Coney Island

What Coney Island does

Coney Island USA is a nonprofit arts organization headquartered in a landmarked building at 1208 Surf Avenue in Brooklyn's Coney Island amusement district, with 101-250 employees and an operational history spanning over 40 years (Mermaid Parade launched in 1983, reaching its 44th annual edition in 2026). Its functional mandate is the economic and cultural revitalization of Coney Island, executed through a portfolio of year-round live programming anchored by Sideshows by the Seashore (a circus/sideshow theater operating multiple daily showtimes), the Coney Island Museum, and the annual Mermaid Parade outdoor festival. Sub-brands and recurring series include Burlesque at the Beach, Prideshow at the Sideshow, Music of Curiosities, Cemetery Cinema, the Congress of Curious Peoples convention, and the annual Coney Island Film Festival (co-presented with indiefilmpage.com and recognized by MovieMaker Magazine).

The organization generates revenue through a diversified set of small-dollar streams: per-event ticket sales ($10-$45), paid educational classes (Sideshow School at $1,650 with a 10-student cap, Burlesque Master Class at $395), donations and recurring memberships via Network for Good, merchandise through a Shopify storefront, on-premise beverage revenue at the Freak Bar, festival sponsorships (Deno's Wonder Wheel, Luna Park NYC, Eldorado Auto Skooter), and private venue rentals. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer through the organization's Squarespace website, on-site box office, and Shopify gift shop — there is no third-party ticketing or marketplace channel. Its underlying technology stack is standard for a nonprofit venue operator and contains no proprietary platforms, APIs, or AI capabilities. Customers are individual arts patrons, tourists, NYC countercultural and LGBTQ+ community members, and aspiring performers; no enterprise customers are disclosed.

Name

Coney Island

Legal name

Coney Island USA

Website

https://coneyisland.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Coney Island USA is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit arts organization operating a landmarked venue at 1208 Surf Avenue that produces year-round live programming including the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, Mermaid Parade, Burlesque at the Beach, and Coney Island Film Festival for individual arts patrons, tourists, and NYC countercultural communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Sideshow Ticket Sales: Recurring per-ticket revenue from the Coney Island Circus Sideshow at $15 adults / $12 children under 12 (combo with Coney Island Museum $18 adults / $15 kids); FREE for Coney Island USA members. Operates on a multi-showtimes-per-day schedule through the spring/summer/fall season.
2. Event / Performance Ticket Sales: Ticketed revenue from year-round programming: Burlesque at the Beach ($25), Prideshow at the Sideshow ($20), Music of Curiosities concerts ($20-25), Cemetery Cinema ($10-15), Sissy Fist / Celebrity Debate Club / Mx. Nobody ($20), Bushwick Book Club ($15), Miss Coney Island Pageant (Theater $45 / Freak Bar simulcast $20), Clownvis ($25), and other special events. Will-call only; 18+/21+ age-gated; non-refundable.
3. Classes & Educational Programming: Tuition-based revenue from educational programming including Sideshow School ($1,650 for the multi-day session, limited to 10 students), Burlesque Master Class ($395, sold out in 2025), Coney Island Clown Skool, Coney Island Film School, and Mike Meyer Sign Painting Workshop. Income tied to seasonal enrollment minimums.
4. Donations & Memberships: Nonprofit donation revenue collected through Network for Good (coneyisland.networkforgood.com), recurring memberships (Members receive free sideshow admission), and Friends of Coney Island USA link referrals. Critical funding pillar supporting free/discounted programming and anti-casino advocacy.
5. Merchandise (Gift Shop): Retail revenue from the Coney Island USA Gift Shop (coney-island-usa.myshopify.com), separate from ticketing.
6. Bar / F&B (Freak Bar): On-premise beverage revenue from the Freak Bar, often bundled with ticketed events (Prideshow, Burlesque at the Beach, Celebrity Debate Club, Switch n' Play Filth, Mermaid Day Extravaganza). Note: 21+ to drink.
7. Festival Sponsorships & Vendor Fees: Sponsorship and vendor revenue for the annual Coney Island Film Festival (May 1-3, 2026). Confirmed sponsors include Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, Luna Park NYC, and Eldorado Auto Skooter. Mermaid Parade also has dedicated sponsor/vendor registration.
8. Space Rental: Private-event and venue-rental income (the Sideshow is closed for private events on selected dates, e.g., August 27, 2023 3pm-5pm). Also referenced via /spacerental on the website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Core offering

