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August 2023 by Jessica T.
An absolutely magical experience here when seeing the live orchestra play Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It was my first time seeing a film concert series and it blew me away. At some points, I was so immersed that I forgot there was an orchestra playing!The venue is beautiful and everything was very clean. Bathrooms were easy to find and access. I was seating in Loge L, I believe, and it was perfect. They sell food and drinks at the bar and snack bar in the lobby, but they're pretty overpriced, as expected. If possible, I recommend taking a pass on the food. (Tip: There's free water dispensers and cups around the bar, so please don't make the mistake of buying water like I did.)The orchestra did an amazing job! The conductor encouraged the audience to cheer for our favorite characters and the audience engagement was amazing and made everything so much more fun. Would definitely come back again!
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August 2023 by Annabelle R.
This place has a lot of history to it, and of course, home of the world-renowned SF Symphony, it is ideally set up for musical performances, with acoustic panels along the ceiling and other architectural details inside the auditorium. But I didn't come here for a concert this past weekend. Instead, we attended "Whose Live Anyway?" The show included hilarious performances by beloved cast members from the improv series, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, including Greg Proops, Drew Carey, and my fave, Ryan Stiles. It was unpredictable, exciting, and inappropriate in all the right ways, and had me laughing my ass off the entire time. Laura Hall, the original pianist for the comedy series, showcased her musical talents on stage as part of the show, demonstrating just how phenomenal the sounds are at Davies Symphony Hall. Seats are simple yet comfortable, no cupholders, but a good amount of legroom (I sat in row C in front of the stage). There are also high tables and a bit of seating in the lobby, where they sell snacks and beverages on event day. I tried the Beautiful Blues specialty cocktail, and it was decent and pretty strong in alcohol. Service was quick and efficient, and the line moved quickly at the bar. I know I'll be back to watch the SF Symphony perform here in the future, but for now, I'm left with the memory of a good ol' hoedown about the fog (suggested by an audience member of course as something to love about SF, lol).
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August 2023 by Olive R.
Came here last night to watch "Who's Live Anyway?" and as soon as I walked into the lobby, I was mesmerized. This is a gorgeous place. The balconies look like lego pieces. The staff was friendly and helpful when it came to finding my seat in the orchestra section. The seats aren't the most comfortable. I can't imagine watching a full film in these seats.I would probably get a side box seat just to relax my legs.
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August 2023 by MARLO M.
I would like to thank Holly at SF Symphony Patron Services for helping me fix my ticket mixup to attend Maxwell: A Night at the Symphony. Holly went above and beyond working with her Manager to ensure my birthday night at the symphony happened as planned and it was a very enjoyable experience!
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February 2023 by Tabitha H.
I've grown up watching many concerts at Davies Symphony Hall as it is the Bay Area's premiere classical music venue and home of the San Francisco Symphony. I've been fortunate to watch many great artists pass through, such as Hilary Hahn, Joshua Bell, Lang Lang, Sheku, Yuja Wang, and most recently John Williams. The concert hall has always been well maintained. The restrooms are always clean and there's enough for everyone during intermissions, given there's 3 floors of restrooms. The elevators are always working smoothly. Seats are also always clean and not sticky or squeaky. The concert hall is also located very close to the Civic Center Bart. There's also nearby parking garages should you choose to drive. They're listed on the symphony site.
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February 2023 by Mae-Elisa S.
As someone who has been an audience member and has rehearsed here, I absolutely love this hall. It holds such great sentiment to my heart as a musician and as a music educator. My first ever live symphony performance was here when my Uncle and Auntie took me to watch a show. Ever since then, I've been coming back to gain inspiration for my every day life. I recently watched Dudamel conduct and just a few days ago -- MTT.I am just always amazed at how talented the musicians are. I've sat in every seating area to experience the music differently and every time, I am always in awe. My fiance has taken me out for surprise dates and it is always my favorite thing that he does for me. He knows that I love watching live music so taking me out into the city, treating me out to dinner, and watching a show always makes me so happy.As a music educator, I do my best to always put myself in situations where there is live music. It is so inspiring, it helps me not burn out, and keeps me going! Especially after the scary covid days, it was so hard to watch anything live but now that things are pretty much back to normal, I am ever so grateful that there are performances here. I can't ever wait to come back and would definitely recommend to watch a great group of musicians perform wonderful music.
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February 2023 by Catherine L.
Davies symphony Hall is a gem of musical culture an immersion. This was the first time that I got to attend as a guest of one of the cohosts, and it was by far one of the most glamorous evenings I've had in relation to the orchestra. This was to celebrate the lunar new year, and I love that they incorporated all different elements of different Asian heritage groups into this eveningfrom the Ruby reception to the actual concert, it was incredible to be able to meet some of the patrons at this event. I think they are a real testament to why the San Francisco symphony stands out is one of the best in the world. The banquet afterwards was fantastic, and also incorporated a lot of elements from different cultures. You do feel as though you are a part of this world. I highly recommend coming with your family or friends to one of their normal concerts just to experience the acoustics, the ambience, and the musical selectionPrice: $$$Overall: 10/10
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December 2022 by Jo W.
Beautiful symphony hall! I've been here for several concerts, including the Zelda Symphony, Final Fantasy, and most recently the Pixar Concert. It's gorgeous and clean, and right next to the Opera House. It's not far from Civic Center, which is also home to City Hall and the Asian Art Museum. Bart is very close by. Definitely planning to come for more concerts, as I've always enjoyed the concerts here.
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November 2022 by Anthony W.
This place is amazing for events but...Seriously the chairs are super uncomfortable. Sorry. Had to say it. Maybe it's just me because I have arthritis in my back? But seriously I ask other people and they mention that they get pretty uncomfortable too. A lot of times I'll get a booth just so I can spread my legs out but the place definitely could get some better seats sometime. Doubt they'll be renovating anytime soon but just a thought.Aside from that I love this place. Me and my girl come here at least once or twice a year for a movie or symphony. I always appreciate how nice people are if you are having a hard time finding your seat. Still waiting for you guys to have another Distant Worlds show after you canceled it at the start of covid...~stares~
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April 2022 by Gillian A.
Ahhh I love this concert hall!!! Such a beautiful venue. I was here for the "Distant Worlds: Music From Final Fantasy" touring symphony concert. My seat was G2 (see photo). Fantastic view of the orchestra, but I think I would've preferred to sit a few more rows up as a couple of the musical instruments sounded a bit too harsh for me and looking at the center of the projecting screen that's behind the orchestra required a little neck strain. Still very much enjoyed the whole show though.Of course I had to explore the venue during intermission. Amazing view of the whole concert hall in the second tier seating area, but being up this high did make me feel a little woozy. Overlooking the hall from the first tier seating area felt much better; I definitely wouldn't mind sitting here. If there was another concert here that I wanted to go to I probably would choose a seat here just to try it out.Don't bank on parking in the Performing Arts Garage unless you arrive really early. I arrived there 30 min before the concert and parking attendants were allowing admittance only to cars who had a parking permit or paid for parking here online in advance. The Civic Center Plaza Garage has much more parking spots and I had no probably finding one there.
