What Belly Up does

Belly Up, operating as Belly Up Presents, LLC, is a privately held San Diego-based independent concert promoter and live entertainment company founded in 1974. The company runs a portfolio of three distinct venue formats under one operator: Belly Up Solana Beach (intimate club), The Sound Del Mar (premium seated venue at the Del Mar Fairgrounds), and Music Box San Diego (standing-room-only), supplemented by affiliated dining concepts Belly Up Tavern and Pacific Coast Grill. Belly Up also operates an "Other Venues" presenting arm that ticketed-promotes shows at non-owned rooms including Humphreys Concerts by the Bay and The Observatory North Park, and co-presents with a network of regional promoters (Casbah, Desert Daze, LED, FNGRS CRSSD, Nederlander, Soda Bar) to expand tour routing into San Diego County.

The business sells ticketed live-music and comedy events through dual third-party ticketing platforms (TicketWeb and Ticketmaster) with venue-specific tiering (General Admission, Gold Circle, Reserved Loft, VIP Meet & Greet), alongside ancillary revenue streams including private event rentals, on-site F&B, branded merchandise, gift cards redeemable across venues, and cause-based ticketing partnerships (Friends of FUNDESUR, Susie Lee Legacy Fund). Underlying technology is standard web/marketing infrastructure: a TicketWeb-hosted event calendar, Google Analytics and Google Ads tracking, and Meta (Facebook) advertising pixels, with CCPA-compliant privacy practices disclosed across its subsidiary sites. Pricing ranges from approximately $12 happy-hour GA tickets up to $145 reserved for premium acts (e.g., Stray Cats at The Sound), with VIP meet-and-greet upgrades sold online.

Customers are primarily San Diego County consumers attending ticketed concerts, comedy shows, and recurring community programming (e.g., Atomic Groove Friday Happy Hours since 2004), plus private-event clients (corporate, fundraising, birthdays) and touring artists/comedians whose regional dates Belly Up Presents promotes and tickets. The customer segments are deliberately diversified across genres (rock, reggae, bluegrass, jazz, indie, electronic, folk, comedy) and venue formats, reducing single-segment concentration on the demand side.

Name

Belly Up

Legal name

Belly Up LLC

Website

https://bellyup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Solana Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket sales (primary): Per-show ticket sales through own box office, TicketWeb, and Ticketmaster, with tiered pricing (General Admission, Gold Circle seats, Reserved Loft, VIP Meet & Greet) and day-of-show vs advance pricing. Service/booking fees apply for online and phone purchases.
2. Private events / venue rental: Private party and corporate event bookings handled through an online "Request A Private Event" form (Belly Up and/or Tavern), generating venue-rental and F&B revenue.
3. On-site food and beverage (dining concepts): Bar menu at Belly Up plus affiliated dining venues Belly Up Tavern and Pacific Coast Grill (linked from the main site), generating per-cover/transactional F&B revenue during shows and events.
4. Merchandise and gift cards: Online merch shop (Belly Up branded), Belly Up gift cards redeemable across venues, and Scrojo concert posters sold via dking-gallery.
5. Promoted/paid digital marketing of shows: Use of Google Ads, Google Analytics, and Meta (Facebook) cookies/ads to promote shows — i.e., marketing-driven performance/ticketing revenue (described in Privacy Policy).
6. Charitable / cause-based ticketing: Some shows designate a portion of ticket proceeds to charity (e.g., $2/ticket to Friends of FUNDESUR for April and The Funk Junkies; 10% of Earlybirds Club proceeds to the Susie Lee Legacy Fund), enabling social-purpose pricing while driving demand.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Belly Up is an independent live music and concert promotion company that presents, produces, and tickets concerts and comedy shows across multiple owned and partner venues in San Diego County, including Belly Up Solana Beach, The Sound Del Mar, and Music Box San Diego. It generates revenue primarily through ticket sales (via its own box office, TicketWeb, and Ticketmaster), on-site food and beverage, private venue rentals, branded merchandise, and gift cards. The company also operates affiliated dining concepts (Belly Up Tavern and Pacific Coast Grill) and co-presents shows with other promoters at external venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Sound: Belly Up Presents-affiliated live music venue at the Del Mar Fairgrounds (2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar, CA).
• Music Box
• Belly Up Tavern
• Pacific Coast Grill (PCG)

