The Glee Club
The Glee Club is a privately held UK chain of live entertainment venues in six cities, programming stand-up comedy, music, cabaret, and spoken word shows, and selling tickets directly to consumers alongside bundled food, drink, and venue hire.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Glee Club does
The Glee Club is a privately held UK operator of a multi-venue live entertainment chain, running comedy, music, cabaret, burlesque, spoken word, and family shows across six cities: Birmingham (headquarters), Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Nottingham, and Oxford. Core programming consists of regular Friday, Saturday, and themed Thursday comedy nights featuring mixed bills of four stand-up comedians, supplemented by touring comedians' solo shows, live music gigs, cabaret performances including The Gilded Merkin, and Seed Talks spoken word events. Family-friendly daytime comedy and seasonal Christmas specials with bundled festive menus round out the calendar.
The business sells tickets directly to consumers through its proprietary MyGlee online booking platform, a phone box office, and on-the-door sales, with no third-party ticketing agents. Revenue is generated from one-time ticket sales (£7.50–£40+, plus £2–£2.75 booking fees), bundled food and bar packages, private venue hire for corporate events and celebrations, and gift cards. The Glee Club targets individual adults seeking weekend entertainment, group bookings for birthdays, stag/hen parties, and work socials, families via child-friendly shows, and students through concession pricing. Marketing runs through the glee.co.uk website, email mailing lists, performer cross-promotion, and a streaming partnership with NextUp.
The company operates with no disclosed parent, institutional investor, or funding rounds, and there is no public information on revenue, headcount, or financial performance. Awards recognition includes Best Comedy Night in the Midlands for four consecutive years (What's On) and Best Themed Comedy Night 2020 (Chortle), supporting its positioning as a leading UK regional comedy venue chain outside London.
The Glee Club firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Glee Club
- Legal name
- The Glee Club
- Website
- https://glee.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Glee Club is a privately held UK chain of live entertainment venues in six cities, programming stand-up comedy, music, cabaret, and spoken word shows, and selling tickets directly to consumers alongside bundled food, drink, and venue hire.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Glee Club industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Entertainment Venues
- NAICS
- Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Comedy Clubs (Nightlife Venues) (MPAGAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Stand-Up Comedy Shows (MPAGACAA), Comedy Club & Showcase Nights (MPAGACAE), Comedy Shows & Spoken-Word Events (THAJAFAC)
Keywords
Where The Glee Club is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
The Glee Club business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling tickets to live comedy, music, cabaret, and spoken word events. Prices range from £7.50 for new material nights to £40+ for headline touring acts. Booking fees of £2-2.75 per ticket apply.
- Food & Beverage Packages: Bundled meal packages with show tickets including options like Fish & Chips, Chicken Katsu Curry, Sri Lankan Vegetable Curry, and full restaurant courses. Also operates full bar service.
- Venue Hire: Private venue hire for corporate events, parties, and special occasions mentioned across Birmingham and Cardiff locations.
- Gift Cards: Gift card sales for show tickets, providing pre-paid credit to the venue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Weekend Comedy (Friday/Saturday) - Four-comedian mixed bill shows |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Comedy Tour Shows - Headlining solo comedians |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Family Comedy Shows - Daytime all-ages programming |
| Hybrid | Pay-as-you-go | Christmas Specials - Festive themed comedy with dining |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Cardiff Venue - Similar weekend comedy structure |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Glee Club product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Glee Club operates a multi-venue live entertainment chain hosting regular weekend stand-up comedy shows (Friday Night Comedy, Saturday Night Comedy, Thursday Night Comedy Carousel), touring comedian solo shows, live music gigs, cabaret and burlesque performances, spoken word and talks events, and family-friendly daytime comedy. Revenue is generated primarily through show ticket sales, bundled food and beverage packages, venue hire for private events, and gift cards across six UK venues.
Product overview
The Glee Club is a multi-venue live entertainment chain operating across six UK cities (Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Nottingham, and Oxford). The core offering consists of regular stand-up comedy shows including Friday Night Comedy, Saturday Night Comedy, and Thursday Night Comedy Carousel, supplemented by solo comedy tour shows from visiting performers. The portfolio also includes live music events, drag/cabaret/burlesque entertainment (such as The Gilded Merkin), spoken word events and talks (including Seed Talks series), and family-friendly comedy shows. Seasonal offerings include Christmas Comedy Specials with festive menus. Supporting services include gift cards, venue hire for private events, on-site food and bar service, and live streaming of select shows via NextUp. Tickets are managed through the MyGlee online booking platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Friday Night Comedy Weekly mixed-bill stand-up comedy show on Friday nights featuring four comedians, with food package add-ons available for adult entertainment seekers.
- Saturday Night Comedy Weekly mixed-bill stand-up comedy show on Saturday nights featuring four comedians, positioned as the chain's award-winning flagship weekend comedy offering.
- Thursday Night Comedy Carousel Fast-paced themed stand-up comedy night on Thursdays featuring top comedians alongside a big screen of web content, recognised by industry awards as the chain's signature themed night.
