Steam Center Bern
Dampfzentrale Bern (Steam Center Bern) is a non-profit performing arts venue in a former power station on the Aare in Bern, Switzerland, hosting contemporary dance, music, theater, and three annual festivals for general audiences, young people, and professional artists through residencies and partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBern, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Steam Center Bern does
Dampfzentrale Bern (also referenced as Steam Center Bern) is a private, non-profit cultural performing arts venue and artist residency center in Bern, Switzerland, operating from a former industrial power station on the banks of the river Aare at Marzilistrasse 47. The organization's core product is the venue itself, comprising three architecturally distinct event spaces — Foyer (170 standing), Boiler House (550 standing), and Turbine Hall (380 seated) — equipped with professional lighting and sound, supplemented by artist residency apartments, a riverside terrace, and an on-site restaurant operated by Taberna.
Dampfzentrale Bern curates a multi-disciplinary programme across contemporary dance, music, theater, and experimental arts, anchored by three flagship festivals — Tanz in Bern (dance), Full Of Lava (innovative music, rebranded from Saint Ghetto), and EXPOP (experimental pop, since 2022) — plus recurring series including lazy club (monthly collective listening), Barbara Bleisch trifft, Philosophieren!, and a year-round context programme of talks, workshops, and sharings (public rehearsals). The venue also hosts Ensemble Proton Bern as ensemble in residence (10+ year tenure) and runs an Associated Artists programme, residencies (1-2 weeks plus technical residencies), and a youth engagement programme (Die Zentrale, ages 10-14).
The business model combines ticket sales (pay-what-you-can three-tier pricing with significant free/discounted categories for youth, Kulturlegi, Kultur-GA holders, and refugees with S/N/F permits), venue rental for closed corporate/private events (Foyer, Boiler House, Turbine Hall), restaurant and catering revenue through Taberna, and an annual CHF 25 Kulturkuvert printed-programme subscription bundled with Schlachthaus Theater Bern, Kino Rex, and Konzert Theater Bern. Distribution is fee-free direct via the venue's own website plus a phone box office and physical mailings; GTM is direct-to-consumer for audiences and direct field sales for renters. Operational sustainability is heavily supported by recurring public and foundation funding — Pro Helvetia, Kultur Stadt Bern (three-year project commitment), SWISSLOS/Kultur Kanton Bern, Migros Kulturstiftung and Pourcent culturel Migros, Burgergemeinde Bern, Fondation Nestlé pour l'Art, Ernst Göhner Stiftung, and multiple Bernese guild foundations — alongside international co-production partnerships (Charleroi Danse, Grand Studio, Tanzhaus Zürich, SHAPE+ platform).
Steam Center Bern firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Steam Center Bern
- Legal name
- Dampfzentrale Bern
- Website
- https://dampfzentrale.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Dampfzentrale Bern (Steam Center Bern) is a non-profit performing arts venue in a former power station on the Aare in Bern, Switzerland, hosting contemporary dance, music, theater, and three annual festivals for general audiences, young people, and professional artists through residencies and partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Steam Center Bern industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Venue
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC), Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB)
Keywords
Where Steam Center Bern is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bern
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Steam Center Bern business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket sales: Revenue from ticket sales for performances and events across the venue's program, with a pay-what-you-can pricing model where customers choose between price categories. Discounted rates available for youth, cultural pass holders, and refugees.
- Venue rental: The venue rents its three spaces (Foyer, Boiler House, Turbine Hall) for commercial closed events, including technical equipment and catering services (exclusively from the on-site restaurant). Revenue from rental enquiries and associated technical staffing.
- Restaurant operations: The on-site restaurant Dampfzentrale (operated by Taberna) generates food and beverage revenue, including the most beautiful terrace in Bern and a gourmet experience for event attendees.
- Kulturkuvert subscription: Annual subscription service (CHF 25/year) providing printed promotional materials for Dampfzentrale Bern's program along with programme booklets from three other Bern cultural institutions (Schlachthaus Theater Bern, Kino Rex, Konzert Theater Bern) delivered by post.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | One time | Flexible three-tier pricing with free youth category |
| Subscription | Annual | Kulturkuvert annual printed programme subscription |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time | Gift vouchers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Steam Center Bern product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Steam Center Bern (Dampfzentrale Bern) operates a multi-venue performing arts center housed in a former industrial power station on the banks of the River Aare in Bern. It presents contemporary dance, music, theater, and interdisciplinary art through ticketed performances, three flagship festivals (Tanz in Bern, Full Of Lava, EXPOP), an ensemble in residence, artist residencies, recurring series, venue rental, and a printed programme subscription (Kulturkuvert).
