Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)

What Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) does

The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts institution founded in 1861 and headquartered at 30 Lafayette Avenue in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. It operates a multi-venue campus comprising the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (2,096 seats), the Harvey Theater at BAM Strong (837 seats), the Fishman Space at BAM Fisher (250 seats), and BAM Rose Cinemas (four theaters with 104–268 seats each, totaling 649 seats), plus the Adam E. Max Gathering Space (BAMcafé). BAM presents contemporary and experimental performing arts — theater, dance, music, opera, film, talks, poetry, puppetry, and circus — through signature programs including the Next Wave Festival, DanceAfrica, the BAMkids Film Festival, and Senior Cinema. The institution does not develop proprietary technology products; its offering is the curation, production, and physical hosting of live performance and cinema experiences.

BAM generates revenue from five streams: (1) live performance ticket sales (starting at $35 for mainstage), (2) cinema ticket sales (regular adult $17), (3) a tiered membership program restructured in December 2025 into four tiers ($100–$2,499 annually), (4) venue rentals to commercial and nonprofit groups — including Netflix, HBO, Amazon, Apple TV+, A24, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC Universal, Madonna, and Chris Rock — for premieres, screenings, galas, and corporate events, with nonprofit discounts and a preference for multi-day bookings, and (5) charitable donations via the Annual Fund ($25–$2,500 suggested). The organization sells through direct channels (BAM.org online box office, in-person box offices), authorized resellers (TodayTix, TDF), and partnership-driven sponsorships (Bloomberg Philanthropies as season sponsor, Van Cleef & Arpels for Dance Reflections).

BAM serves six primary customer segments: a general performing arts audience (primary), artists and performing companies, corporate/commercial event renters, families and children, seniors (65+), and Brooklyn community organizations. Membership, accessibility services (ASL interpretation via HandsOn, open captioning via c2), and free programs (Senior Cinema) signal a mission-driven orientation alongside commercial rental activity. Leadership comprises President Tamara McCaw (returning executive) and Artistic Director Amy Cassello (named June 2024 after joining BAM in 2012). The institution is governed by a Board of Trustees described as a diverse mix of New York civic, corporate, cultural, and educational leaders; it has no parent company.

Name

Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)

Legal name

Brooklyn Academy of Music, Inc.

Website

https://bam.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1861

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

BAM is a 160+ year-old nonprofit performing arts institution in Brooklyn operating four major venues (a 2,096-seat opera house, an 837-seat theater, a 250-seat space, and a four-screen cinema) to present contemporary theater, dance, film, and music to general audiences, corporate renters, families, seniors, and Brooklyn communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Presentation

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Programming, Booking & Repertory Exhibition Services (MPADAKAL), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB), Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD)

Keywords

• Performing arts presentation
• Live performance venue
• Arts cinema programming
• Cultural venue rentals
• Community arts programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Live Performance Ticket Sales: BAM generates primary revenue through ticket sales for live performances in its mainstage venues including the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (2,096 seats) and the Harvey Theater (837 seats). Tickets range from $35 for mainstage performances.
2. Cinema Tickets: BAM Rose Cinemas (four theaters, 104-268 seats each) generates revenue from film screenings, including new releases and classic film programming.
3. Memberships: BAM operates a tiered membership program with four tiers (Tier 1: $100-249, Tier 2: $250-499, Tier 3: $500-1,249, Tier 4: $1,250-2,499), offering benefits including discounted and free movie tickets, half-price same-day performance tickets, and partner discounts.
4. Venue Rentals: BAM rents its venues to commercial and nonprofit groups for performances, screenings, corporate events, and galas. Rental clients include Netflix, HBO, Amazon, Apple TV+, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Madonna, and others. Discounts are offered to nonprofit organizations.
5. Donations and Annual Fund: BAM solicits charitable contributions through its Annual Fund and dedicated donation campaigns, with suggested amounts ranging from $25 to $2,500.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Brooklyn Academy of Music is a nonprofit performing arts presenting institution that curates, produces, and hosts live theater, dance, music, opera, film, and multidisciplinary performances across a four-venue campus in Brooklyn, New York. It sells tickets directly to consumers for its own curated seasons (including the Next Wave Festival and DanceAfrica) and rents its venues to third-party commercial and nonprofit presenters who then sell tickets to their own audiences.

Product overview

BAM is a performing arts institution offering a multi-venue portfolio of theatrical, cinematic, and educational programming. The core offering comprises physical venues: the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (2,096 seats), Harvey Theater (837 seats), Fishman Space (250 seats), and BAM Rose Cinemas (four theaters totaling 649 seats), plus the Adam E. Max Gathering Space for events. Signature programming includes the annual Next Wave Festival (Oct–Dec), DanceAfrica, and the BAMkids Film Festival. Community programs include Senior Cinema, accessibility services, and educational initiatives. The institution does not offer a software product or technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Next Wave Festival: BAM's signature festival featuring contemporary performing arts, theater, dance, music, and experimental works by avant-garde artists.
• BAM Rose Cinemas
• BAM Fisher
• BAMkids
• DanceAfrica
• BAM Strong
• BAMcafé (Adam E. Max Gathering Space)

