The Carolina Opry Theater

Name

The Carolina Opry Theater

Legal name

Gilmore Entertainment

Website

https://thecarolinaopry.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theater Entertainment

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL), Theater & Performing Arts Ticketing (HSACALAC)

Keywords

• Live theater shows
• Variety show productions
• Concert venue bookings
• Holiday theater performances
• Group event bookings

Headquarters

HQ city

Myrtle Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales - Core Productions: Primary revenue from ticket sales for three main productions: The Carolina Opry (variety show), Time Warp (60s/70s/80s music tribute), and The Carolina Opry Christmas Special. Tickets sold across multiple pricing tiers with premiums for better seating.
2. Concert Series Tickets: Myrtle Beach Performing Arts Series features celebrity guest artists with ticket prices varying by concert. Hosts tribute acts (Elvis, Dolly Parton, Eagles) and original artists (Indigo Girls, Marshall Tucker Band).
3. Group Sales: Special group rates for 22+ guests including motorcoach tours, corporate events, church groups, and student groups. Services include group greeting, special seating, dinner packages, and studio workshops.
4. Concession Sales: Popcorn, candy, soft drinks, beer and wine available for purchase. Dinner packages available through partnership with Original Benjamin's seafood buffet.
5. Season Passes: Season passes offering 50% savings on The Carolina Opry & Time Warp, 25% savings on Christmas Special, and savings on most concerts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Carolina Opry Theater operates a 2,200-seat live entertainment venue in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, producing and selling tickets to three flagship stage shows—The Carolina Opry (flagship variety show), Time Warp (60s/70s/80s music tribute), and The Christmas Show of the South (seasonal holiday production)—together with the Myrtle Beach Performing Arts Series of celebrity and tribute concerts. Revenue is generated from individual ticket sales, season passes, group bookings, hotel-show packages, dinner-show packages, concessions, and show sponsorships targeted at Myrtle Beach tourists, group travelers, and corporate event buyers.

Product overview

The Carolina Opry Theater operates as a live entertainment venue offering a portfolio of three core variety show products: The Carolina Opry (flagship 40th anniversary variety show featuring music, comedy, and dance), Time Warp (nostalgic concert experience of 60s-80s music), and The Christmas Show of the South (40th season holiday special). The theater also hosts the Myrtle Beach Performing Arts Series featuring tribute bands and celebrity concerts. The venue itself is a 2,200-seat facility with state-of-the-art production equipment. Additional offerings include ticketing packages (Flex Tickets, Season Pass, Multi-Show Packages, Group Tickets), hospitality add-ons (Hotel Packages, Dinner Packages), and the Spotlight Magazine showbill. The company positions itself as Myrtle Beach's original theater and the pioneer of the Grand Strand entertainment industry since 1986.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Time Warp: Award-winning show featuring hits of the 60s, 70s, and 80s with multimedia screens, special effects, and elaborate costuming
• The Christmas Show of the South
• America's Show
• Myrtle Beach Performing Arts Series

