In today’s era when technology refutes geographical distance, music helps me to cross the distance within. Music connects me to my inner self.
I love spending my evenings sometimes filled with music; only music. It is to me is a tremendous mysterious element, a force of nature that I have to bow before.
Recently, I got an opportunity to spend a musical evening with the San Francisco Symphony. I listened to Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique at the Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco and went through layers of emotions within. Remembering a beautiful quote by Charles Darwin,
If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once a week; for perhaps the parts of my brain now atrophied would have thus been kept active through use. The loss of these tastes is a loss of happiness, and may possibly be injurious to the intellect, and more probably to the moral character, by enfeebling the emotional part of our nature.
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Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco
Davies Symphony Hall Seating: Where Should You Sit?
Davies Symphony Hall seats 2,739 people across four levels, and the seat map can look baffling the first time you open it. Here is what the sections actually mean.
| Section | Where it is |
|---|---|
| Premier Orchestra and Front Orchestra | Front of the main floor, closest to the musicians |
| Orchestra and Upper Orchestra | Rear of the main floor |
| Side Boxes and Rear Boxes | Along the sides and back of the main floor |
| Center Terrace and Side Terrace | Behind and above the orchestra, facing the conductor |
| Loge | The lowest balcony |
| First Tier | Above the Loge |
| Second Tier | The highest level, with the widest view of the stage |
The Symphony’s own advice is reassuring, and worth quoting. It says the hall has good acoustics and sightlines in every section, that the Orchestra level puts you closer to the musicians, that the Loge and Tiers give you a bird’s-eye view of the whole stage, and that Terrace seats sit behind the orchestra so you watch the conductor face on.
Tip: If you are going for the first time and want the best value, then look at the Terrace. You sit behind the orchestra looking straight at the conductor, which is a completely different experience from the main floor, and the seats are usually among the cheaper ones in the hall!
How much do San Francisco Symphony tickets cost?
- Regular concerts: roughly $30 to $205 per seat, depending on the programme and how early you book. Prices move with demand, so the cheap seats go first.
- Student rush: $25 on selected concerts, with a student ID and a .edu email. You need to register in advance.
- Teacher rush: $25 on selected concerts, with a teacher ID and a school email.
- Open rehearsals: about $55 to $65, on a handful of Thursday mornings at 10 am, with a free talk beforehand at 9 am.
- Free options: the Community Ticket Program and the free Community Chamber Concerts around the city, plus discounted passes through Bay Area library cards.
What time do concerts start?
- Evening concerts: almost always 7:30 pm.
- Matinees: usually 2 pm.
- Open rehearsals: 10 am, on Thursdays.
- Doors: open one hour before the concert. Give yourself that hour, because the lobby is part of the evening.
- Will call: arrive at least 30 minutes early to collect tickets.
The hall is at 201 Van Ness Avenue, in the Civic Center. Prices and times here were checked in September 2026 for the 2026 to 2027 season, which runs from September into late June.
Before I write about the magical evening that I spent at Davies Symphony Hall with the San Francisco Symphony, I would urge you to do a simple thought experiment. Look at the pictures of the beautiful Davies Symphony Hall and imagine! You are sitting there with the hall filled with music. The penetrating and soft tune from a violin; the varied melodies from a flute; the flowing tune of a harp or the sound from a clarinet which will swell, decrease and die away slowly. How would you feel?
How would you feel when you will listen to the effects of unrest, excitement and terror, all produced by the tremolo or the dramatic effect produced by the timpani?
Would you not go through layers of emotion within, just like I did? Unsurprisingly, I reach helplessly for words like “divine” or “miraculous” to explain my feelings.
Where to Stay Near Davies Symphony Hall
Davies Hall is at 201 Van Ness, in Civic Center. Concerts finish late and the drive home across a bridge afterwards is nobody’s idea of a good evening, so staying the night turns a concert into a proper outing. All three of these are walkable.
Inn at the Opera
Three tenths of a mile away, tucked behind the Opera House. Musicians have been staying here for decades, and you can walk back to your room in minutes when the last encore is over.
Tip: If you want the shortest walk home after the concert, then book Inn at the Opera.
Courtyard by Marriott, Van Ness Avenue
Half a mile up the same street, so you can walk to Davies Hall and to the War Memorial Opera House next door without ever finding a parking space.
Tip: If you are making a weekend of music and dance, then stay at the Courtyard by Marriott on Van Ness.
Hotel Adagio
Six tenths of a mile, nearer Union Square, which means dinner before the concert is a short stroll rather than a plan.
Tip: If you want restaurants on your doorstep before a 7:30 curtain, then book Hotel Adagio.