Products and services

• BAM Howard Gilman Opera House BAM's main performance venue, a Beaux Arts theater with 2,096 seating capacity, equipped with state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems. Suitable for live broadcasts, concerts, comedy, talks, and large-scale conferences; available for rental to commercial and nonprofit presenters.
• Harvey Theater at BAM Strong Award-winning restored 1904 playhouse with 837 seating capacity and an architecturally unique deconstructed ambience. Suitable for theater, dance, opera, and broadcast productions; available for venue rental.
• Fishman Space Intimate 250-seat theater in BAM Fisher with flexible seating configurations, accommodating traditional front-facing presentations or open experimental configurations such as performances in the round or digital media presentations; available for venue rental.
• BAM Rose Cinemas Four-theater cinema complex (Cinema 1: 104 seats, Cinema 2: 155 seats, Cinema 3: 268 seats, Cinema 4: 222 seats) presenting new releases, classic films, premieres, festivals, and retrospectives. Tickets sold to general audiences, with Senior Cinema free monthly repertory screenings for audience members 65 and over.
• The Adam E. Max Gathering Space (BAMcafé) Flexible open-plan event space in the Peter Jay Sharp Building originally a ballroom, now housing BAMcafé. Accommodates 150–350 guests for receptions, meetings, and parties, with vaulted red arches and hardwood oak floors; available for event rental.
• Next Wave Festival BAM's signature annual festival running October through December, featuring bold productions from established and emerging artists and showcasing avant-garde theater, dance, music, and opera in BAM's mainstage venues.
• DanceAfrica BAM's annual celebration of African and African American dance, music, and culture, featuring performances, visual art exhibitions, and community programming presented in partnership with MoCADA.
• BAMkids Film Festival Annual children's film festival offering programming designed for ages 3–5, 6–8, and 9+, featuring family-friendly films and educational content.
• BAMkids Programs Family and child-friendly programming including film festivals, Halloween celebrations (BAMboo!), holiday circus shows (I'mPossible), and educational workshops for families and school groups.
• Senior Cinema Free monthly repertory film program at BAM Rose Cinemas for audience members 65 and over, running January through June, offering accessible cinema programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• BAM's Next Wave Festival has been presenting avant-garde and contemporary performing arts since the 1980s, establishing the institution as a leading global presenter of experimental work.

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Greenlight BookstoreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBAM partners with Greenlight Bookstore for merchandise sales, including books, clothing, and BAM-related merchandise. Kiosks are located in the Peter Jay Sharp Building lobby and Harvey Theater during mainstage performances. Online purchasing available through Greenlight Bookstore. Members receive 10% discount at Greenlight.
• Trisha Brown Dance CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Trisha Brown Dance Company collaborated with BAM to revive Merce Cunningham's 'Travelogue' (1977) with Robert Rauschenberg's set designs as part of the Dance Reflections festival.
• Great Performances (Catering)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat Performances is the exclusive caterer for BAM events at all BAM venues, providing food and beverage services for galas, receptions, and other catered events.
• Spotlight Cinema NetworksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpotlight Cinema Networks handles local advertising sales for BAM Rose Cinemas, managing cinema advertising partnerships with local businesses.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts: NYC's flagship multi-venue performing arts presenter (David Geffen Hall, Metropolitan Opera House, David H. Koch Theater, etc.). Directly comparable to BAM as a multi-venue, multi-genre presenter with opera, dance, theater, film, and educational programming in a single New York campus.
• Carnegie Hall: Iconic NYC presenting institution founded in 1891, operating multiple performance halls (Stern Auditorium, Zankel, Weill) and presenting concerts across classical, jazz, world music, and beyond. Directly comparable as a long-tenured NYC presenter with rental, ticketing, and donor-revenue model.
• The Public Theater: NYC nonprofit theater operating multiple venues (Delacorte in Central Park, Astor Place, LuEsther, etc.) and producing/presenting theater, dance, and music. Highly comparable to BAM as a multi-venue NYC presenter with Shakespeare in the Park community programming paralleling DanceAfrica/BAMkids.
• Park Avenue Armory: NYC arts venue presenting experimental theater, dance, music, and large-scale installations in its historic Wade Thompson Drill Hall and period rooms. Comparable to BAM as a presenter prioritizing boundary-pushing, avant-garde programming with strong artist-development focus (akin to BAM's Next Wave).
• 92nd Street Y: NYC cultural and educational institution presenting concerts, dance, talks, and literary programming. Comparable to BAM as a NYC presenter combining ticketed performances with educational/community programming and a tiered membership model.
• Signature Theatre: NYC theater company operating multi-venue spaces (Frank Gehry-designed home plus additional theaters) and producing/presenting bold theater programming. Comparable to BAM as a NYC arts venue with curatorial IP and strong patron/membership base.
• Film Forum: NYC nonprofit art-house cinema operating three screens near BAM's geographic catch area. Directly comparable as a nonprofit cinema with repertory programming, festival screenings, and premieres — competing for the same premieres/rentals as BAM Rose Cinemas.
• IFC Center: Independent art-house cinema in Greenwich Village presenting new releases, repertory film, and festival programming. Comparable to BAM Rose Cinemas as a streaming-era NYC independent cinema competing for the same indie/arthouse audience and premiere screenings.

Broad incumbents

• The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: National performing arts center with multiple theaters (Opera House, Concert Hall, Eisenhower, Terrace, etc.) presenting opera, ballet, theater, and orchestral programming. Comparable as a multi-venue presenting institution with federal-style donor and sponsor support, though broader national mandate than BAM's NYC focus.

Others

• Whitney Museum of American Art: NYC cultural institution with ticketed programming, donor/membership model, and high-profile corporate sponsorships. Adjacent comparable as a NYC nonprofit cultural institution with similar funding mechanics, though visual art rather than performing-arts focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BAMorg
• Instagraminstagram.com/bam_brooklyn
• Xx.com/bam_brooklyn
• Facebookfacebook.com/bamstage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)