve only been to this venue two times, and both times have been a subpar experience. The venue itself is fine, my issue is with whoever is responsible for promoting their concerts. I tallied my total number of concerts the past two years and it’s in the 20’s, and the ONLY time an opener has dropped out have been at the Regency. In the case of Kiiara, I have a group of 17 who are sorely disappointed in the changes.
The first time was Jess Glynne supposedly opening for Clean Bandit which she did not do. The second time is the upcoming concert where Kiiara was slated to open for Alunageorge.
The common thread is that both shows seemed too good to be true, a last minute change, no explanation from a concert promoter, and no promotional posts on any social media platform from the opening artist that they had any intention of even performing. My suspicion is that someone is slapping well known artists on the opener just to drive up sales.
I have sent an email to their provided email, and am more than happy to take down this review provided further information. If my suspicions are on the mark, I don’t plan on ever attending a concert at the Regency again.

I agree with people about the lights. If you’re epileptic, don’t see a band here. They’re seizure inducing. Do they want you to not photograph the band or something? Everything else has been covered in my previous review. Parking isn’t too bad if you get there early.

As a native, I love venturing out and checking out everything in this town!
The first time I came here I noticed a few things I really didn’t like about this venue. Most of the time, the bathroom lines are super long! If you don’t go during the show, expect to wait at least 45 mins. It also gets SUPER stuffy in there. It’s quite a small venue, great if you wish to see the people playing.
Came here for the second time around recently, and nothing much has changed. Except this time, security was really rude! My friend was kicked out, not escorted out. Not only that, but they also insulted and yelled at him. After this experience, I will not be returning in the future, ever.

Dear Regency Ballroom, THE BATHROOM SITUATION — FIX IT.
Big names, historic venue, great sound, and kudos for selling earplugs. That’s great and all.
But the horrible bathroom lines! Such a buzzkill. We were waiting in line for what we thought was the women’s restroom, but was actually a single handicapped stall. Tried for the men’s restroom which also had a long but moving line — unfortunately had a security guy in there. The actual ladies’ room line was long with only 3 stalls for a decent sized venue. My friend’s girlfriend and I ended up paying a poor guy in line for the unisex handicapped stall $ 10 for the both of us with $ 3 extra dollars just cuz we felt bad. Lucky for us, there was quite a bit of time before the headliner, Jai Wolf, came on. Otherwise, we would have been late for the set simply because we needed to use the bathroom.
After that fiasco, we settled in and got a couple beers for $ 8 each. The production was just okay, but we were able to get up close, which was nice.
Additional plus was the proximity to Bob’s Donuts (walking distance) and short driving distance to Golden Boy Pizza. We may or may not have had both after the show. ;)

I’ve been coming to this venue for ages! I love everything about it, a special shut out to the girl at coat check. She was so fucking nice! If you don’t like to be shoulder to shoulder with people and are afraid of it getting too «hot» then stay away. It’s a great venue for metal heads like myself. Not to mention all the bars around the area to hit up before and after the show!

This is the seccond concert I’ve been to in the past 2 months at this venue. I absolutely hate that there is no air inside at all. The first concert, I was in general admission which is on the floor standing area. I almost pasted out and vomited from heat exhaustion. It was terrible. I considered that when I ordered my next concert tickets and got balcony seating. To my surprise it was close to the same. With the exception to a little more dance space (not much)
It was so hot you sweat from just standing. If you like to dance (I do), you may have a problem. I encountered a rude employee that was blocking my view. She kept asking me if we were in the correct seats (which we were), I told her repeatedly that we were, she didnt want to see the tickets so I told to move because I paid for the show and I was missing it due to her bothering me with the same exact question. It wasn’t like she couldnt hear me because she was responding to my response.
She then told me if I was going to be rude I can go talk to security. She got upset because I was looking around her trying to see my favorite artist performing while dancing. At the end of the show we went down to the floor ballroom and whitenessed her rolling her eyes trying to get through the crowd with a major attitude. Bad customer service. The lady initially checking our tickets before allowing us to go up to the balcony was also very rude to my husband when he politely asked her a question regarding our seating.
Overall the heat is the worst problem. I saw 1 industrial fan by the door of the balcony enterence but it did us no good at all. Nice venue but small. We as humans, need air. The security team however, we all very nice and kind. They even thanked us for coming and wished us well. They made me smile and feel good while arriving and leaving. Thanks security team. As well as the bartenders.

