What Dragone does

Dragone is a privately held cultural creation company headquartered in La Louvière, Belgium, that designs, produces, and operates large-scale live theatrical shows and immersive experiences. Founded in 2000 by Franco Dragone (who passed away in September 2022), the company fuses human performance — circus, dance, theatre, aquatic stunt work — with proprietary stage technologies including aquatic stages (pools holding up to 10 million liters of water, 8-meter depths), kinetic LED installations, kinetic fabric stage environments (1,500 m² of moving fabric on Terhal), and variable-geometry seating that reconfigures theatre interiors during shows. The combined body of work across Franco Dragone's career and the company has been seen by 100+ million spectators globally.

The portfolio spans permanent resident shows in purpose-built theatres — La Perle at Al Habtoor City Dubai (2017), The Han Show in Wuhan (2014), The Dai Show in Xishuangbanna (2015), and Terhal in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia (2023) — alongside commissioned one-time events such as FIFA World Cup opening ceremonies, the Belgian Pavilion at the Osaka 2025 Universal Expo, and stadium inaugurations, and bespoke productions for entertainment resorts including Le Rêve at Wynn Las Vegas (2005) and The House of Dancing Water at City of Dreams Macau (2010). Revenue is generated through three streams: ticket sales at resident shows, professional services fees for show creation and production, and one-time licensing/commission fees for extraordinary events and ceremonies. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; tickets are sold through venue-specific platforms.

The go-to-market is enterprise-driven: Dragone secures direct partnerships with integrated entertainment resorts and government sponsors, often requiring significant upfront capital investment in custom theatres and multi-year operational commitments. Following Franco Dragone's death, the Board appointed James Tanabe (formerly Senior Director at Cirque du Soleil and a McKinsey consultant) as CEO effective August 1, 2024. Headcount is 101–250, with a second office in Las Vegas opened in 2022. Recent strategic activity — three new productions in 2025, a sold-out Saudi season, the Sun Group Vietnam partnership announced April 2026, and stated intent to expand into theme park design and festival direction — indicates an active expansion phase across geographies, formats, and verticals.

Name

Dragone

Legal name

Dragone

Website

https://dragone.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Dragone is a Belgian cultural creation company that designs, produces, and operates large-scale live theatrical shows and immersive experiences for entertainment resorts, governments, and global audiences, combining human performance art with proprietary aquatic, kinetic, and immersive stage technologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Entertainment & Theatrical Productions

NAICS

Amusement and Theme Parks (71311)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Technical Production Management & Crew (MPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Staging, Scenic & Set Fabrication (Stages, Backdrops, Scenic Builds) (THAHAEAC), Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Live entertainment shows
• Theatrical productions
• Aquatic stage design
• Location based entertainment
• Immersive cultural experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

