Venue

An Iconic Bay Area Stage

Built in 1941 with Works Progress Administration funds and originally known as the California State Livestock Pavilion, the Cow Palace earned its unforgettable name when a San Francisco supervisor dismissed the project as a “palace for cows” — a jab a local headline writer turned into the arena’s permanent identity.

What began as a home for the Grand National Rodeo, which it has hosted every year since 1941, grew into one of the most storied concert venues on the West Coast. The Beatles played their first-ever North American tour date here on August 19, 1964, and returned twice more before their final tour ended at the Cow Palace in 1966. Elvis Presley, The Who, the Grateful Dead, Santana, Van Halen, U2, Nirvana, and Kiss have all filled its halls, alongside decades of boxing, ice shows, and — twice — the Republican National Convention.

That same arena, with its cavernous arched roof and deep musical history, will host NABC 2027 — bringing three days of Bengali culture, conversation, and celebration to a stage that has welcomed some of the biggest names in American entertainment.