On this page
Karaoke has two styles. In a bar, you put your name on a list and sing to a room of strangers. In a private room, the style that came from Japan and Korea, your group rents a soundproof room with a screen, a song catalog, microphones and a couch. You sing as badly as you like and nobody else hears. Around Palo Alto, the private room is the easier format to find.
Palo Alto itself has no karaoke venue we could confirm in 2026. When we checked in late October and early November, the closest private rooms posted on a venue's own website with current hours and prices were at the two Round1 entertainment centers in San Jose and Hayward. Both are about 30 minutes from Palo Alto. Several smaller karaoke bars and lounges in Santa Clara and San Jose appear in online directories, but their websites were down, out of date or in maintenance mode, so we leave them out. Prices and hours change, so check before you go.
Karaoke rooms at a glance
| Venue | Address | Hours | From Palo Alto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round1 San Jose | Eastridge Shopping Center, 2200 Eastridge Loop, San Jose | 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily | About 22 miles, 30 minutes |
| Round1 Hayward | Southland Mall, 551 Southland Mall Drive, Hayward | 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily | About 20 miles, 30 minutes across a bridge |
About Round1
Round1 is a Japanese entertainment chain with dozens of US centers, most of them in shopping malls. Each one combines bowling, an arcade with Japanese claw machines, billiards and private karaoke rooms. Round1 says Japanese songs are available in all of its karaoke rooms, alongside a large English catalog. The rooms are priced per room per hour, with the price set by group size and time of day. Seniors 55 and up and military members get 10 extra minutes free. Club members save $1 on a room.
The mix of games is the real selling point for groups. Someone who does not want to sing can bowl a game or shoot pool while the rest of the group warms up. Everyone can meet in the arcade afterward. Our bowling and arcades guide and billiards and darts guide cover the rest of each center.
Round1 San Jose (Eastridge)
Round1 San Jose is inside Eastridge Shopping Center at 2200 Eastridge Loop, on the east side of San Jose. Along with karaoke it has bowling, VIP lanes, billiards, ping pong and an arcade. Its karaoke price table was:
| Day and time | 1 to 3 | 4 to 6 | 7 to 15 | 16 to 30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon to Thu, open to 4 p.m. | $16.00 | $21.50 | $39.25 | $65.50 |
| Mon to Thu, 4 p.m. to close | $20.50 | $27.75 | $53.00 | $87.25 |
| Friday, open to 4 p.m. | $17.25 | $22.50 | $40.50 | $67.00 |
| Friday, 4 p.m. to close | $32.00 | $38.25 | $62.00 | $95.75 |
| Saturday, open to noon | $18.25 | $22.50 | $40.55 | $67.25 |
| Saturday, noon to close | $32.00 | $38.25 | $61.75 | $97.75 |
| Sunday or holiday, noon to 7 p.m. | $29.84 | $37.25 | $61.75 | $96.65 |
| Sunday or holiday, 7 p.m. to close | $22.50 | $29.00 | $53.00 | $87.25 |
Prices are per room per hour. Room sizes vary by location. Our San Jose day trip guide has ideas to pair with an evening here.
Round1 Hayward (Southland Mall)
Round1 Hayward is in Southland Mall at 551 Southland Mall Drive. It lists bowling, VIP lanes, billiards, an arcade and karaoke and party rooms. It uses a slightly cheaper karaoke and party room price table with an extra tier for big groups:
- 1 to 3 people: $14 an hour Monday to Thursday before 4 p.m., up to $29 on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon or night.
- 4 to 6 people: $19 to $34.25 an hour.
- 7 to 15 people: $35.25 to $58.50 an hour.
- 16 to 30 people: $56.50 to $92.50 an hour.
- 31 to 50 people: $68 to $108.50 an hour.
Hayward is across the bay, so the drive home includes a bridge toll. For a group of a dozen or more, the large party room can still work out cheaper per person than a night at a bar.
What a night costs
Because rooms are priced by the hour and not per person, karaoke gets cheap as groups grow. A few examples from the San Jose table:
- Two people, two hours on a Tuesday afternoon: $32 for the room.
- Five friends, two hours on a Friday night: $76.50, about $15 each.
- A party of 12, two hours on a Saturday afternoon: $123.50, about $10 each.
Food and drinks are extra. Weekday afternoons and Sunday nights after 7 p.m. are the best value.
Tips for a good karaoke night
- Book ahead on weekends. Friday and Saturday evenings fill first, especially for large rooms.
- Start with a group song. Something everyone knows breaks the ice.
- Queue songs early. Add a few to the list as soon as you sit down so the music never stops.
- Pick songs in your range. Key controls on most systems let you shift a song lower or higher.
- Hydrate. Order water with everything else. Two hours of singing is hard on a voice.
- Mind the clock. Rooms are timed. Ask staff how they handle extending your session.
Birthdays and team outings
A private room is a natural fit for a teen birthday or a team that does not want a loud bar. Everyone gets the mic and the room keeps the group together. For an office group, book the room for the slot right after work and add bowling or the arcade on the same visit. Our birthday party guide and teens guide have more ideas.
Singing in and near Palo Alto
If you would rather stay local, the closest thing to karaoke in town is an open mic. Our comedy and open mics guide lists the regular nights. Choral groups and community sing-alongs are another option for people who like to sing with others. For a bigger night out, San Francisco has many karaoke bars and lounges an hour away by Caltrain. You can browse San Francisco nightlife tours if you plan to make a night of it.
Getting there
Round1 San Jose is about 30 minutes from Palo Alto via Highway 101 to the east side of San Jose. Round1 Hayward is about 30 minutes across the Dumbarton or San Mateo bridge. Both bridges charge a toll westbound, on the way home. Our bridges and tolls guide explains how to pay. Both malls have parking. Transit from Palo Alto takes well over an hour, so pick a designated driver or plan a rideshare home.
Good to know
- Rooms are priced per room per hour, by group size.
- Both centers listed 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily in late 2026.
- Japanese songs are available in every Round1 karaoke room.
- Prices above are as posted in 2026 and can change.
Frequently asked questions
Is there karaoke in Palo Alto?
We could not confirm a karaoke bar or karaoke room venue operating inside Palo Alto in 2026. The nearest private karaoke rooms we confirmed are at Round1 in Eastridge Shopping Center in San Jose and Round1 in Southland Mall in Hayward. Both are about 30 minutes away.
How much is a karaoke room at Round1?
Round1 charges per room per hour, by group size and time. At the San Jose center, a room for 1 to 3 people was $16 an hour before 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday and $32 on Friday or Saturday evenings. A room for 7 to 15 people ran $39.25 to $62 an hour. Hayward's rates were a little lower.
What are Round1's hours?
Both Round1 centers near Palo Alto listed 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day in late 2026. Karaoke rooms are usually easiest to get on weekday afternoons.
Does Round1 have Japanese songs?
Yes. Round1 says Japanese songs are available in all of its karaoke rooms, alongside an English song library.
Is karaoke good for a kids birthday party?
Private karaoke rooms work well for kids and teens because the group has the room to itself. Round1's rooms take groups of up to 30 in San Jose and up to 50 in Hayward's karaoke and party room tier. Book ahead for weekends and check food rules when you reserve.