Products and services

• Belly Up Solana Beach (live music venue) Primary Belly Up venue at 143 S. Cedros Ave, Solana Beach, hosting ticketed live music concerts, comedy shows, and private events. Offers tiered seating (General Admission, Gold Circle, Reserved Loft) plus private event rentals and on-site bar.
• The Sound Del Mar (seated live music and comedy venue) Belly Up Presents secondary venue at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar (Del Mar Fairgrounds), offering premium reserved-seating and seated comedy and music shows, with tiered pricing (reserved, premium reserved, gold circle).
• Music Box San Diego (standing-room-only live music venue) Standing-room-only Belly Up Presents venue in San Diego's Gaslamp/India Street area, hosting a mix of music genres with optional VIP table reservations.
• Belly Up Presents Other Venues (presenting arm) Ticketed-promotion and presenting arm that brings promoted shows to non-owned venues including Humphreys Concerts by the Bay (Shelter Island), The Observatory North Park, and events at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
• Belly Up Tavern (dining concept) Affiliated restaurant/dining concept adjacent to Belly Up Solana Beach, promoted as a Belly Up dining option and accepting Belly Up gift cards.
• Pacific Coast Grill (affiliated dining) Affiliated restaurant dining concept promoted from bellyup.com as one of the Belly Up dining options.
• Belly Up Private Events (venue rental) Private party and corporate event bookings at Belly Up and Belly Up Tavern, initiated through an online request form and generating venue-rental plus F&B revenue.
• Belly Up Gift Cards Belly Up branded gift cards sold online and redeemable across Belly Up Presents venues.
• Belly Up Merchandise and Scrojo Concert Posters Belly Up branded merchandise sold through the online shop and Scrojo concert posters fulfilled via dking-gallery.

