The Complex
The Complex is a Dublin-based multi-disciplinary arts centre and registered charity operating 18 artist studios plus performance, exhibition, and bar spaces for artists and arts audiences since 2008, currently announcing closure following lease expiration and government inaction.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersDublin, Ireland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Complex does
The Complex is a multi-disciplinary arts centre operating in Dublin's north inner city since 2008, structured as a Company Limited by Guarantee and registered charity (CHY 20072674). It serves artists, performers, and arts audiences through four integrated physical spaces: The Depot (350-capacity warehouse performance venue), The Gallery (50-capacity exhibition space), The Bar (50-capacity), The Cooler (jazz and improvised-music venue operated in partnership with Improvised Music Company), and 18 artist studios with 24-hour access. Programming spans professional theatre productions, visual arts exhibitions, live music (including The Depot Sessions launched in 2024), and community-engaged work produced in collaboration with organisations such as the Abbey Theatre and IMMA.
The organisation generates revenue through a hybrid model combining earned income — ticket sales, venue and studio hire, bar service, and merchandise sales (Art Lives Here t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags via thecomplex.ie/merch) — with public funding from the Arts Council of Ireland (regular funder since 2018) and Dublin City Council (regular funder since 2010), supplemented by Creative Ireland, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and the Gaeltacht, and corporate sponsorship (e.g., Diageo for The Rose Tattoo). Distribution combines direct box office and venue hire with online e-commerce for merchandise and third-party ticketing platforms including Citizen Ticket, Resident Advisor, Eventbrite, and Ticketsolve. The core technology stack consists of standard martech tools (MailChimp, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Facebook Pixels, Stripe); the product is fundamentally physical rather than technology-led.
The Complex is currently announcing closure following lease expiration and the failure of the Government and Dublin City Council to secure a viable resolution after 18 years of continuous operation. A public campaign — including a 16,500+ signature petition delivered to Minister Jack Chambers, a public meeting, a rally, and the Groundswell 3-night music marathon — has been launched, alongside an Off-Site Visual Arts Programme 2026 signalling an attempt to continue programming in a distributed format.
The Complex firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Complex
- Legal name
- The Complex
- Website
- https://thecomplex.ie
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Complex is a Dublin-based multi-disciplinary arts centre and registered charity operating 18 artist studios plus performance, exhibition, and bar spaces for artists and arts audiences since 2008, currently announcing closure following lease expiration and government inaction.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Complex industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Venue
- NAICS
- Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Multipurpose Event Center Operations (Civic Centers, Community Event Complexes) (MPAGALAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages) (MPAGALAF), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)
Keywords
Where The Complex is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dublin
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
The Complex business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Venue and Studio Hire: 18 artist studios available for rent with 24-hour access, WiFi, heating, and communal areas. The Depot, Gallery, and Bar spaces available for hire for events, performances, filming, conferences, and gatherings.
- Ticket Sales: Box office sales for theatre productions, concerts, performances, and events. Concession pricing available for unwaged, students, and seniors.
- Bar Revenue: Full bar service at events including The Depot and The Cooler venues.
- Merchandise Sales: Online store selling Art Lives Here branded merchandise including t-shirts, sweatshirts, and tote bags.
- Public Funding: Regular funding from Arts Council since 2018 and Dublin City Council since 2010. Also supported by Dept of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and the Gaeltacht.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard tickets for The Rose Tattoo |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Early bird and preview pricing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Forum and special event tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Art Lives Here T-Shirts |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Art Lives Here Sweatshirts |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Art Lives Here Tote Bag |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Aren't Blakey jazz event |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | YDIVIDE concert at The Cooler |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Complex product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Complex operates a multi-disciplinary arts centre in Dublin's north inner city that provides affordable artist studios, professional performance and exhibition venues, a bar, and an in-house cultural programme. It earns revenue by renting studios and event spaces, selling tickets to its own theatre productions, concerts and exhibitions, running a bar, and selling branded merchandise, supplemented by public funding from the Arts Council and Dublin City Council.
