Cow Palace Arena & Event Center

Attended "The Great Dickens Xmas Fair" this weekend and had a blast! 8 family members total and the facility was perfect! Had my 84yrs old Mother in her wheelchair attend with us and we were pleased with the service and facility amenities provided for handicapped attendees. The crew that serviced the Shuttle feature were extraordinary to and from our parking. Thanks to the whole Cow Palace staff!

I've attended the Charles Dickens Faire here. It's a wonderful holiday event. The whole area is set up as Old Victorian London town with vendors, shops, stages,etc. There are actors and shop owners dressed up in that era and do reenactments. This is a paid event, you need to buy tickets and also pay for parking ($20 per vehicle). It's fun to also dress up in period costumes and enjoy the festivities. Some vendors only accept cash. If needed there's are atm machines located indoors.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair is a must visit for anyone who enjoys Christmas, good food, live theater and music and a general sense of the holiday sport. I’ve been going since about 1979 and it’s only gotten better with time. We had the fish and chips for lunch that was very good in my opinion… 3rd year in a row we have enjoyed it. High tea was nice… the tea was lovely, however the sandwiches… I’m I’m afraid I believe we’re made out of Wonder bread and smoked salmon from Costco. I do understand that things are on a budget and this is performance are however I’m sure there are many other different brands that could be used That would look and taste better. The ambience of the high tea was lovely. One of the two highlights of the shows was of course being down on the waterfront. Music scenery, ambience everything was fantastic and the musicians everywhere or awesome. The other highlight which I will place at the top of the bill, was at the Surrey theater at the very front of the Fare. We saw a 415 showing of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Julia, which was Hysterical with my wife, almost falling out of her chair And my son being cast at the last minute as Tibblet Whereas all he had to do was wear a white sheet with blood on it and play dead. He hit it spot on.🤙 The chocolate at the fair which I widely tested, was all delicious and highly recommended. Milk and cookies yes please May I have some more? Gift shops… Something I usually don’t like to look Through I found myself going into every single one. I purchased two bars of soap… Santa’s cookies, & Elf Sweat. Both of these smell absolutely delicious, but will be giving them out as stocking stuffer gifts. Parking was very easy entrance was very easy. Everything was very easy and even though it was also very crowded it was easy enough to work through the crowds as long as you were patient with plenty of places to stop and take a breath and enjoy your beautiful views of shops, Set decorations and amazing costumes by both the staff and guests of the Fair. I highly recommend you visit The Great Dickens Fair. I would like to note one extremely disappointing issue…. sound system. Not one of the shows we attended where speakers were clearly visible… we’re working. For many of the shows, you had to sit in the first 2 rows to hear half the people on stage, otherwise you would only see their mouths moving if they could not project… please note, this must be a burden on the actors to have to yell for hours all day and I’m sure many will have either sore throats or horse voices by the end of next week. Whoever is in charge of the sound system… shame on you. You were paid for 12/6 for something you didn’t do. Please note, we arrived to the fair at 10 am and left at 5:30 pm shortly after the Romeo anyone Juliet production… and still no sound. I still highly recommend you visit and buy tickets now before they sell out!

It was such a wonderful event of christmas. The participants were perfecsional, love the detailed settings of the shops, the customs. The only downside was that the place gotten too crowded in the afternoon, we had to leave early because it was getting hard to breath, or move around with too many people in a limited space.

Grand National Rodeo 2025. Amazing experience! Good show and program, the place is full of tradition is well maintained.

A very large Arena with two additional halls. It can take up to 12000 guests and is popular with bands and gigs. It has large parking lots but early arrival is advised. It could do with an update though.

Very old but very cool. Huge indoor space, tons of parking outside. The staff was friendly and seemed to really care about what they do. The bathrooms and facilities worked but are definitely dated and older. Also, given the fact that there was millions of livestock in and out of this building for many decades it didn’t seem to smell weird or anything like that. Also also, it is very cool that Elvis and the Beatles both played here. The Beatles played their first live show in America at the Cow Palace. The acoustics inside were ok, good, but not great. I would be very curious to see a full sized/ big scale / sold out concert here.

