Aerial view of Fox Oakland Theater with Telegraph Ave in the distance. Credit: Amir Aziz

The Fox Theater is teaming up with Red Bull for “Red Bull Skate Our Stages Oakland,” which will turn a portion of Telegraph Avenue between 18th and 19th Street into a block party and skate jam with live music and food trucks on Aug. 7 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Over 50 local skaters and skate shops will partake in the all-day festivities. 

Although the Fox Theater won’t be hosting concerts until September its general manager, Tony Leong, said he is eager to welcome patrons back to the Uptown neighborhood for a block party. 

“During the pandemic, I finally got a chance to observe the impact that the Fox has, how symbolic it is for Oakland,” he said. “I realized how important it is to the actual economy and the soul of the Uptown area.” Pre-pandemic shows at the Fox would routinely bring nearly 3,000 people to the neighborhood, according to Leong. 

While the actual inside of the Fox will be off-limits for the soft-reopening, the gates to the terrazzo (the section below the marquee) will be open, as well as the Den, the bar connected to the theater. 

“I think it’ll be pretty symbolic to see people out on the street in front of the Fox again,” Leong said.  “We’re hoping that it’s kind of symbolic of the reopening and really welcoming people back to the Uptown area specifically.” 

Being that this is a block party, there will be DJs playing sets throughout the day. The lineup includes Daghe, Aux Cord, Yung Tucson, Lil Zé, Geekin Rican (Cherry), and Little Kevin Perez.

The event is limited to people aged 18 and up. Free tickets will be up for grabs on July 29 at 9 a.m. through Eventbrite. 

“I know that skate culture has seen a revival, especially with the younger generation. And I think it’ll be good to have this kind of community event,” Leong added. 

The Fox theater will officially reopen on Thursday, Sept. 3, with a show by Umphrey’s McGee, which was initially scheduled for last March. “It’s interesting because that was one of our first shows that had to get rescheduled. And literally, it’s the first show back,” he said. “I think it’s kind of coming full circle.”

Correction: we updated the list of DJs to correct the spelling of two of their names and provide the complete stage names of two others.

Azucena Rasilla headshot

Azucena Rasilla is a bilingual journalist from East Oakland reporting in Spanish and in English, and a longtime reporter on Oakland arts, culture and community. As an independent local journalist, she has reported for KQED Arts, The Bold Italic, Zora and The San Francisco Chronicle. She was a writer and social media editor for the East Bay Express, helping readers navigate Oakland’s rich artistic and creative landscapes through a wide range of innovative digital approaches.