Regency Ballroom feels like the upscale dive bar of the concert venues. I’m torn because I like the shows I’ve seen here — it attracts a lot of the talent I happen to prefer. However, there are some issues that need addressing.
Be prepared to sweat your balls off. There doesn’t seem to be any return air registers in the main room at all. So, even if it is freezing cold outside, once the event gets going and everyone crowds in the building, it’s almost unbearable. The two giant fans barely move air.
The restroom situation is laughable. Five toilets for women. Every time you go into the bathroom you lose 20 minutes waiting.
When they set out chairs for a comedy show they leave no room between the seats and they use small banquet type seats. Thus, your ass is overlapping with your neighbor and 15 minutes into the show your butt cheeks cease feeling. But then you start feeling sweat dripping on you and you think, «WHAT FRESH HELL IS THIS?» Turns out it’s a perfect stranger who is sitting so close to you that they are sweating on you.
Sigh.
That said, the employees are really kind and accommodating. The room is beautiful, but not precious — you aren’t afraid you are going to damage the place by dancing. The bathrooms aren’t covered in graffiti. The areas off the lobby are large and have windows on every side so that when the windows are open, plenty of cool air is let in.

Not my least favorite venue in SF, but close. Ventilation is terrible, even in cold weather it’s hot. The balcony provides a decent seated area, but the speakers block the stage in the front sections on bit sides of the balcony, and they don’t tell you it’s obstructed when you buy the tickets. However, further back, while unobstructed by the speakers, is really «further back». More than one bar, with the usual prices.
Doubt I will ever return.

As far as concert venues go, this place is pretty awesome. Let’s evaluate.
SPACE: 2,500 capacity standing floor area plus balcony seating.
COAT CHECK (⁵⁄₅): Yes. Woohoo! Located upstairs and usually friendly service. Bring cash.
BARS (³⁄₅): Can get quite overrun, so be ready to wait. Or you should make sure to show up early and get in line. Pro tip: pre-​game!
SWEAT FACTOR (⁴⁄₅): Not too bad at all.
BATHROOMS (³⁄₅): Line can get pretty darn long for the ladies room, but it moves relatively fast.
PRODUCTION VALUE (⁴⁄₅): Fairly decent visual and sound production for this size of a venue.
In summary, you will enjoy the show!
TIP: There are several standalone unisex bathroom stalls on the main floor. These may be faster than waiting for the bathroom!
DATE TIP: Get sweaty together on the main floor with the crowd or have a more intimate time up on the balcony. Or alternate to keep things interesting. Totally up to your preference. :)

The worst bathroom system in a venue I have ever experienced. There are 3 stalls in the women’s restroom and an additional 1 stall restroom a couple feet away.
It’s ridiculous. I recommend finding a bathroom outside the venue, ANYWHERE.
If you can hold in your pee, props to you. At least their speaker system is good.
Also, the stairs to get in & out the venue are very slippery when it’s raining. They have these black strips to act as a stomp pad but don’t even work.

#8 I came here for my cousin’s wedding on August 2015 and wasn’t all that impressed. It wasn’t her fault — I blame the venue entirely.
When you first walk in, you are immediately greeted by a steep flight of stairs. As if it isn’t difficult enough to walk in heels and a gown, now you have to do so on freakin’ Mount Everest! When you’ve finally reached the top and you think you’ve conquered the impossible, you see a lovely sign on the ancient elevator with the words «Out of Service.» Perfect. I’ve been meaning to incorporate exercise into my life, anyway, so why not start now. 3 levels and 6 flights of stairs later, you’re exhausted and your feet hurt but too bad, ’cause there’s no seats and the dining hall isn’t ready yet.
Besides that, it really was a lovely wedding. The dining hall was very grand, although a bit too dark and the dance floor was small as hell. But I just can’t get over those stairs. I wouldn’t want my some 200 guests walking up a bunch of steps with their nice clothes on, especially when half of those guests are elderly! The venue should’ve thought of fixing that prior to the wedding.