American street fast food festival. This is an analogue of the European season of booths with street food, sausages, a variety of beer, mulled wine, grog and attractions (carousels, swings, slides, fear rooms and much more). And at this festival, fast food prevails, very little beer (perhaps Christmas festivals will have mulled wine, but yesterday it was cold and it would be very appropriate to take mulled wine). I liked the place where the festival is held - such a cozy and nice area between the hills. We do not recommend taking grilled oysters - burnt and only sprinkled with parmesan. other sauces, in general, kill the concept of "oyster". A set of 12 oysters - $ 47 thrown away. Delicious deep-fried squid, Japanese waffles with filling and everything else is also very good. Convenient logistics public transport. Many tents with jewelry, clothes. I'll give it a 4. I recommend visiting for a good mood.

Went to Cow Palace to see my all time favorite artist, Griz! And it did not disappoint. This was my first time going to Cow Palace for an EDM show, and I had a blast. Shout out to all the other Griz fans who showed up, such an amazing/friendly crowd that is proof that PLUR is still existent in the edm music scene. Getting there was a bit tricky, we took a Waymo and I picked the wrong drop off location and we ended up having to walk quite a bit. I think on the website, there should be info on a preferred drop off location. The building itself is showing its age for sure. BUT the production value that Griz brought was amazing. The lights, the sound, all was perfect. Something that they don't tell you when you get a ticket for these type of shows is that you have to get there super early if you want to be on the floor with GA tickets. We ended up in some seats on the side of the stage which ended up working out. I don't know what's going on with the air conditioning or ventilation though because it was hot and humid all night. It was so bad that the floors were wet and slippery. Walking the ramps I saw multiple people slip and fall on the unforgiving floor and there were no caution signs to be seen. Definitely a safety hazard that should be addressed. We didn't see much food but the drink prices were reasonable for a show. $14 tall cans of modelo, $5 waters, that's on the low end for venues I've been too. The bathroom lines were super long but they setup porta potties to get outside to help with the big crowds. Overall, I had a great time and while the venue isn't the best, it's got a lot of history and the production value is there. Would definitely come back to see a show here (as long as they fix the heat and humidity issue)

Ladies Rodeo with the girls. Fun night out. Loved all the merchandise, animals and rodeo show. Great to enjoy as a family, a couple or with your Besties.

Cow Palace...it had been years since I had been to this venue. Pre-kids. I was invited to go, tickets were given to my son-in-law because he told them that he and my daughter wanted to surprise me and take me to a DJ Concert. They had found out I love DJ music and laser light shows. They would tell me about their concert shows and I would remember how much I use to enjoy them. I had the best time ever, jamming to Jamie XX and the light shows earlier this year. To my kids, Alexis, Seli, and Jav...best time ever. Thanks for thinking your mom still has it

Went here for Wobbleland! Was an amazing experience being our first time here with friends. We got there around 5pm, no traffic, easy and quick parking. We parked near back for easy exit. We hung outside the parking lot passing out some drinks, treats to start the "plur" vibes for approximately an hour or so before entering the venue. Line went quickly with no delays and security was quick. No issues. Our group sat in seatings just right above of the main floor looking towards the main stage for better viewing and space. There was another room away from the main stage as well. Bathroom were not far and surprisingly quick ( probably cause I only used twice the whole night) exiting out of the event was not bad as there were two exit out from what i saw and there were a few security guiding the exit.

This was my second and third time coming to cow palace for a show. And honestly it's not my favorite but it does the job. A lot of the seats and structure are outdated and the way they set the layout for the show is a bit inconvenient. We came here for Give Thanks and it was pretty crowded the first night. They only had one entrance to go to the floor and it was just too crowded everywhere so we opted for the standing area above the floor. Bathrooms were also an inconvenience. There just wasn't enough. I think I waited in line for 45 mins for the bathroom because one area only had 3 stalls. The other restrooms had lines that wrapped around the stadium as well. Inside the stadium, it gets hot and musty with no good airflow. The one perk of holding events here at this place though is the visuals! The setup for the visuals was pretty cool so at least there's that.