La Louvière

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Live Show Ticket Sales: Dragone operates permanent shows in custom-built theatres around the world, generating revenue through ticket sales to audiences attending performances at venues such as La Perle Dubai, The Han Show Wuhan, The Dai Show Xishuangbanna, and their Saudi Arabia productions.
2. Extraordinary Events & Ceremonies: Dragone creates bespoke events for governments, cities, and corporations including opening ceremonies for the FIFA World Cup and other major international events, as well as corporate premieres and celebrations.
3. Show Creation & Production: Dragone creates, produces, and operates live shows for clients, with notable productions including Celine Dion's A New Day at Caesars Palace and Le Rêve at the Wynn Resort.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Dragone is a cultural creation company that designs, produces, and operates large-scale live theatrical shows and bespoke ceremonial events worldwide. The company combines human performance, proprietary aquatic stage technology, kinetic installations, and immersive storytelling to deliver resident shows in custom-built venues as well as one-time extraordinary events for governments, cities, resorts, and cultural institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• La Perle Permanent resident aquatic show in a custom-built 10-story theatre at Al Habtoor City, Dubai, featuring 65 artists performing with water effects, motorcycles, and acrobatics for visiting audiences.
• The Han Show Permanent resident show in a purpose-built lantern-shaped theatre in Wuhan, China, featuring aquatic staging with more than 10 million liters of water and variable-geometry seating that reconfigures the theatre interior during performances.
• Celine Dion's A New Day Resident Las Vegas headliner show at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace featuring Celine Dion, which ran for 700+ performances over 5 years and became the highest-grossing resident show of all time at that point.
• Le Rêve Resident aquatic show at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas, a water-based production featuring gymnasts, elaborate aquatic staging, and acrobatic performance for resort guests.
• The House of Dancing Water Resident aquatic show at City of Dreams in Macau, designed for a purpose-built theatre and achieving over 1,000 shows and 2 million+ spectators within nearly 3 years of opening.
• Taboo Resident cabaret show at City of Dreams in Macau, complementing The House of Dancing Water as part of the resort's entertainment lineup.
• Terhal Permanent large-scale theatrical spectacular in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, commissioned by the Saudi Ministry of Culture and featuring 1,500 m² of kinetic fabric, a 36-meter diameter main stage with two simultaneous performance areas, and artists from over 20 nations.
• Souk Wonders Immersive 6,400 m² marketplace entertainment venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, commissioned by DGDA, blending food, art, architecture, and performance with 120+ performers and 15 culinary stalls over 25 days during Diriyah Season.
• The Butterfly Effect Immersive kinetic-light show premiering at Diriyah Mayadeen Hall in Riyadh for the ImpaQ Forum, with 60 performers and a kinetic light installation by Kinetic Lights.
• Le Rêve du Gladiateur Large-scale show premiering in August 2025 at the historic Arènes de Nîmes in France, directed by Arthur Cadre in collaboration with Dragone, featuring over 200 performers blending dance, circus, music, and theatre.
• Paris Merveilles Resident cabaret show created for the Lido de Paris in collaboration with the Bellon family, modernizing the historic Parisian cabaret with Dragone's theatrical style and sophisticated technology.
• Extraordinary Events & Ceremonies Bespoke event-creation service for governments, cities, and corporations covering opening ceremonies (including FIFA World Cup), city inaugurations, cultural festivals, corporate premieres, and celebrations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Celine Dion's A New Day was the highest-grossing resident show of all time when it ended its run in 2007
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sun Group VietnamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2026Dragone begins a new chapter in Vietnam through a long-term partnership with Sun Group, a pioneer in tourism, real estate development, and entertainment. In Phu Quoc, a theatre entirely designed by Dragone is currently taking shape to host an original creation. Both partners share the ambition to create experiences that resonate, bringing together storytelling, technology, and Vietnamese cultural identity.
• Arthur CadreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 August 2025Le Rêve du Gladiateur was directed by Arthur Cadre in collaboration with Dragone, premiering in August 2025 at the historic Arènes de Nîmes. Arthur Cadre's contemporary vision meets Dragone's poetic theatrical language.
• Belgian Embassy in JapanminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 April 2025Dragone collaborated with the Belgian Embassy for the Osaka World Expo, where art and diplomacy intertwined. Dragone unveiled the Belgian Pavilion featuring dancers of Avantgardey and Kento Mori.
• Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Souk Wonders was commissioned by DGDA and realized with partner Hwadi. The 6,400-square-metre immersive venue transformed heritage into a labyrinth of wonder where food, art, architecture, and performance merged into one.
• Saudi Ministry of CulturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2023Terhal was commissioned by the Saudi Ministry of Culture as a world-first theatrical spectacular. The Ministry was a strong and generous partner in shaping the process and creation of this cultural masterpiece, featuring Saudi artists alongside international collaborators.
• HwadiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Saudi partner working with Dragone on Saudi productions including Terhal and Souk Wonders, providing local expertise and operational support.
• Lido de Paris / Bellon FamilycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDragone created Paris Merveilles for the Lido de Paris, working with the Bellon family who own the famous Parisian cabaret. The collaboration modernized the venerable institution with sophisticated technology and Dragone's signature theatrical style.
• Fabrice MurgiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDragone staged the opening ceremony of the new stadium in La Louvière, Belgium under the direction of Fabrice Murgia. The performance was a living tribute to the city and its citizens.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Live Nation Entertainment: Global live entertainment conglomerate operating venues, producing tours, and managing artists at massive scale. Represents the broader competitive set for live event commissions and could partner with or compete against Dragone for major cultural and corporate event opportunities.
• Walt Disney Imagineering: Disney's creative and technical arm designing theme park attractions, shows, and immersive experiences at massive global scale. Overlaps with Dragone in aquatic staging technology, themed entertainment, and IP-driven storytelling, though typically tied to Disney IP and properties.

Direct peers

• Blue Man Group: Resident theatrical show producer with permanent venues in major cities (Las Vegas, New York, Berlin), combining performance art, technology, and multimedia. Comparable resident show economics and brand-led premium entertainment positioning.
• Cirque du Soleil: The dominant scaled competitor in resident theatrical shows with aquatic and acrobatic elements; Franco Dragone directed nearly all of Cirque's major productions between 1985 and 1998 before founding Dragone. Cirque competes for the same premium resort venues and government cultural commissions globally.
• Cavalia: Producer of large-scale touring theatrical productions (Odysseo) featuring equestrian arts, acrobatic performance, and live music under big-top venues. Operates a comparable production scale, custom staging, and premium ticketing model that competes for the same audiences and partner venues.
• Base Entertainment: Producer of premium resident theatrical shows in Las Vegas and international markets, including large-format productions similar to Dragone's resort-based resident shows. Direct competitor for venue partnerships and touring production commissions.

Emerging players

• Moment Factory: Montreal-based multimedia entertainment studio creating immersive experiences combining projection mapping, light, sound, and storytelling. Increasingly competitive for the same corporate, municipal, and cultural venue commissions Dragone targets, particularly for non-aquatic immersive projects.
• teamLab: Japan-based interdisciplinary art collective producing large-scale immersive digital art installations globally. Competes with Dragone for the same enterprise and government commissions seeking differentiated immersive cultural attractions, particularly across Asia.
• Meow Wolf: US-based immersive art and entertainment company operating permanent large-scale interactive exhibitions. Targets similar family/group entertainment audiences and competes for the same tourism-driving cultural venue partnerships.

Others

• Stufish Entertainment Architects: Specialist theatre and entertainment architecture firm that designs iconic performance venues (including for Cirque du Soleil and major touring productions). Functions as both an adjacent peer and a potential collaborator given Dragone's own custom theatre design capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DragoneTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/DragoneOfficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dragone
• Instagraminstagram.com/dragoneofficial
• Xx.com/dragoneofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Dragone