An East Bay City Is Getting Its First Women's Sports Bar

OAKLAND, CA — Oakland is getting its first women's sports bar next summer, but first it needs the community's help.

Hysteria Sports Bar was started by Mayra Velazquez, founder of Xingones Cantina in Jack London Square, Erin Waddell, an Oakland educator, Meadow Holmes, a lifelong athlete and production and operations manager at KTOP-TV and Audacious Wilson, a poet and community organizer.

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The locale will operate as a bar and restaurant where the primary focus will be on women's sports games. The founders say they've chosen Oakland as the city to build it in because they're locals who play soccer there, eat there, and cultivate community there.

"Hysteria Sports Bar will be a welcoming space with multiple screens dedicated to women's sports: basketball, soccer, tennis, baseball, football, volleyball, rugby, ultimate frisbee, hockey, softball, international leagues and matches in Spanish," its founders said online. "No asking. No negotiating. Women's games are always the main event."

Hysteria Sports Bar comes at a time when women's sports are having their moment, according to the founders.

Oakland also has a strong women's sports base, including teams such as the Oakland Soul and Bay FC.

Meanwhile, women's sports bars are also growing. There are currently a few dozen across the United States.

California opened its first women's sports bar, Watch Me! Sports Bar, in 2024. Since then, four more have popped up across the Golden State, including Rikki's in San Francisco. Hysteria would make it six.

And the demand is clearly there, the founders said. Although there's no set locale yet, Hysteria Sports Bar launched last month to a packed crowd of more than 200 supporters at Velazquez's Xingones Cantina.

Elected officials, representatives from four professional sports organizations, and leaders from two of the Bay Area’s most prominent university athletic programs all gathered inside the space to celebrate the launch.

"Seeing this many people in my restaurant, celebrating women’s sports together, is exactly why we’re doing this," Velazquez said during the event last month. "This proves people want a place to gather and watch women’s sports. We’re excited to create a place all people can gather and cheer on their favorite women’s teams

Velazquez, Waddell, Holmes and Wilson, who have each invested $50,000 of their own money, however, still need help bringing the vision together.

They're currently raising funds and hope to open by summer 2027. As of Thursday, their online fundraiser has raised $73,164 out of its $500,000 goal.

"Your donation helps bring women's sports to the center of Oakland's social life," according to the fundraiser. "It creates a space where young fans see women athletes celebrated on the big screen

Supporters who donate will be part of the "Starting Squad," according to the founders. "Roster" spots will be determined by how much a person donates.

For example, a $500 donation makes a supporter a "fan favorite" and gets their name up on the community wall. A $15,000 donation gets a starting squad jersey and scarf, the opportunity to name a drink after their favorite athlete, and invitiation to the starting squad party and their name featured on the community wall.

"The community is ready. The demand is here," according to the fundraiser. "We just need the space. Help us build it."