Foodieland @ Cow Palace! It's been a while, so coming back strong with a 6 hit combo: 1) Mano Po 2) Big Giant Squid 3) NOLA Oysteria 4) Drunken Dumpling (missed photo op) 5) Drips Cheesecake 6) #butterbuns The Ensaymada Project 1) Mano Po - Hailing from the northern Philippines, Mano Po is Ilocano style pinoy food. What caught my eye was the longanisa fries. Longanisa is sweet sausage typically eaten for breakfast. Drenched in mayo with super crispy fries. Could have used some vinegar or citrus to cut heaviness, but boy oh boy definitely a treat. The serving size is pretty generous so I recommend doing it the way I did it with the homies - split between 3. 2) giant deep fried squid - Bruhhhh. Literally a giant squid on a skewer then deep fried. Yummy yummy for my tummy! The breading was perfection and the squid was fairly seasoned. But same thought as the first - could have used some citrus to cut the heaviness from being fried. 3) NOLA Oysteria - Yo!!! This is it! lemon herb baked oysters smothered in cheese (those who are lactose intolerant- beware). The oysters weren't overdone and finally someone who gave citrus to cut the heaviness! 4) Drunken Dumpling - who would have thought? So you know the big ole hype on XLB - this place had a PHO option! Yo - the pho soup dumpling was fiyyyyyyer! I could eat 12 of those in one sitting. Yes, the XLB is good but the pho was better. 5) Drips Cheesecake - oh my gulay! Much too much. Basically, it's frozen cheesecake dipped in chocolate, then sprinkled in cereal or sprinkles. The serving was way too big so split the white chocolate strawberry shortcake and my friend got fruity pebbles cereal. Sheeeesh! Sugar overload, but so so so so good. 6) The Ensaymada Project #butterbuns - Ensaymada is a Filipino pastry usually topped with butter sugar and cheese. AUNTY, these are soooo good! I got pandan (young coconut) and dulce de leche. These are to die for. Not too sweet and are like hugs from grandma. So here it is - FoodieLand @ Cow Palace. You snooze you lose!

I came for Kaytranada on 12/29 for my birthday. I have to say, how they had us drop our umbrellas off was very annoying considering it was raining and so many concert goers have umbrellas since it was pouring. I left without my umbrella because I couldn't find it. In any case, this is a large venue with quite a few bathrooms if you are willing to walk around. I will say, for it to be a day of rain I wish they put down more mats for us to dry our shoes on upon entry. Other than that, I had the time of my life. I cried for Kaytranada. He is so amazing. So was Sango!

We went for the All-Star Sumo event. The venue is antiquated & needs to be replaced. The sumo event was small so most fans were able to get "ring side" seats in the form of cheat folded chairs. The bleacher stands looked older than my high school version. The bathroom was basic, few food stands selling hotdogs & pizzas. They were selling sumo souvenirs in the hallway. It felt like a country fair. $30 Parking lot or street parking if u r lucky.

Cow Palace is back with the concerts!!! It has improved tremendously since 2010. The sound system and the possibility of the venue decor is out of this world! So far, they only have performers playing in the main room. There are other rooms that can potentially be used as stages but they currently are not using them. Maybe for future events? -1 star because they limit the amount of people that can access the floor by handing out a wristband.... And it gets quite hectic for the worker and everyone squeezing together like sardines to get floor access. Le sigh. But viewing from the seats are amazing and you can't go wrong wherever you're at! I highly recommend prepaying for parking so you help the flow of traffic getting into the venue :) purchase through the cow palace website!

It's an amazing place to attend any event. I was feel free to look at their calendar and attend all the events .

Honestly, I have not been here in years. Like when I was a little kid going here for a field trip to see a rodeo. I'm not sure if they still do that. This time around, I came for the low rider super show. It was like stepping into a time capsule. Nothing has changed. I doubt they've even remodeled it since the last time I was here. I definitely will be back next year for the next low rider event.

I came here for the Dickens Christmas Fair last year which was cool. I also came here for John Summit recently. The whole process of getting people into the Cow Palace for John Summit was very inefficient and slow. Bill Graham's process of getting people into their venue is so much more efficient and fast even when they have people wrapping around the line for a few blocks. Security check in was super slow at Cow Palace. Please find a way to get people in faster.

I've been here several times for different kinds of events. The biggest perk of the venue is that it is large and has lots of open space, as well as a giant oversized parking lot, even multiple levels. This makes it an ideal setting for the annual Great Dickens Christmas Fair, which I attended this past weekend. The setting is so large that it can fit Charles Dickens' London, complete with dance rooms, music halls, stages, and row after row of endless shops and eateries. In other areas of the venue were Christmas tree sales and a skating rink (not part of the Great Dickens Christmas Fair). Parking was a pricey $15, but we got in free because their credit card machine wasn't working (or my credit card wasn't working, lol) and we didn't have cash on hand. Other than the size though, the Cow Palace event center/arena is pretty ordinary. The outside looks old and outdated and lacks curb appeal. But perhaps it's meant to be more appreciated for the history and nostalgia!?! Okay, I guess.

