Sprucing Up Old SF

Following months of improvements, the legendary Warfield Theatre in San Francisco has reopened under the management of AEG’s Goldenvoice.

The revival of the 2,250-capacity venue, which was run for years by Bill Graham Presents and, subsequently, Live Nation, signals a shift in the City by the Bay.

While Goldenvoice took over exclusive booking duties at the 1,423-capacity Grand Ballroom at Regency Center in April, the Warfield reopening means a third prominent promoter will have a significant presence in the region, which has been dominated by Live Nation and Another Planet Entertainment for some time.

“At the theatre level in the Bay Area, the Warfield is really the premier venue,” Goldenvoice SF VP David Lefkowitz told Pollstar.

The venue was pretty run down when Goldenvoice took it over, Lefkowitz said, but after the improvements, “it really feels like a new place.”

Renovations to the Warfield included shifting the locations of two bars, new paint and carpet and moving the lighting and sound boards downstairs from the balcony to free up space for 30 premium seats. The lobby has been decorated with posters of previous events and historical photographs.

In addition to the renovations at the Warfield, Goldenvoice has also done some “significant work” to the Grand Ballroom.

The room has received new sound and lighting systems and acoustic treatments and sounds “far better than it ever did in the past,” Lefkowitz said. Plans for phase two of renovations at the Ballroom are in the works.