UC Berkeley Student Discounts, Employment, and more!
Cal Performances is one of the world’s premier performing arts presenters for music, dance, and theater—and 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 or online with CalNet authentication.
Plus, 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.
And there are no per order fees associated with UCB Student purchases, no matter the order method!
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Explore the Season
Meet fellow arts-lovers at our UC Berkeley student receptions!
For our 2024–25 season, we’ve planned four post-performance receptions to celebrate the UC Berkeley students in our Cal Performances community and to provide a space for you to connect with other students who share a love for live performance! Free light refreshments will be served on the Zellerbach Hall Mezzanine (second floor) for all UCB student ticketholders and their guests.
Receptions will be held immediately following:
SLAM! on Sat, Oct 5, 2024*
Leonidas Kavakos’ recital on Fri, Nov 15, 2024
Twyla Tharp’s Dance’s performance on Sat, Feb 8, 2025
Update: the reception for Vienna Philharmonic will be held during intermission:
Vienna Philharmonic’s concert on Thu, Mar 6, 2025
An RSVP is not required to attend post-performance receptions. We encourage you to check out our student discounts below, particularly our Golden Bear Circle program, as you plan your visit.
* Date change from previously announced
Radio Partner for the 2024–25 Student Receptions
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 2024–25 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 and are available online only.
- Ex Machina / Robert Lepage & Cirque FLIP FabriqueSLAM! (Sat, Oct 5, 2024)
EVENT PAST - Jordi Savall, La Capella Reial de Catalunya, and Hespèrion XXI; The Tears and the Fire of the Muses (Sat, Oct 12, 2024)
EVENT PAST - Leonidas Kavakos, violin; Bach’s Complete Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin (Fri, Nov 15, 2024 and Sat, Nov 16, 2024)
On Sale noon Fri, Nov 1, 2024
EVENT PAST - Igor Levit, piano (Tue, Nov 19, 2024)
EVENT PAST - Maxim Vengerov, violin
Polina Osetinskaya, piano (Sat, Nov 23, 2024)
EVENT PAST - Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment with Julia Bullock, soprano (Sun, Jan 19, 2025)
EVENT PAST - Lise Davidsen, soprano; Malcolm Martineau, piano (Tue, Feb 4, 2025)
EVENT PAST - Samara Joy (Wed, Feb 5, 2025)
EVENT PAST - Twyla Tharp Dance: Diamond Jubilee; Featuring Third Coast Percussion (Sat, Feb 8, 2025)
EVENT PAST - This Land is Our Land, Featuring Martha Redbone Roots Project and American Patchwork Quartet (Fri, Feb 28, 2025)
EVENT PAST - Vienna Philharmonic; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (Thu, Mar 6, 2025)
EVENT PAST - William Kentridge’s The Great Yes, The Great No (Fri, Mar 14, 2025)
EVENT PAST - Story Boldly’s Defining Courage: An Immersive Live Event (Fri, Apr 4, 2025)
EVENT PAST - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (Tue, Apr 8, 2025)
EVENT PAST - Grupo Corpo: 21 and Gira (Sat, Apr 26, 2025)
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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 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.
UC Berkeley Student Rush
For select performances, UCB Students can purchase $10 tickets beginning an hour before the performance at the Cal Performances Ticket Office.
To find out if rush tickets will be available for a particular show, call 510.642.9988 beginning three hours prior to the performance.
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.
The 2024–25 Illuminations theme, “Fractured History,” we aim to explore and expand our understanding of the past. In partnership with campus thought leaders, Illuminations performances and public programs investigate what gets lost when we abridge complex events, how we might “zoom out” to be more inclusive in historical perspective, and what role the arts can play in restoring nuance to the way we view our past, present, and future.
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!