I lost my glasses and gave cow palace a call! Maria answered and helped me through the entire process to get them back, which was slightly difficult as I don't live in San Francisco so I sent my friend to grab them. Maria made sure that she had all of my friends contact information and my friend said she was so so sweet and helpful in person! Thank you Maria!!!

Nice place the whole event. I'm currently here for BMW Drive event this one it's cool. It is what it is nice place to be.

If I'm gonna pay $100 for a two hour concert and $46 for parking in the lot I expect a seamless experience. The stopped long lines to get in, the chaos in the parking lot and on Geneva on the exit is unacceptable. Hire experts to sort this out. Make it right.

I attended a great event called Life Surge (a Christian gathering) at the Cow Palace. The place was huge. What a great space I mainly came to acknowledge all the workers from the ones working concession stands to the ones cleaning the bathrooms. What beautiful people they were working their butts the entire event an all day event and I just wanted them to be acknowledged. You guys are amazing.

This is the third time I've come here after covid to the Charles Dickens Fair. They definitely overcharge you and they try to convince you that there's capped numbers on tickets. This is not true. They let anyone in it doesn't matter how crowded it is. Also, the bars are very subjective on pours! Some give you a great pour on champagne. The next one are extremely rude and give you a very small pour! $24 for 4oz of cheap crap

Came here for John Summit in October and the show itself was really good, but I'm not a fan of the venue. It was my first time there and it's super outdated and the location isn't ideal since it's far away in the city. The process to get in took FOREVER too since they don't have an efficient system. Security seemed overwhelmed and one of them almost didn't let my friend in since her bag had 2 zippers. Doesn't make sense. They need to be more educated on the bag policy and just everything overall since I also saw other people having issues. Compared to Bill Graham, Bill Graham does such a better job and you get in quicker there. I just feel like Cow Palace seems ratchet overall so probably won't go to another rave here. Also, when you call their number for info regarding the showtimes and set times the people answering the phones have no clue. Also, I think they started doing raves at the cow palace since it ends later at 2am.

Horribly unsafe. Asked security for help during an emergency and got mocked. Spent an hour trying to get of the building safely after being cornered in a corridor, I can't believe this is allowed. Be extremely careful if you decide to step anywhere near this place, security are no help. PLEASE be safe and avoid it entirely.

Had fun seeing Fisher here but these 2 security guards were rude & unprofessional. The one on the right was saying she'd let us in without my ID if I payed her $50, I took an Uber back to my hotel to get my ID & when I got back nobody even checked & I was still let in. So she pretty much lied to me & I wasted all that time for nothing. If she's taking bribes to let people in that's a hazard. Security on the left rudely yelled over my friend while she was asking a question & literally shooed her away with her hands. If they aren't there to do there job right they shouldn't be there tbh. Cow palace itself was a cool venue just wish to see better staff (:

Came to the Cow palace from out of town to watch the women's rodeo. On their website it states doors open at 4:30 p.m. show starts at six. We get here and we're told that the doors will not open till 5 PM. This is bizarre people all out here waiting in the hot sun may not attend here again. It's very unorganized.

I came for the Fisher concert on 03/30 and was very disappointed. The security was very aggressive to the point where I felt a little unsafe being there. I saw security grabbing girls hair and dragging them out of the venue. I saw people getting pulled to the floor or held against walls - all in all it was a little unsettling. Yes the graphics were great and the sound system is definitely cool - but it doesn't make up for the rude staff scanning tickets/checking bags and aggressive security.

Ehhhhh. Came here for a concert and there was no information about how to get onto the floor until it was too late. Bathrooms were clean-ish but lines were long. Bars were plenty but the menu items were blah and lines were slow. Leaks everywhere creating walking hazards left and right. The sloped walkways were wet which made me fear that some drunk was going to eat shit. Upon walking out of the venue at the end of the night there was no where to go. Droves of people were walking in every direction. We ended up walking a couple miles and then called an Uber for way cheaper than it would've been. Upside to the overall experience was that the audio was phenomenal.

This venue is what it is. It's old but has a lot of history. It was a solid experience. They could do better with offering better beer (like Chase Center) but overall I didn't have a bad experience. Plenty of good seating available. Prices for alcohol and food wasn't too bad.