Product overview
The Complex is a multi-disciplinary arts centre in Dublin's north inner city operating as a single unified venue with multiple integrated spaces and programmes. The core offering consists of The Depot (350-capacity warehouse performance space), The Gallery (50-capacity exhibition space), The Bar (50-capacity bar space), and The Cooler (jazz/improvised music space in partnership with Improvised Music Company). Supporting infrastructure includes 18 Artist Studios with 24-hour access for visual artists, designers, musicians and theatre-makers. Programming divisions include Complex Theatre Productions (immersive professional theatre), The Depot Sessions (emerging Irish live music), and an annual visual arts programme. Additional revenue streams include venue hire services and a merchandise store. The organisation is currently facing closure following failure to secure government support for a new lease.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Depot A fully versatile, open-plan warehouse performance space with raw industrial architecture located at 12 Mary's Abbey, Dublin 7. Capacity of 350, adaptable for concerts, filming, photoshoots, large-scale rehearsals, festivals, conferences, launches and promotional events with full technical support.
- The Gallery @ The Complex Gallery space at 21-25 Arran St E, Dublin 7 producing a diverse programme of exhibitions and events annually, funded by Dublin City Council and The Arts Council of Ireland. Available for hire hosting intimate concerts, talks, exhibitions and filming with a capacity of 50.
- The Bar @ The Complex An intimate bar space located at the entrance to The Depot with capacity for 50 people, available for hire for networking or small professional gatherings, and serving drinks at events in The Depot and The Cooler venues.
- The Cooler A community-driven creative space for rehearsal, development and professional workshops, and an intimate club-style performance space for jazz and improvised music, operated as a collaboration between Improvised Music Company and The Complex.
- Artist Studios 18 artist studios with 24-hour access, WiFi, heating, and communal living areas. Studios are rented to visual artists, designers, musicians, and theatre-makers as dedicated workspace in Dublin 7.
- Complex Theatre Productions Professional theatre productions set in immersive settings, producing work of meaningful social value with mission to enrich local communities and promote well-being. Includes productions like The Rose Tattoo, Dublin Will Show You How, F.A.T. D.A.D., Enough, Browbeating Assembly, and Leaves of Heaven.
- The Depot Sessions Live music programme featuring Ireland's most exciting bands, theatrically staged in The Depot warehouse space. Running since 2024 with focus on young and emerging live Irish bands, collectives and performers including Winemom, Cruel Sister, Bold Love, Squarehead, Thumper, CABL, and Fizzy Orange.
- Venue Hire Service Hiring service for The Depot, The Gallery and The Bar spaces for events, performances, filming, photoshoots, conferences and promotional events with technical support and catering as required. Contact: [email protected].
- Art Lives Here Merchandise Store Online store selling branded Art Lives Here merchandise including t-shirts (€20 each), sweatshirts (€45 each), and tote bags (€12 each), made from organic cotton and recycled polyester where applicable.
Companies that use The Complex
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Complex technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
The Complex partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, regular, minor and major.
- KirkoscoreNew music collective occupying Studio 18 at The Complex's new space on Little Green Street. Co-presented The Dust performance at Kirkos venue in March 2026 following The Complex's eviction from its Mary Street location.
- Dublin Comic Arts FestivalregularFourth edition of quarterly event hosting 90+ artists selling comics, zines, art prints. Festival runs 11am-5pm with free admission.
- Little Deer ComicsminorProvides wide selection of comics for Dublin Comic Arts Festival events.
- Improvised Music CompanycoreLandmark collaboration to operate The Cooler, a new home for jazz and improvised music. IMC is a resource organisation for Irish jazz musicians and specialist promoter. The Cooler launched July 2023 as intimate club-style performance space.
- DiageominorSponsor of The Rose Tattoo production.
