UC Berkeley Student Discounts, Employment, and more!

Cal Performances is one of the world’s premier performing arts presenters for music, dance, and theaterand it’s located right here on the UC Berkeley campus! We present up to 100 performances each season and offer special discounts and opportunities to encourage UC Berkeley students to join our adventurous audiences.

Every show. Every seat. 50% off.

Cal students get 50% off single ticket prices for all Cal Performances events, without exception. Tickets can be purchased in person with your current student ID at the Zellerbach Hall Ticket Office.

All UC Berkeley Student tickets require authentication with your current UC Berkeley student ID. Until you authenticate, you will not see your 50% off discounted ticket price. Please note: one ticket per student, per event at the 50% off discounted rate. Authenticate via CalNet

And there are even more ways to save! On this page learn about and take advantage of our new Golden Bear Circle program, UC Berkeley Student Flex Passes, UC Berkeley Student Group Discounts, and UC Berkeley Student Rush tickets. Plus, explore opportunities to work and volunteer with us and learn about our Illuminations programming, where we partner with on-campus academic and research talent.

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Explore the Season

UC Berkeley students at reception

UCB Student Post-performance Receptions
Meet fellow arts-lovers at these 4 events!

During our 2023–24 season, we’ve planned four post-performance receptions to celebrate the UC Berkeley students in our Cal Performances community and to provide a space to connect with other students who share an affinity for live performance! A reception with free refreshments will be held immediately following each of the four performances listed below on the Zellerbach Hall Mezzanine (second floor) for UCB student ticketholders and their guests.

Receptions will be held after:

The Triplets of Belleville Cine-Concert on Oct 21, 2023
San Francisco Symphony‘s performance on Nov 10, 2023
Cécile McLorin Salvant‘s performance on Jan 25, 2024
The Joffrey Ballet‘s performance of Anna Karenina on Mar 15, 2024

An RSVP is not required to attend. All UC Berkeley student ticketholders are invited. We encourage you to check out our Golden Bear Circle program for extra discounts on tickets to the cine-concert, SF Symphony, and Joffrey Ballet events.

Bubly Sparkling Water Logo

Student Reception Beverage Sponsor

KALX logo

Radio Partner for the 2023–24 Student Receptions

UCB Student Golden Bear Circle

Golden Bear Circle
$10 premium seats

For just $10 per ticket, UC Berkeley students can secure some of the best seats in the house for 10 or more of our most anticipated performances of the 23-24 season. Come solo or bring a friend (limit two tickets per student). A limited number of premium tickets will be available at the special $10 price for Cal Students on a first-come, first-served basis. And be sure to join Email Club to get the schedule announcement direct to your inbox. Tickets go on sale at noon around two weeks before each performance.

Limit two tickets per performance. If you purchase two tickets, your guest does not need to be a UC Berkeley student. A limited number of premium seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 510.642.9988, or in person at the Ticket Office at Zellerbach Hall.  When ordering by phone or in person, mention Golden Bear Circle so you receive your $10 tickets. Tickets must be picked up the day of the performance at the Ticket Office Will Call with a valid student ID.

UCB Student Flex Pass

Student Flex Pass
4 performances for only $60
6 performances for only $90
8 performances for only $120

Buy in bulk and you can get four, six, or eight tickets to world-class performances for just $15 per ticket! Tickets can be redeemed at any point during the season, so you can find shows that fit your schedule.

Student Flex Passes are redeemable for up to two tickets per performance and for the best available seats at the time of redemption in price sections 3–6 for Zellerbach Hall, the balcony in First Congregational Church, and all seats in Hertz Hall and Zellerbach Playhouse. (Other seating restrictions may apply.) If redeeming for two tickets, your guest does not need to be a UCB student. Tickets for individual performances as well as Flex Passes are subject to limitations and availability. Redeem “Flex Pass Performance” vouchers for the performance of your choice by visiting the Ticket Office any time between Pass purchase and the day of the show. You will need to have a valid, current UCB student ID to redeem.   All Flex Pass sales are final and unused tickets are not refundable.