I came here for the annual Dickens Fair. They are well organized and move people quickly through the line. The staff is helpful and pleasant. The building is warmer then it was in the past. It used to be freezing inside. Now it's pleasant with out a heavy coat. It was pouring when we got outside. They shuttled everyone from the entrance to the Dickens fair to the where you entered to give your tickets. I highly recommend this venue. The only downfall is there isn't any lodging close by.

The venue is great and spacious! But what made it a 5-star experience was Mala! She was able to help find/retrieve my lost wallet and was extra communicative. Thanks for your help Mala and Cow Palace team. Yall made my week

Got the flu here. Understaffed and really old need a remodelin. Also needs to have the

There is a lot of history here. For me, perhaps a little more than others. Like a roller coaster, there were a lot of ups and downs. This venue has long served the community as an event center for a variety of shows like rodeos (hence the name), the sportsman & boat show, gun shows, sports collectibles shows, etc. It was also one of the original homes of the San Francisco Warriors who played at the Civic Auditorium also before moving to Oakland... yes, they're baaaack! Besides the sports and boat show, I remember coming here for a rodeo like field trip in elementary school along with several other schools in the City. My next visits would mostly be sports collectible shows where I was able to get a number of items autographed and take a picture with Hall of Fame basketball player Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Soon after college and when I started earning my own spending money, I was able to get a pair of tickets and enjoy Prince's Purple Rain concert (3rd row, btw) with my first love. As mentioned in my profile, to date, this is my favorite concert ever, period. During the summer, I had an opportunity to watch this performance again when Prince's company streamed it for three days in fundraising for the healthcare providers during the pandemic. This venue also serves as the scene of my first auto accident when I was rear ended while trying to park my car for the Depeche Mode concert. The other vehicles involved were drivable but mine was not. I ended up standing in the rainy night for two hours, in not the greatest of neighborhoods, for a tow home; needless to say, I did not see Depeche Mode and have been scarred whenever I see they are performing in the Bay Area (still yet to see in concert). I also learned two more things: a. depending on which side of the venue you are, you may be in San Francisco or Brisbane. b. SFPD does not take police reports for accidents unless there are injuries. So, there are my highs and lows here. Moral to the story: come here only during day. Oh and congrats, Depeche Mode, on your induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Wish I actually got to see you perform but glad a mild whiplash was my only drawback. Hoping to visit again when sports collectibles shows are back.

This is a long overdue review but the staff at Cow Palace is absolutely amazing. I got in touch with Andrew regarding tickets to a show and he was the best. I had such an amazing time and couldn't have been happier. If one of your favorite artists is performing at Cow Palace, don't miss it!!! Such a great venue, I will definitely be coming back. Thanks again Andrew!

Had a MMA event yesterday 8/19/2023 and it was so nice to have it here instead of Kezar as the seats are more comfortable and there was more concession options. Hope to see more events back at the Cow palace

Nice venue. We came here for a MMA event. This place is huge! Plenty of bathrooms and concessions. A lot of parking out front and super easy to find.

I was at the fisher show on Saturday night, I was denied entry to the pit (where my ticket and event staff said I had access to) and was assaulted by venue security. I was walking to try and find a spot after getting denied access to the pit and security was chasing someone, the security guard tripped and fell and elbowed me in the back of the head hard enough to almost lose consciousness. The guard then just got up and ran away with out saying anything or even making sure I was alright. Show was way over sold, unorganized, and event staff was very unprofessional.