The night I went: Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto
Mendelssohn’s exhilarating Violin Concerto was performed by violinist Blake Pouliot and conductor Brett Mitchell. They took me to a distant land which was full of wonder and I wandered around freely. They unlocked me and I met me.
Life seems to go on without effort when I am filled with music.
George Eliot
(Credit: San Francisco Symphony)
Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique
Symphonie fantastique is a program symphony written by the French composer Hector Berlioz in 1830. It is an important piece of the early Romantic period.
The heartbreak behind Symphonie fantastique
In 1827, Berlioz saw Harriet Smithson for the first time, playing Ophelia in a production of Hamlet. Hopelessly smitten, he turned his entire life upside down to meet her. Frantic months turned into years when he suddenly heard rumors about Harriet and another man. Believing himself cured, he wrote a ‘fantastic’ symphony complete with a special theme, the idée fixe, to represent his former obsession.
Love cannot express the idea of music, while music may give an idea of love.
Hector Berlioz
Aftereffect of a beautiful concert in San Francisco
Now even when a few days have passed, I can still hear the music with my eyes closed and with no effort. And almost instantly, my anxieties and humdrum of daily life take a sidetrack. Music is magic. Music is power.
One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.
Bob Marley
Practical Tips for Visiting the San Francisco Symphony
- Arrive when the doors open, a full hour before the concert. The lobby is part of the evening, and there is time for a drink before the lights go down.
- Look outside from the first floor at the interval. San Francisco City Hall sparkles at night, right across Van Ness, and most people walk straight past the window.
- Concerts start on time. If you are late you will wait for a break in the programme before you are seated.
- Students and teachers, register for rush tickets. $25 gets you into selected concerts with a student or school ID.
- Read about the piece before you go. Knowing that Berlioz wrote Symphonie fantastique about a woman who would not have him changes the way the whole thing sounds!
- Buying for someone else? A concert makes a lovely gift. The season runs from September into late June, so there is nearly always something on.
FAQs About the San Francisco Symphony
Where is the best place to sit at Davies Symphony Hall?
The Symphony says the hall has good acoustics and sightlines in every section. The Orchestra level puts you closest to the musicians, the Loge and Tiers give you a view of the whole stage, and the Terrace seats sit behind the orchestra so you face the conductor. Terrace is usually the best value for a first visit.
How much are San Francisco Symphony tickets?
Regular concerts run from about $30 to $205 depending on the programme and how early you book. Students and teachers can get rush tickets for $25 on selected concerts, and open rehearsals are around $55 to $65.
What time do San Francisco Symphony concerts start?
Evening concerts almost always start at 7:30 pm and matinees at 2 pm. Doors open one hour before the concert, and open rehearsals begin at 10 am on selected Thursday mornings.
How many seats are in Davies Symphony Hall?
Davies Symphony Hall seats 2,739 people, including the Terrace seating behind the stage.
What should you wear to the San Francisco Symphony?
There is no dress code. You will see everything from suits and dresses to jeans, so wear what you are comfortable in. Most people dress up a little because it makes the evening feel like an occasion.
Where is Davies Symphony Hall?
Davies Symphony Hall is at 201 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco’s Civic Center, across the street from City Hall and next to the War Memorial Opera House.
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No matter how expensive the sound system we use in our car or at home, they can’t give us the feeling of listening to a concert from inside a hall.
I loved sitting amidst an audience mesmerized by the charm of music. Even my three-year-old daughter watched and listened to the concert till the end, patiently and lovingly.
In the cult of continuous production and consumption, it is painful but possible for human beings to become a production machine. Once we become that, it is hard to return to a realm where happiness and joy are unbound.
Music always helps me to wander in a realm brimming with joy and peace and stops me from swimming in the sea of relentless productivity.
Music always helps me to wander in a realm brimming with joy and peace and stops me from swimming in the sea of relentless productivity. #Music #Travel #SanFrancisco Share on XIf you live in the San Francisco Bay area or are visiting the city, spend an evening with the San Francisco Symphony. Each and every moment will be a treasure. If you love to float in the medicinal air of music then listen to the San Francisco Symphony orchestra.
Disclosure: I wrote this post as part of a campaign with the San Francisco Symphony. Opinions on this blog, as you can tell, are always mine.
I hope you have enjoyed San Francisco Symphony at Davies Hall: Seating, Tickets, Tips. You may also enjoy these other San Francisco travel guides:
- Ballads in Ballet: A Rhythmic Evening in San Francisco
- Dear San Francisco at Club Fugazi: An Immersive Circus Show
- 28 Hidden Gems in San Francisco: Non-Touristy Things to Do
- 120 Best Free Things to Do in the San Francisco Bay Area
- 11 Exciting Things to Do in San Francisco for Young Adults
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