Product overview
Dampfzentrale Bern is a multi-venue performing arts center and cultural venue offering a unified portfolio of live event programming and artist support services. The core offering centers on the presentation venue itself, which hosts guest performances across contemporary dance, theater, and music. This is supplemented by three major festivals (Tanz in Bern, Full Of Lava, and EXPOP), recurring series including lazy club (listening format), Barbara Bleisch trifft (talks), Philosophieren! (philosophy for children), and the Ensemble Proton Bern residency. Artist development services include residencies, the Associated Artists program, and a Context Programme for audience engagement. Additional revenue services include venue rental (Foyer, Boiler House, Turbine Hall) and the Kulturkuvert subscription. The venue also operates an on-site restaurant.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Ensemble Proton Bern: Ensemble in Residence at Dampfzentrale Bern - an artistic collective specializing in contemporary classical music, active for over ten years.
- Associated Artists
- lazy club
- Kulturkuvert
Products and services
- Dampfzentrale Bern Venue (Performance Programming) A presentation venue for innovative, contemporary forms of performance, dance, and music located in a former industrial site on the banks of the River Aare in Bern, Switzerland. Hosts ticketed guest performances and concerts across three spaces (Foyer, Boiler House, Turbine Hall) for general audiences.
- Tanz in Bern Festival Annual dance festival featuring contemporary dance performances and productions presented at Dampfzentrale Bern.
- Full Of Lava Festival Festival for innovative music and interdisciplinary art, formerly known as Saint Ghetto, since 2022; a founding member of the SHAPE+ European platform.
- EXPOP Festival Festival for experimental pop, presenting artists whose work oscillates between radicalism and pop.
- lazy club Recurring monthly listening format held every third Sunday afternoon in the foyer, celebrating collective music listening in an informal, low-threshold setting where invited DJs play one-hour sets.
- Ensemble Proton Bern (Ensemble in Residence) Artistic collective specializing in contemporary classical music, performing four to six times each season as the ensemble in residence at Dampfzentrale Bern.
- Artist Residencies Working residences lasting one to two weeks where artists can live in venue apartments and develop their ideas, optionally supplemented by public sharing sessions and technical residences for large-stage technical testing.
- Venue Rental Rental of premises including Foyer (170 standing), Boiler House (550 standing), and Turbine Hall (380 seated) for commercial closed events, including technical equipment and catering from the on-site restaurant. Rental hours 09:00-24:00, extended to 03:30 maximum.
- Kulturkuvert Subscription Annual printed programme subscription for CHF 25 providing selected programme information from Dampfzentrale Bern plus programme booklets from Schlachthaus Theater Bern, Kino Rex, and Konzert Theater Bern, delivered by post.
- Restaurant Dampfzentrale On-site restaurant facility located near the River Aare with terrace seating, operated by Taberna, offering catering exclusively for the venue's rented events and open to the public for dining.
Companies that use Steam Center Bern
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Steam Center Bern technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Steam Center Bern partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SHAPE+ (European platform for innovative music and interdisciplinary art)coreSHAPE+ is a European platform for innovative music and interdisciplinary art co-funded by the European Union and Pro Helvetia. Full Of Lava (Dampfzentrale's festival) is a founding member of the platform. The platform selects exceptional emerging artists annually through open call and curatorial voting, providing performance invitations, collaborative residencies, commissions, seminars, and networking. Over 676 artists facilitated across 10 years of operation. Dampfzentrale hosted SHAPE+ residencies including Eve Aboulkheir (SHAPE+ artist) working on 'Harmonic Pyro Voices'.
- Charleroi Danse – La Raffinierie (Belgium)coreCo-production and residency partner for Tumbleweed's 'Threshold' production. Charleroi Danse is a major Belgian dance institution and co-producer of the premiere at the Biennale de Charleroi Danse.
- Grand Studio (Belgium)coreResidency partner for Tumbleweed's 'Threshold' production. Belgian contemporary dance development organization.