Quantifiable outcome

• Atomic Groove has hosted Friday Happy Hours at Belly Up almost every Friday since 2004 (~20+ years of continuous weekly programming).
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• TicketWebflagshipTechnology or IntegrationPrimary third-party ticketing partner for Belly Up and Music Box shows. Each event page links directly to TicketWeb checkout with embedded player, ticket-tier selection and seating charts; service fees apply for online purchases. Privacy policy explicitly lists TicketWeb as a third-party service provider "for ticket sales and marketing."
• TicketmastercoreTechnology or IntegrationSecondary ticketing platform used for many The Sound Del Mar shows and select Belly Up events (e.g., Sylvan Esso, Wheeler Walker Jr., Andrew Santino, DJ Habibeats, SOBULWAX, Lyle Lovett). Provides checkout infrastructure and event discovery alongside TicketWeb.
• Google (Google Analytics, Google Ads)coreTechnology or IntegrationPrivacy policy discloses the use of Google Analytics and Google Ads cookies/tracking to "understand how visitors use our site, which pages are most helpful, and to promote our shows in search results." Google opt-out is offered via tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
• Meta (Facebook)coreTechnology or IntegrationPrivacy policy names Meta (Facebook) cookies/ads as a tracking technology used to "understand how visitors use our site… and to promote our shows in search results."
• The Sound (Belly Up subsidiary)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelly Up's seated/premium venue at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar (Del Mar Fairgrounds); Belly Up Presents is the operator/promoter and the privacy policy lists thesoundsd.com as a subsidiary. The Sound handles "Fair Nights" / "Fair Series" programming during the Del Mar Fair.
• Music Box (Belly Up subsidiary)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelly Up's standing-room-only venue at 1337 India Street, San Diego. Operated as a Belly Up Presents subsidiary with its own box office (619-795-1337, [email protected]) and the musicbox.bellyup.com / musicboxsd.com subsites. Distinct ticketing/identity from Belly Up Solana Beach.
• Belly Up Tavern (subsidiary)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated dining concept adjacent to Belly Up Solana Beach; promoted as a Belly Up dining option. Has its own subsite (bellyup-tavern.com) listed in the privacy policy as a subsidiary site. Also accepts Belly Up gift cards.
• Pacific Coast Grill (PCG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated Pacific Coast Grill restaurant promoted as a Belly Up dining option (linked from bellyup.com main nav). Privacy policy lists pacificcoastgrill.com as a subsidiary site.
• CasbahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-promoter partnership — Belly Up & Casbah present shows together, e.g., "Dawes + Jonny Fritz" (Belly Up, Jun 25 2026) and "The Black Angels — Passover 2026 Tour" with Desert Daze at The Observatory North Park. Extends Belly Up's reach to other San Diego rooms.
• Desert DazecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-promoter partnership — "Belly Up & Desert Daze Present" DakhaBrakha at Music Box (Jul 19 2026) and "Belly Up, Casbah, & Desert Daze Present" The Black Angels at The Observatory North Park (Nov 1 2026).
• LEDcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-presenter — "Belly Up & LED Present" BUNT. "In The San Diego Round" at The Sound (Sep 12 2026).
• FNGRS CRSSDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter — "Belly Up & FNGRS CRSSD Present" SOULWAX at The Sound (Sep 20 2026). CRSSD Festival is a major San Diego dance/electronic festival brand.
• NederlandercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter — "Belly Up & Nederlander Present" DOES "HELLO AMERICA" at Music Box (Jul 23 2026). Nederlander is a major live-entertainment promoter/venue operator.
• Soda BarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter — "Belly Up & Soda Bar Present" Stephen Day "The Self Titled Tour" at Music Box (Nov 8 2026). Soda Bar is a San Diego venue.
• Humphreys Concerts By the BaycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBelly Up Presents ticketed-promotes and presents shows at the Humphreys venue (2241 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego, CA 92106) — e.g., Dark Star Orchestra, Jul 28 2026. Acts as a venue partner/channel for touring acts too large for Belly Up's own rooms.
• The Observatory North ParkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBelly Up co-presents shows at The Observatory North Park (e.g., The Black Angels — Passover 2026 Tour, Nov 1 2026), ticketing through TicketWeb.
• Del Mar FairgroundscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBelly Up operates The Sound at the Del Mar Fairgrounds (2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar, CA 92014). Several shows during the San Diego County Fair / Del Mar Fair are part of the "Fair Nights" or "Fair Series" programming (e.g., Don Carlos • Israel Vibration, A Celebration of Jimmy Cliff, Andrew Dice Clay).
• Scrojo / dking-galleryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBelly Up partners with dking-gallery.com to sell Scrojo (concert) posters linked from bellyup.com/shop menu — a third-party fulfillment/distribution channel for collectible concert posters.
• Susie Lee Legacy FundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBelly Up donates 10% of Earlybirds Club ticket proceeds to the Susie Lee Legacy Fund (supporting nonprofits that uplift women, gender-expansive people, and communities in need). A cause/charity ticketing partner.
• Friends of FUNDESURminorGTM or Marketing Partner$2 of every April and The Funk Junkies ticket sold is donated to Friends of FUNDESUR, a U.S. 501(c)(3) supporting FUNDESUR's health, education and environmental programs in Honduras (411,000+ medical/dental services, $79M+ in medicine donated, 49 schools built, 1.3M mangrove seedlings planted).
• 237 GlobalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed as a VIP/meet-and-greet fulfillment partner for Music Box shows (e.g., Riff Wood "Butterfly in Black & White USA 2026 Tour") — referenced via 237global.com disclaimer on the Riff Wood event page.
• Davide De Pierro VIP / M&G fulfillment partnerminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBelly Up offers a $25 VIP M&G upgrade ticket (Ticketweb URL: 14940403... ) on Davide De Pierro shows at Belly Up, fulfilled through the same TicketWeb infrastructure; meets the show's VIP meet & greet requirements.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FNGRS CRSSD: San Diego electronic/dance music promoter (CRSSD Festival) and presenting partner of Belly Up. Comparable to Belly Up Presents as a San Diego live-music promoter presenting electronic and crossover acts at local venues.
• I.M.P. Independent DC-based concert promoter and venue operator running 9:30 Club, The Anthem, The Lincoln Theatre, and Merriweather Post Pavilion. Highly comparable to Belly Up as a multi-format independent promoter/venue operator with decades of heritage and strong artist relationships.
• Another Planet Entertainment: Independent California-based concert promoter and venue operator (Fox Theater Oakland, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, Greek Theatre UC Berkeley). Closest peer to Belly Up as a multi-venue independent promoter in California presenting national touring artists across formats.
• Nederlander: Major US live-entertainment promoter/venue operator (Greek Theatre, Pantages, City National Grove). Belly Up co-presents with Nederlander, and the companies share comparable venue portfolios and presenting activity in mid-size markets.
• The Bowery Presents: Independent venue operator and promoter (Bowery Ballroom, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Terminal 5, Webster Hall, Irving Plaza). Comparable to Belly Up Presents as an independent operator of intimate-to-mid-size live music venues presenting diverse genres in a single metro.
• Goldenvoice: Independent California concert promoter behind Coachella and operator of mid-size SoCal venues (The Shrine, The Regent, Fox Pomona). Directly comparable to Belly Up Presents as a Southern California independent promoter with multi-venue portfolio and presenting arm.

Broad incumbents

• Live Nation Entertainment: Global concert promotion, venue operations, and ticketing (Ticketmaster) company. Comparable to Belly Up in promoting concerts at mid-size venues and operating club/theater-format rooms, but at national scale and with vertically integrated ticketing — directly relevant to Belly Up's third-party ticketing strategy.
• C3 Presents: Major concert promoter behind Austin City Limits Music Festival and Lollapalooza. Comparable to Belly Up as a multi-venue concert promoter, though at significantly larger scale with national festival portfolio.
• AEG Presents: One of the world's largest live entertainment promoters and venue operators (AEG Facilities, Coachella partnership, The O2, etc.). Comparable to Belly Up as a concert promoter presenting mid-to-large touring artists, but operates at vastly greater scale and across many geographies.

Regional players

• Casbah: Independent San Diego live music venue and promoter with which Belly Up co-presents shows. Comparable as a San Diego-based live music venue operator with overlapping artist bookings, though smaller and single-venue.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BellyUpMusic
• Facebookfacebook.com/BellyUpTavern

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Belly Up