- IMMA (Irish Museum of Modern Art)majorCo-production partner for E.R. Sister Sun listening event featuring the music of Éliane Radigue. Two-evening event with first night at IMMA Courtyard and second at The Depot.
- The Abbey TheatremajorCollaboration on Browbeating Assembly project with local women's groups exploring intimidation in Dublin's North Inner City. Also co-produced award-winning Dublin Will Show You How in 2019.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Complex competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DanceHouse: Dublin dance and performing arts development organisation operating studios and a performance space. Comparable in offering studio + venue combination to dance and performing arts practitioners with public funding support.
- Smock Alley Theatre: Dublin city-centre theatre venue hosting theatre, comedy and live performance with multiple performance spaces. Comparable as a CLG-style, publicly-funded venue operator offering hire, ticketed programming, and producer partnerships.
- Project Arts Centre: Dublin multi-disciplinary arts centre operating a year-round programme of theatre, dance, music and visual arts with studio and venue hire. Directly comparable as a city-centre artist-led venue combining performance, exhibitions and emerging-artist programming.
- Camden Arts Centre: London multi-arts organisation offering exhibitions, artist residencies, learning and live events under one roof. Closely comparable as a venue combining gallery, performance and learning programmes in a publicly-supported model.
- Temple Bar Gallery + Studios: Dublin artist-studio provider and contemporary art gallery with a focus on supporting emerging and established visual artists. Closely comparable operating model: subsidised studios plus a public-facing gallery programme in central Dublin.
- Crawdaddy! / Workman's Club: Dublin live music and club venue with multiple performance spaces. Comparable as a Dublin multi-space venue operator presenting emerging Irish bands, hosting The Cooler-style intimate programmes and offering venue hire.
Broad incumbents
- Southbank Centre: Large London multi-venue arts complex presenting performing and visual arts across concert halls and galleries. Comparable in operating a multi-space venue hub but at substantially greater scale and with a national visitor audience.
- The Abbey Theatre: Ireland's national theatre and a long-standing co-production partner of The Complex. Comparable as a publicly-funded performing arts venue operator, but substantially larger and operating at national scale rather than community-led.
- National Concert Hall: Dublin's principal state-funded classical and contemporary music presenting house. Comparable as a publicly-subsidised multi-space performance venue, but at a much larger scale and with a national programming remit.
Regional players
- The MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre): Belfast multi-disciplinary arts venue combining theatre, dance, visual arts and live music programming. Comparable in venue typology and mixed programming model but serves the Northern Irish market rather than Dublin.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Complex social profiles
Digital presenceThe Complex compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
The Complex financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Complex leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
The Complex funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Complex 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 Complex
What does The Complex do?
The Complex operates a multi-disciplinary arts centre in Dublin's north inner city that provides affordable artist studios, professional performance and exhibition venues, a bar, and an in-house cultural programme. It earns revenue by renting studios and event spaces, selling tickets to its own theatre productions, concerts and exhibitions, running a bar, and selling branded merchandise, supplemented by public funding from the Arts Council and Dublin City Council.
Is The Complex a public or private company?
The Complex is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Complex founded?
The Complex was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Complex based?
The Complex is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does The Complex make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Venue and Studio Hire is the primary driver. The others are ticket Sales, bar Revenue, merchandise Sales and public Funding.
Who are The Complex's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DanceHouse, Smock Alley Theatre, Project Arts Centre, Camden Arts Centre, Temple Bar Gallery + Studios and Crawdaddy! / Workman's Club. Broad incumbents are Southbank Centre, The Abbey Theatre and National Concert Hall. The MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre) is listed as a regional player.
Does The Complex have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Complex.
What industry is The Complex in?
The Complex's product category is Performing Arts Venue. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGALAE, Multipurpose Event Center Operations (Civic Centers, Community Event Complexes), with a secondary code of MPAGALAB, Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses). Its NAICS code is 711 and its SIC code is 7990.