- Comedy Tour Shows Solo stand-up shows by touring comedians performing their own material on multi-city tours across the Glee Club venue chain.
- Live Music Events Live music gigs featuring various artists including rock, tribute acts, and solo performers, held across the Glee Club venues.
- Drag, Cabaret & Burlesque Shows Drag, cabaret and burlesque performances including The Gilded Merkin showcase featuring international performers, programmed across Birmingham and Cardiff venues.
- Spoken Word / Talks Spoken word and intellectual talks including the Seed Talks series covering topics such as Greek mythology, neuroscience and history.
- Family Comedy Shows Lunchtime comedy shows suitable for families with children aged 5+, with separate adult and child/concession pricing and family-of-4 packages.
- Christmas Comedy Specials Seasonal festive comedy shows featuring four stand-up comedians with multi-course holiday menus and bundled show-and-dine pricing tiers.
- Gift Cards Digital gift cards redeemable for show tickets and food at any Glee Club venue, sold via the dedicated giftcards.glee.co.uk portal.
- Venue Hire Private venue hire service for corporate events, parties, birthdays, stag/hen parties, and work socials, available across Birmingham and Cardiff locations.
- Food & Bar Service On-site licensed food and bar service offering fish & chips, chicken katsu curry, Sri Lankan vegetable curry, multi-course meals, full bar service, and bar snacks, often bundled with show tickets.
- Live Streams Live streaming of select Glee Club performances via the third-party NextUp platform, extending reach beyond the physical venue capacity.
Quantifiable outcome
- Voted Best Comedy Night in the Midlands four consecutive years by What's On magazine
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Glee Club
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
The Glee Club technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Glee Club partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- NextUpminorThird-party streaming partnership where select Glee Club shows are broadcast live on the NextUp platform. Performers are filmed during live shows with audience consent. This extends the reach of performances beyond physical venue capacity.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Glee Club competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Chuckle Club Cardiff: Cardiff-based live comedy club running weekend comedy shows. Regional competitor in one of The Glee Club's primary markets, Wales.
Direct peers
- Hot Water Comedy Club: Liverpool-based comedy club chain with multiple venues, regular weekend comedy programming, and headline acts. Comparable model offering live stand-up with food and bar service.
- Comedy Store UK: Iconic UK comedy club chain operating venues in London and Manchester, hosting mixed-bill weekends and headline acts. Direct competitor in the UK live comedy venue market with comparable programming and audience.
- The Stand Comedy Club: Edinburgh and Glasgow-based comedy club chain hosting regular weekend comedy shows, touring acts, and food/beverage service. Closely comparable multi-venue UK comedy venue operator.
- Banana Cabaret: London-based comedy venue hosting weekend comedy shows, touring performers, and mixed-bill nights in a club-style format. Direct competitor in the UK live comedy venue segment.
- Funny Side Comedy: UK comedy club promoting live shows at multiple venues, including mixed-bill and headline touring acts. Comparable offering in live stand-up comedy entertainment.
- Komedia: UK multi-venue comedy and entertainment operator with locations in Brighton, Bath, and other regional cities, hosting comedy, music, cabaret, and family shows with food and bar service. Closely comparable model.
Broad incumbents
- Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG): Major UK live entertainment venue operator with nationwide portfolio of theatres and ticketed live events. Broader incumbent in live entertainment with overlapping programming including comedy, music, and family shows.
- Live Nation UK: Global live entertainment promoter and venue operator with significant UK presence. Broader incumbent running comedy tours, music events, and ticketed live performance venues.
Emerging players
- NextUp: UK live comedy streaming platform that broadcasts stand-up shows including The Glee Club's own productions. Represents adjacency in digital comedy distribution and a partial overlap with The Glee Club's streaming extension.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Glee Club social profiles
Digital presenceThe Glee Club financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Glee Club leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Glee Club funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Glee Club M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Glee Club
What does The Glee Club do?
The Glee Club operates a multi-venue live entertainment chain hosting regular weekend stand-up comedy shows (Friday Night Comedy, Saturday Night Comedy, Thursday Night Comedy Carousel), touring comedian solo shows, live music gigs, cabaret and burlesque performances, spoken word and talks events, and family-friendly daytime comedy. Revenue is generated primarily through show ticket sales, bundled food and beverage packages, venue hire for private events, and gift cards across six UK venues.
Is The Glee Club a public or private company?
The Glee Club is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was The Glee Club founded?
The Glee Club was founded in 1994. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Glee Club based?
The Glee Club is headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Glee Club make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are food & Beverage Packages, venue Hire and gift Cards.
Who are The Glee Club's main competitors?
Chuckle Club Cardiff is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Hot Water Comedy Club, Comedy Store UK, The Stand Comedy Club, Banana Cabaret, Funny Side Comedy and Komedia. Broad incumbents are Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) and Live Nation UK. NextUp is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Glee Club have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Glee Club.
What industry is The Glee Club in?
The Glee Club's product category is Live Entertainment Venues. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAIAH, Comedy Clubs (Nightlife Venues), with a secondary code of MPAGACAA, Stand-Up Comedy Shows. Its NAICS code is 711110 and its SIC code is 7900.