Products and services

• The Carolina Opry The flagship two-hour variety show blending high-energy music, comedy and dance, featuring over 35 of the nation's most talented performers and state-of-the-art lighting, sound and special effects. Now in its 40th anniversary season; acclaimed by The New York Times, USA Today, NBC Nightly News, and CNN; targeted at Myrtle Beach tourists, families, and group visitors seeking premier live entertainment.
• Time Warp An award-winning show featuring the best music of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, blended with multimedia screens, special effects, and elaborate costuming in a fast-paced, high-energy presentation of American popular music from those decades. Targeted at Myrtle Beach tourists, nostalgia-seeking audiences, and group visitors.
• The Christmas Show of the South Myrtle Beach's original Christmas show featuring over 35 of the nation's most talented artists, a real horse-drawn sleigh, stunning costuming, enchanting effects, and elaborate holiday decor with 30+ Christmas trees and 25,000+ lights; runs November through December. Targeted at Myrtle Beach holiday tourists, families, and group organizers.
• Myrtle Beach Performing Arts Series (Concert Series) Year-round concert series featuring select performances by celebrity guest artists and tribute bands including Eagles, Journey, Dolly Parton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Beatles/Led Zeppelin tributes, Indigo Girls, Marshall Tucker Band, and EAGLEMANIA; ticket prices vary by concert. Targeted at Myrtle Beach tourists, music fans, and group visitors.
• Group Tickets (22+ guests) Special group rates for parties of 22 or more including exclusive group pricing, special group greeting & seating, concession and multi-show packages, dinner & show packages, and 2 complimentary tickets with 22 paid tickets. Targeted at motorcoach tours, church groups, alumni groups, senior organizations, school groups, and corporate event planners.
• Season Pass Annual subscription-style pass offering 50% savings on The Carolina Opry & Time Warp shows, 25% savings on The Carolina Opry Christmas Special, plus savings on most concerts. Targeted at repeat Myrtle Beach visitors and local enthusiasts.
• Flex Tickets Discounted tickets offering 50% off regular seating tier; party is guaranteed to be seated together but seating location is assigned within an hour of showtime. Must be purchased online at least 24 hours in advance. Targeted at cost-sensitive individual ticket buyers.
• Multi-Show Package $15 second-show add-on when bundled with a full-price ticket purchase; same party must attend both shows within 14 days. Valid for The Carolina Opry and Time Warp shows (Feb–Oct), not valid for concerts. Targeted at visitors who want to see more than one show during a stay.
• Hotel + Tickets Packages Package deals combining hotel accommodations with show tickets, available for various styles and budgets from oceanfront value to 4-diamond properties, partnered with hotels such as Club Wyndham Ocean Boulevard and Dayton House Resort. Targeted at vacation planners seeking bundled experiences.
• Dinner Package (with Original Benjamin's) Dinner package at Original Benjamin's world-famous 170-item seafood buffet combined with show tickets, saving $22 per adult. Includes waterfront dining, maritime museum, all-you-can-eat crab legs, pasta station, and in-house bakery. Targeted at tourists seeking bundled dining and entertainment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rated 4.8 stars from 8,470+ Google reviews
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Duplin WineryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShow sponsor with logo placement on theater website and marketing materials.
• Hook Barrel RestaurantminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShow sponsor with logo placement on theater website and marketing materials.
• Original Benjamin'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDinner package partner offering world-famous 170-item seafood buffet packaged with show tickets. Provides $22 per adult savings when booked together.
• Club Wyndham Ocean BoulevardcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHotel package partner offering hotel + ticket packages for various budgets from oceanfront value to 4-Diamond accommodations.
• McLeod HealthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShow sponsor with logo placement on theater website and marketing materials.
• Brookgreen GardensminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural partner and show sponsor. Featured in group travel itineraries as recommended attraction alongside the theater.
• Dayton House ResortminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOceanfront hotel partner featured in sample group travel itineraries. Known for warm hospitality and beach views.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Grand Ole Opry: Nashville-based live country and Americana variety show with rotating guest artists and resident cast. Closest spiritual and format analog to The Carolina Opry, both rooted in country-music variety traditions and multi-performer stage shows.
• Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament: Multi-location dinner theater chain offering a scripted live performance with meal service, comparable to The Carolina Opry's variety-show-plus-dinner-package model. Targets tourists and group bookings across major U.S. destination markets.
• Sight & Sound Theatres: Operator of large-scale (2,000+ seat) destination musical theaters in Branson and Lancaster/PA producing original, Broadway-style productions. Directly comparable on venue scale, production-investment intensity, and tourist-driven attendance model.
• Andy Williams Moon River Theatre (Branson): Branson-style resident variety and tribute show theater in a major U.S. drive-to tourist destination. Same concept structure (resident cast, rotating tribute/concert programming, group-tourist channel) as The Carolina Opry's Myrtle Beach operation.
• Dolly Parton's Pirate Voyage Fun, Feast & Show: Adjacent dinner theater attraction in Myrtle Beach owned by the same operator network (Calvin Gilmore/Holiday Vacations). Competes directly for the same tourist entertainment dollars with a themed dinner-show format and similar ticket/package model.
• Tribute Theatre / Legends in Concert: Resident tribute-artist and celebrity-impersonator stage shows operating in Myrtle Beach and other tourist markets. Direct format competitor with the Carolina Opry's tribute-concert programming and Myrtle Beach Performing Arts Series.

Broad incumbents

• Cirque du Soleil: Global live entertainment producer of large-scale theatrical shows with premium ticketing. Operates at materially larger scale and price point, but shares the same live-theatrical-production business model and tourist-attraction distribution channel.
• Royal Caribbean Productions: In-house entertainment division producing Broadway-style and variety stage shows as part of cruise vacation packages. Same core model of bundling live entertainment into a destination-vacation product for tourist audiences.
• Live Nation Entertainment: Largest live concert promoter and venue operator globally, running tours and performing arts programming at scale. Overlaps with the Carolina Opry's Performing Arts Series concerts and group-ticketing distribution.

Others

• Hard Rock Live (Seminole Hard Rock): Large-capacity concert/entertainment venue operator and live-event promoter at tourist destinations. Compares on venue scale and concert-programming model, though it sits outside the variety-show category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheCarolinaOpry
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheCarolinaOpry
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheCarolinaOpry
• Instagraminstagram.com/thecarolinaoprytheater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 The Carolina Opry Theater