Coney Island USA is a nonprofit arts organization that produces and sells year-round live entertainment and cultural programming from its landmarked venue at 1208 Surf Avenue in Brooklyn. Its core commercial offerings are ticketed performances — the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, Burlesque at the Beach, Prideshow at the Sideshow, Cemetery Cinema, Music of Curiosities, and special events — plus annual marquee events (Mermaid Parade, Coney Island Film Festival), educational classes (Sideshow School, Burlesque Master Class, Clown Skool, Film School), a museum, an on-site bar, and a merchandise gift shop.

Product overview

Coney Island USA is a single nonprofit arts organization that operates as a portfolio of recurring live-entertainment programming, venue spaces, and educational classes rather than a multi-product software platform. Its core recurring offerings are Sideshows by the Seashore (the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, a live circus/sideshow theater at 1208 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn), the Coney Island Museum (housed within the same building), the annual Mermaid Parade, the annual Coney Island Film Festival, and themed programming series including Burlesque at the Beach, Prideshow at the Sideshow, Music of Curiosities, Cemetery Cinema, and the Congress of Curious Peoples. Supporting modules include the on-site Freak Bar, the Shopify-hosted Coney Island USA Gift Shop, and a slate of educational classes (Sideshow School, Burlesque Master Class, Coney Island Clown Skool, Coney Island Film School, Mike Meyer Sign Painting Workshop). Ticketed events are exposed via per-event Google Calendar and ICS subscriptions on the website.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Coney Island Circus Sideshow: Long-running sideshow theater ('Sideshows by the Seashore') operating at 1208 Surf Avenue, presenting traditional sideshow acts and contemporary circus performers.
• Coney Island Museum
• Mermaid Parade
• Freak Bar
• Coney Island Film Festival
• Burlesque at the Beach
• Prideshow at the Sideshow