3.5 stars, but rounding up because I had a (surprisingly?) awesome time watching Jack’s Mannequin at the Regency last Wednesday.
First of all… the bouncers are so NICE! They had me pour out the contents in my water bottle (hey, it actually WAS water, thankyouverymuch) but advised that I keep the bottle to fill up at the fountains inside to save money. Seriously?! Usually I feel lucky enough to receive more than a grunt from any other bouncer in existence.
The interior is quite nice — I’d describe it as regal. I wasn’t too close to the stage but my view was still awesome. Acoustics were good, it helps that Andrew McMahon is amazingly talented and entertaining (!!!)
No re-​entry after you’ve been scanned in, so make sure you REALLY want to be in there. Find out if there’s an opening act before you go in. Otherwise, you’re stuck with $ 9 well cocktails and at least $ 11 for a beer.
**No bottled water
**No gum
**Coat check is $ 2 per hanger (they let us stack 2 jackets onto 1 hanger)

I’m an avid concert goer. Check my check ins, read my reviews. Yeup yeup this venue isn’t for me.
I’ve been here twice and each time it was just so small! I’ve seen Jack & Jack here AND Yellowclaw. Lights suck. The bathroom lines suck (plus I was about to fight 4 b! tches kept knocking on the door, I had a long pee alright I’ll beat your ass). Lol. The bars are pretty good, they don’t skimp on the alcohol and security is pretty strict here.
Overall, I would only return if it was for a die hard artist like Drake or Future…

Not my fav venue for a concert, but the view from anywhere is legit.
Came here on a Thursday night to see Giraffage/​Slow Magic/​Lindsay Lowend for the So Cute! Tour. It was my first time and prior to going, my friend had told me it gets ridiculously hot and hard to breathe. Weird…
It didn’t take long for me to realize what he had meant when I got to the bottom main dance floor. And I was in the back of the crowd which is crazy because I can’t imagine how much more suffocating it can get :(but then maybe this venue isn’t made for super large crowds with a dj performing… Idk.
Drinks are pretty pricey here. $ 11 =(and it’s not strong at all but oh well. There a BevMo across the street so you should probably stop by there before going in since the line to get in is really quick ;) Anyway, I would recommend staying upstairs where it’s a bit more ventilated and you’ll be able to sit if you’re a grandma like myself that gets tired haha.
Oh yeah, good luck finding parking. This area is a street away from Polk Street and we all know how crazy crowded this area gets!

I’d like to rate this somewhere between three and four stars. I liked the place enough to come back again for another show, but it wasn’t ooh-​and-​ahh-​worthy or anything.
We came here for the first time this part weekend to see The Darkness. When I bought the tickets, I was under the impression the entire venue was going to be standing room only (though I understand that sometimes seats are put in there, depending on the event/​concert). However, when we got there, I noticed that in addition to the main area in front of the stage, there were a bunch of balcony seats above the main floor — along the back and sides of the room. While we had been prepared to stand for the show, the seats just seemed a bit more appealing once we knew they were there. I had to ask around and make sure those seats were still part of the open seating/​SRO and not assigned, but once we got that confirmed we grabbed a few by the balcony toward the left side of the ballroom.
From our seats up top, I could see some people lighting up down below. I’m sure that’s pretty standard these days but c’mon, guys, save it for outdoor concerts (or you know, just… don’t).
DRINKS: Expensive. My husband bought a medium-​sized beer and I’m pretty sure it was $ 15.
BATHROOMS: Clean, easy to find. There are a few unisex one-​person bathrooms, and then a bigger women’s restroom with three stalls (one of which was out of order). I think there’s a bigger men’s restroom too.
COMFORT: Didn’t feel hot where we were sitting, but it was warm. I’m sure it was much more uncomfortable down on the floor. They had some giants fans turned on both downstairs and upstairs which kept things decent but I’m sure everyone dancing was dripping with sweat.
TRANSPORTATION: If you’re getting dropped off or taking the bus, you shouldn’t have any problems. Parking I hear is tricky but we didn’t bring our car so I can’t weigh in on that. We ended up just coming via BART from the East Bay and getting off at Civic Center. It’s about a 15 – 20 minute walk through a few safe-​ish streets and a few very sketchy streets. On the way there, it wasn’t too bad. Coming back was a little scarier because there are a few streets that get pretty dark at night, no street lights. I definitely advise women to make sure they’re either escorted by a guy, or be in a large group if planning on walking to public transit any further than a few blocks away, late at night.

The venue is very pretty and regal feeling inside. Lots of chandeliers, marble floors, and detailed ceilings.
Security was friendly and we were able to get in quickly.
As previous reviewers said, the ballroom itself gets hot. Very hot. Keep that in mind when getting dressed for the event. Security really wanted to keep the doors to the lobby closed too, so there wasn’t any fresh air getting in (maybe this was because there was a fog machine and they wanted to keep the fog in?).
The bar is pricey (my soda was $ 4), so I’d advise just to skip it. There’s bars within walking distance.
Bathrooms are very clean.
I had a surprisingly easy time finding parking. I was able to park for free only a block and a half from the event!