The following events or event dates are not available for Flex Pass redemption or UCB Student Group discounts: Ai Weiwei with Peter Sellars and Orville Schell; Ezra Klein: A Liberalism That Builds; Kristin Chenoweth For the Girls; American Railroad Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens, Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge, and Sunday matinee dance performances. Performances not available for Flex Pass redemption are subject to change.

UCB Student Group Discounts

Student Group Discounts
$15 Tickets for Groups of 10+

From classroom enrichment outings to a special get together for campus student organizations, Cal Performances offers UCB student group rate pricing of $15 per ticket for select performances to groups of 10 or more. Get your friends, sorority, fraternity, club, or classmates together and share an experience you’ll never forget.

You can work with our Ticket Office to create a promotion code so that those in your group can individually order their tickets, or, alternately, make arrangements to purchase tickets all at once for direct distribution to your group. Limit two tickets per student (at least half of your group must be UC Berkeley students; any guests do not need to be students).

For an added social dimension to your experience, Cal Performances can help make arrangements for groups of 25-125 people to get together in the hall during intermission or following the performance (space availability permitting).

To purchase UC Berkeley Student Group tickets, start by filling out the request form. UCB student group tickets are available for limited events and in limited quantities and are available for requesting groups on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Please note: a full list of attendees names and email addresses will be required by Cal Performances in advance of the performance.

UCB Student Group discounts restrictions

The following events or event dates are not available for Flex Pass redemption or UCB Student Group discounts: Ai Weiwei with Peter Sellars and Orville Schell; Ezra Klein: A Liberalism That Builds; Kristin Chenoweth For the Girls; American Railroad Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens, Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge, and Sunday matinee dance performances.

UCB Student Rush

UC Berkeley Student Rush

For select performances, Cal students can purchase deeply discounted tickets—as low as $10—beginning an hour before the performance.

To find out if rush tickets will be available for a particular show, call 510.642.9988 beginning three hours prior to the performance.

2023-24 Illuminations: Individual and Community

Illuminations: Connecting Performing Arts & Campus Learning

Illuminations puts the groundbreaking scholarship of UC Berkeley and the world-class music, dance, and theater presented by Cal Performances in conversation with one another to shed light on pressing themes with the power to transform our understanding of the world and shape the future.

This year’s Illuminations theme—“Individual & Community”—will empower us to explore the tensions that come into play while balancing the interests of the individual with the interest of the group. Through performances and public programs presented in cooperation with our many partners at UC Berkeley, this season Cal Performances investigates how our allegiances and alliances influence our lives as individuals and as members of complex and often overlapping communities.

Learn more about Illuminations “Individual & Community”

Help Make the Performing Arts Happen

Work With Us

Cal Performances employs student workers in a variety of departments, including the ticket office, front-of-house, marketing and communications, and education! All work is paid and part-time, and open to all currently enrolled students, including those participating in work study programs. Additional benefits of working at Cal Performances include:

  • Enjoying free access to the world’s finest music, dance, and theater performances
  • Gaining experience and insight into what it takes to present live performances of the highest caliber
  • Joining a community of other students and staff with your shared interests
  • Developing transferable skills and growing your responsibilities over time
  • Work hours are flexible and typically align with UC Berkeley’s academic year.

See current student job openings

Volunteer

Want to be part of the magic, but need a bit more flexibility with scheduling? Cal Performances relies on the generosity of more than 200 volunteers each season to serve as ushers at all of our performances. Volunteer for as many performances as you’d like and gain free entrance to see world-class talent while you’re already onsite!

Find more information about volunteer openings

Stay in touch

Get Social
Follow us to be in the know and for behind-the-scenes videos and photos.

Facebook
Instagram
TikTok
Twitter

Join Our Email Club
Email Club is the best way to find out about student discounts, upcoming events, and more.

Explore the Season