Products and services

• Sideshows by the Seashore (Coney Island Circus Sideshow) Continuing circus sideshow tradition at 1208 Surf Avenue, with rotating resident cast and touring acts. Multiple daily showtimes; $15 adults / $12 children under 12; combo with Coney Island Museum $18 adults / $15 kids; free for Coney Island USA members. Targeted at general public, families, and tourists visiting Coney Island.
• Coney Island Museum Museum housed on the second floor of 1208 Surf Avenue, presenting exhibits on Coney Island history. Sold as a combo ticket with the Circus Sideshow. Open during museum hours; for general public and tourists.
• Mermaid Parade Annual summer arts parade organized by Coney Island USA, featuring King and Queen/Mermaid royalty, judged categories, marching bands, and performances. Open to the general public; also accepts registrations, sponsors/vendors, judges, royalty applicants, and volunteers.
• Coney Island Film Festival Annual independent film festival co-presented with indiefilmpage.com, held since 2001. Screens across 10+ genres. For independent filmmakers (entry submissions), audiences (tickets), and brand sponsors. Voted one of MovieMaker Magazine's 'Coolest Film Festivals in the World' and '25 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee'; top-100 best-reviewed on FilmFreeway.
• Burlesque at the Beach Recurring burlesque, drag, and variety show series presented at 1208 Surf Avenue. Standard ticket $25 (some shows $25/$30 day-of); 18+ to enter, 21+ to drink; will-call only, non-refundable. Artistic Director Adam Rinn; General Manager Patrick Wall; Marketing by Eliza Rinn.
• Prideshow at the Sideshow Drag variety series hosted at the Sideshows by the Seashore Theater. Tickets typically $20; 18+ to enter, 21+ to drink; will-call only, non-refundable. Targets LGBTQ+ and drag audiences.
• Music of Curiosities Live music and film series presented at Coney Island USA and the Shooting Gallery Arts Annex (1214 Surf Avenue). Features curated concerts, live scores to silent/horror films, and Halloween variety shows. Tickets $20–$25.
• Cemetery Cinema Horror and classic film screening series produced and hosted by Baron Misuraca. Tickets $10–$15 depending on film; includes live music, audience discussion, drink and popcorn specials, and best-costume contests.
• Congress of Curious Peoples Convention for sideshow, circus, vaudeville, and curious-performance practitioners and enthusiasts. Targeted at the professional and enthusiast sideshow/circus community.
• Freak Bar Themed bar and gathering space at 1208 Surf Avenue, used for receptions, afterparties, Sips & Scholars lectures, and live video simulcasts of stage shows such as the Miss Coney Island Pageant. 21+ to drink. Targeted at event attendees and walk-in visitors.
• Sideshow School Multi-day workshop teaching classic sideshow skills (fire eating/breathing, human blockhead, sword swallowing, bed of nails, traps, glass walking, blade box, electric chair) with Professa Adam Realman. Tuition $1,650; cohort limited to 10 students; students must be 18+. For aspiring and working sideshow performers.
• Burlesque Master Class Single-evening burlesque training session led by Headmistress Jo Weldon (author of The Burlesque Handbook). Tuition $395 (sold out in 2025). For aspiring burlesque performers.
• Coney Island Clown Skool Clown training program culminating in a free student showcase at the CIUSA theater. For aspiring and working clown performers.
• Coney Island Film School Filmmaking training program connected to CIUSA's film programming. For aspiring independent filmmakers.
• Mike Meyer Sign Painting Workshop Multi-day sign painting workshop with Mike Meyer. For artists and craftspeople interested in traditional sign painting.
• Coney Island USA Gift Shop Online merchandise store operated via Shopify, selling CIUSA-branded goods and ticketing products. For fans, members, and gift buyers nationwide and internationally.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2026 Mermaid Parade drew 5,000+ participants, exceeding typical attendance of ~3,000
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• House of Yes: Brooklyn-based independent performance and event venue producing circus, burlesque, drag, and immersive nightlife programming. Closely comparable as a small Brooklyn nonprofit/creative venue operating diverse adult/counter-culture live programming and competing for similar audiences and performer talent.
• The Slipper Room: NYC burlesque and variety-show venue on the Lower East Side featuring nightly ticketed performances and a bar. Directly comparable on the burlesque/sideshow live-entertainment-plus-bar model, ticket price points ($20-$30), and 18+/21+ audience.
• Dixon Place: Lower Manhattan nonprofit theater and performance venue hosting experimental, burlesque, and multidisciplinary live programming. Comparable as a small NYC nonprofit arts venue running mixed-genre ticketed programming with a donor-supported operating model.
• St. Ann's Warehouse: Brooklyn-based nonprofit performing-arts presenter producing theater, music, and multi-genre live events in a converted warehouse. Comparable as a Brooklyn-rooted nonprofit performing-arts venue with multi-format programming and a reliance on grants and earned ticket revenue.
• La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club: Historic NYC nonprofit experimental theater organization producing original performance, often counter-cultural and queer-inclusive programming with an educational track. Comparable mission and nonprofit operating model, though with a stronger theater vs. burlesque/sideshow tilt.
• BRIC Arts Media: Brooklyn-based nonprofit presenting visual arts, performing arts, and media programming across multiple venues including BRIC House. Comparable as a multi-discipline Brooklyn arts nonprofit combining ticketed events, classes, and community programming in a single organizational umbrella.
• Issue Project Room: Brooklyn-based nonprofit venue commissioning and presenting experimental music, performance, and dance. Comparable as a small Brooklyn nonprofit arts venue dependent on grants and donor support, programming niche counter-cultural live work.
• New York Theatre Workshop: Off-Broadway NYC nonprofit theater producing experimental and devised work, supported by donations and ticket revenue. Comparable nonprofit performing-arts model with multi-format programming and educational/outreach components.
• Performance Space New York: East Village nonprofit presenting experimental live performance and artist residencies. Comparable as a small NYC nonprofit arts venue with counter-cultural programming, donor dependence, and an artist-development mission adjacent to CIUSA's Sideshow School and Clown Skool offerings.

Emerging players

• The City Reliquary: Brooklyn nonprofit civic museum and cultural organization that organized the sold-out Miss Subways 2026 pageant inside CIUSA's Sideshows by the Seashore Theater. Comparable as a small Brooklyn nonprofit cultural institution with overlapping audiences and an explicit operational partnership with Coney Island USA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/coneyislandusa
• Instagraminstagram.com/coney.island.usa
• Xx.com/coneyislandusa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/943538

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Coney Island