Normally this place is a gymnasium devoted to a plethora of sports and expo activities, today a garden, in all literal sense of the word. The event started, I was told on Friday, and will last until Sunday. Parking was $12.00, (a little pricey, but not a big deal considering the spread of vendors, shows, foods, beverages, wines and beers, and of course the main attractions the medal winners of self-imagined and personally created landscapes and gardens segregated within the gymnasium. I was pleasantly greeted and there was an expected security check, but they were quick and added to a sense of security to what promised to be a safe and splendid time. I did not know what to expect, so, upon entering the double doors, the height, depth, imagination, and execution of these "recognized displays of art meets nature," were show stopping. I was snapping pictures like I was a photographer at a Spring Time Designer Show in Paris. Heh, I loved the serenity and peace accompanied with just immersing Oneself in each of the exhibits, I definitely Nature Geek Out! There was a huge Thor Hammer embedded into the ground with multitudes of colored transparent rocks and glass emblazoned with a LED light underneath making it seem that the Asgardian Artifact was indeed splitting the Earth. Oh complete with steam too. Had a good time pretending I was trying to lift it up because I am a true WArrior!!! The gymnasium was still pretty small, with the 10-13 exhibits, I thought to myself man, I paid $12.00 dollars and this is it. "Goober moment!" I walked around to see if there was food, well I was dumbstruck when I stumbled upon three rows deep of vendors and displays and one end with a stage displaying shows and the opposite end serving food, drinks, handmade crepes! That was the South Hall, oh yes, there is a North Hall too similarly fashioned and festooned with entirely different vendors and displays. Overall, an amazing time, well worth the $12.00 dollars for parking, the event requires you purchase a ticket, I was offered mine for free. So, I decided to eat. Brisket Pull Pork sandwich, and it was tasty after walking around for a few hours. Considering the event, it was lightly greasy, definitely well-filled with brisket between softly warmed, i think, French bread? Goodness it hit the spot, I really wanted a Tomato and Mozzarella Crepe but the line and the one guy effectively doing his best to handle the flow was still being over worked and bombarded with hungry patrons. So, brisket cause I felt bad. Lmao. You must see this place if you are bored on a Sunday or even if you go to church like I do, you should go. Especially if you need ideas for your own home and yard. Thanks for a great time people that put on this even

Classic place - very bare bones. Came for the dog show and it was a bit crazy layout. The entrance and the concessions felt like they haven't been updated in the past 39 years or so. The seats aren't super comfortable and isn't optimal for a dog show. The vendors and dogs were the only highlights here. Bonus points: there's a disco ball in the main room. Could have been used more.

Why can't someone put some money into modernizing the Cow Palace? Came here for a cat show, and besides the awful acoustics and bad layout of the show (we were in a hall), it was dimly lit in there and kind of unwelcoming. The concession stands are always overpriced and unappealing. It looks like nothing has ever been done to update anything. On a good note, the facility is very clean and well kept. Bathrooms while outdated are clean and in great condition, and there is plenty of parking.

Historical place in the bay for variety of events. It is not a fancy upgraded place. Enjoy the historical feel as it hasn't been update for years. While old, they do keep it quite clean the times I have visited. It is not meant to be compared to those newly built, contemporary arenas. Would strongly suggest a visit if you are into the old historic type of venue rather than just some new fancy places. This place gives me more "flavor" than the newer places.

If I could give this zero stars I would. WASTED my money and security was rude af! I've been to concerts all over the country and this one was a scam. DO NOT GO HERE! They will not give you your seat.

The Cow Palace is a huge, old arena originally meant to host livestock shows. Construction was started at the end of the 30's, when America was recovering from the depression, and there was controversy over spending money on, as one critic put it, a "palace for cows". The official name was the California State Livestock Pavillion, but the nick name proved popular and became the offical name. It wasn't long after it was completed that America entered WWII, and the space was used as a processing point for troops bound for the Pacific theater and repair facility for military vehicles. In addition to livestock shows, the Cow Palace has hosted sporting events, political convenstions and concerts. These days it is primarily used for shows where something is on display; boats, tattoos, guns, and events like the Golden Gate Kennel Club dog show (a personal favorite) and the Dicken's Christmas fair. The reason I mention the history is because it has a bearing on my rating. Objectively, The Cow Palces is a 2, but becuase of it's place in history, I've given it a 3. The building is 77 years old and showing it's age. The interior and fixtures could use an update, there aren't enough restrooms, the insulation and ventalation isn't great, causing it to be hot and stuffy when crowded, and cold and damp when its not. The concessions are pricey and mediocre. There are positives. You have a good view from most any seat, and it's really easy to get there from the 101 or 280 freeway. All in all, it is a decent venue if you are aware of and plan for the drawbacks.

This place is old, and have seen better days. However...it still serves a good purpose. One of them is providing a good venue for my kid's band to perform in. Jefferson School District held its annual Bands in Concert here. Plenty of good seats and free parking available. Although the seats are old, we had access to some outlet plugs to charge our phones in. Home of the San Francisco Warriors and even briefly to the San Jose Sharks, now it's a smorgasbord of conventions and events. From the circus to concerts, dog shows, boat shows, gun shows, tattoos, Arena Football, Home & Garden and the Rodeo. A Rodeo show in San Francisco? Not just any Rodeo, but the Grand National Rodeo at that. Now that's truly a Cow Palace.

