Entertainment Venue and Central District Entertainment Venue

City Council adopted in July 2024 as part of the Downtown Oakland Specific Plan (DOSP) that modified OMC 5.12 by changing the name of cabaret permits to "entertainment venues" and introduced a new permit type of "Central District Entertainment Venue."

An "Entertainment Venue" shall include any place where: (1) the general public is admitted, for a fee, (2) entertainment is provided, and (3) alcohol is served. An Entertainment Venue shall also include a place that: (1) does not charge for admission but where the general public is admitted, (2) alcohol is served, (3) dancing is permitted, and (4) the venue operates past 11:00 p.m.

“Entertainment” shall include, but is not limited to: Disc Jockey (DJ) entertainment, live music, comedy, karaoke, dancing, floor shows, fashion shows, sip-and-paint events, pop-up food events, events produced by outside promoters, rentals of a venue for events, parties advertised to the public, ticketed events, and other similar events as determined to fit this class of entertainment by the City Administrator. Entertainment does not include background music that is incidental to the primary activity played though a device like a Phone’s streaming service, iPad or an internal intercom system, with limited amplification which allows easily audible conversation over the music.

Use the matrix below to determine whether an entertainment venue permit is required for your activity:

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A Central District Entertainment Venue is defined as any venue with on-sale and/or off-sale of alcoholic beverages in conjunction with an approved arts, entertainment, or cultural use in the zones listed in Section 17.101K.050, Table 17.101K.01(PDF, 524KB) under Alcoholic Beverage Sales with limitation L29 that do not require a Conditional Use Permit (CUP), shall be defined as a Central District Entertainment Venue. Arts, entertainment, and cultural uses include, but are not limited to: bars, former cabarets, night clubs, pool halls, bowling alleys, mini-golf, mechanical or electronic games, museums, art galleries, performing arts centers, auditoriums, theaters, and other similar venues.

The New Central District Entertainment Venue Permits-Please use the Entertainment Venue application below and select “Central District Entertainment Venue” as the permit type when applying. We are working on a separate application process.

Fees (Per Master Fee Schedule)

Application Fee: $724.00 due at the time the application is submitted.

Permit Fee:

  • $517.00- (Small Entertainment/Central District Entertainment Venue with occupancy under 49)
  • $1,295.00 - (Large Entertainment/Central District Entertainment Venue with occupancy over 49)

Extended Hours Application: $1,754.00

Extended Hours Permit fee: $4,034.00

Entertainment Venue Application

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