Went to a concert in the parking lot. Beer was room temperature. Port-a-potties smelled disgusting. Worse then they should've. There must've been a sewage leak. The band I saw had technical difficulties and had to take a half hour break. But the music has to stop at 10pm, so we missed a large portion of the show

Legendary venue, a little warm when the floor is packed to the gills, but it was too be expected for the exciting G1 Special. Easy access and easy to leave when the event ended. Great event, great time, great staff to handle the wrestling fans.

An absolutely HUGE venue with almost a 15,000 person capacity. Very quick and easy to find in Daily City. I found parking to be reasonable. It was only $12. I read another review on there that someone had an issue with $10. I feel $10 is better than $12 and $12 is better than $20. Shoot, the parking for baseball games and football games can be $30- $50+. Our local fair in Sonoma County can be $10. I feel the price for parking is average and very fair. You can try risk parking your vehicle on the street if you want to save a few bucks? Either way, $10 or $12 is a lot less than a smashed window. I've driven down here at 5:30am to wait in line in the freezing cold for the gun show to buy massive amounts of ammo when we were in an ammo panic a few years back. I have completed danced my A$$ off to Techno beats back at Planet New Year 2002 & 2004 to Donald Glaude, Paul Van Dyk, Christopher Lawrence and Wish FM with 20,000 ravers. Today, I attended a dog show and watched a sport called Fly Ball. Wonderful events happen here. Its best to stay tuned and don't miss out on the next upcoming event.

Same shit i was 14 years old no one was messing with me i was on meth not weed not beer on meth i drank to much and did meth with my naibor down stairs and her cousin at macalitsr they cool

My review is from the 1950's.....yep, that's when I participated in one of the biggest events of my very young life, rode my horse in the Livestock Show/Horse show! Figuring I was a country kid who had never been in an indoor arena, this was a really big deal. The arena was huge, there were it seemed like a thousand kids in my class. Seeing the old pictures brought back memories, thanks.

The seats were pretty comfortable but I wish they had drink holders like other stadiums. We bought churros and kettle corn, both of which were really good. I would buy those items again. I would come back for a show again.

Cuts off consessions early and refuses service to people who had been waiting in line for upwards of 10 minutes. Terrible customer service. Avoid at all costs.

I did it. I finally visited the Cow Palace after living in the bay area for 28 years of my life. I came here with DL for the dog show. It was a lot smaller than I expected it to be. I always envisioned it to be larger and with more character in the decor, but it was just a disappointing cemented structure with little outlets here and there for vendors. Even the seats were bland at best. But I am glad that I finally visited the Cow Palace because I believe that it is a great part of history and has impacted the lives of many. Now on to review the dog show: 3.5 stars. There were a bunch of activists outside with large signs to ask people to adopt rather than to buy from breeders. So the first question that came to mind was "is the SPCA there?" The activist I asked didn't seem too knowledgable about what was actually in the event so I went on with my day. I was pleasantly surprised to see rescue groups in this event, but it's hard to keep your eye on their tables when there were so many cute puppies and dogs in the isles. It would have helped the rescue groups if they actually brought one of their dogs to the event. I was a bit disappointed by the event due to a lack of variety of dogs than I had expected. I was a little disappointed that I didn't see any shih tzu's, rottweilers, and german shepherds. But I still had my fair share of "ooo's, ahhhh, & AWWWWW" moments. The breeders were very helpful in answering questions even if we weren't interested in purchasing a pup. They were just very helpful in informing people about the breed and even warned us about certain traits that the dog has that might not be ideal for our lifestyle. I had inquired about training a husky and the breeder was very helpful and even referred me to a training club. There were plenty of vendors for clothing, leashes, collars, toys, and other supplies. I held my ground and went home without rescuing or purchasing a dog. But I have decided that my next dog would be a great dane :D

A little disappointed with this place. Seems like a great large area to have events and such but the event staff doesn't really broadcast with proper signage on where the events are. Even the parking people just ask if you're going to a legitimate event but don't really tell you that certain ones are held in different places. Took a while to find out ours was not in the South Hall area and was actually in the Lower Halls. Had to read some bad flyers at the ticket booth and then guess at the gates which could have had better signs pointing to the area. Nice large facility but otherwise...meh.