- STAMM (Switzerland)coreSwiss residency partner for Tumbleweed's 'Threshold' production.
- Tanzhaus Zürich (Switzerland)coreSwiss residency partner for Tumbleweed's 'Threshold' production. Continues Tumbleweed's residency after Dampfzentrale Bern.
- Châteauvallon-Liberté (France)coreCo-production and residency partner for Tumbleweed's 'Threshold' production. French dance and theater venue.
- Schlachthaus Theater BerncorePartner venue included in the Kulturkuvert subscription, through which Dampfzentrale Bern jointly distributes programme information with Schlachthaus Theater Bern, Kino Rex, and Konzert Theater Bern.
- Kino RexcorePartner cinema included in the Kulturkuvert subscription alongside Dampfzentrale Bern, Schlachthaus Theater Bern, and Konzert Theater Bern.
- Konzert Theater BerncorePartner venue included in the Kulturkuvert subscription alongside Dampfzentrale Bern, Schlachthaus Theater Bern, and Kino Rex.
- oh la la – performing arts productionminorProduction management partner for Marie Delprat's LIMBO production at Dampfzentrale Bern. Professional performing arts production company providing production leadership.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Steam Center Bern competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Kino Rex Bern: Bern-based independent cinema. Local partner listed in the Kulturkuvert subscription alongside Dampfzentrale, but focused on film exhibition rather than live performing arts.
Direct peers
- Tanzhaus Zürich: Swiss venue dedicated to contemporary dance and performance. Directly comparable in programming focus (Swiss contemporary dance presentation), and an active residency/co-production partner of Dampfzentrale Bern for productions such as Tumbleweed's 'Threshold'.
- Lokremise St. Gallen: St. Gallen cultural venue in a converted industrial building hosting concerts, theater and dance. Closely comparable in industrial-architecture venue positioning and multi-genre contemporary programming.
- Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zürich: Zurich production and presentation house for independent performing arts. Comparable programming focus on contemporary dance, theater and performance, with similar residency and co-production infrastructure.
- Kaserne Basel: Major Swiss performing arts and music venue combining concerts, dance and contemporary programming across multiple halls. Comparable multi-space, multi-genre venue model and similar public-funding structure.
- Südpol Luzern: Lucerne-based contemporary music and performing arts venue. Comparable mid-sized Swiss venue offering concerts, dance and interdisciplinary programming with a similar mix of public funding and ticketed events.
- Rote Fabrik Zürich: Zurich alternative cultural center hosting contemporary music, performance and club events in an industrial setting. Directly comparable in industrial-architecture venue positioning and contemporary/experimental programming.
- Charleroi Danse: Major Belgian dance institution and venue. Direct international peer and active co-production/residency partner for Dampfzentrale Bern productions (Tumbleweed's 'Threshold').
- Konzert Theater Bern: Larger Bern-based performing arts institution presenting opera, dance and concert programming. Local peer with overlapping audiences; co-listed in the Kulturkuvert programme subscription alongside Dampfzentrale.
- Schlachthaus Theater Bern: Independent theater venue in Bern focused on contemporary performing arts. A direct local peer and explicit Kulturkuvert programme-distribution partner, sharing the same audience pool and inclusive-pricing ethos.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Steam Center Bern social profiles
Digital presenceSteam Center Bern financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Steam Center Bern leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Steam Center Bern funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Steam Center Bern 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 Steam Center Bern
What does Steam Center Bern do?
Steam Center Bern (Dampfzentrale Bern) operates a multi-venue performing arts center housed in a former industrial power station on the banks of the River Aare in Bern. It presents contemporary dance, music, theater, and interdisciplinary art through ticketed performances, three flagship festivals (Tanz in Bern, Full Of Lava, EXPOP), an ensemble in residence, artist residencies, recurring series, venue rental, and a printed programme subscription (Kulturkuvert).
Is Steam Center Bern a public or private company?
Steam Center Bern is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Steam Center Bern founded?
Steam Center Bern was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Steam Center Bern based?
Steam Center Bern is headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Steam Center Bern make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket sales are the primary driver. The others are venue rental, restaurant operations and kulturkuvert subscription.
Who are Steam Center Bern's main competitors?
Kino Rex Bern is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Tanzhaus Zürich, Lokremise St. Gallen, Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zürich, Kaserne Basel, Südpol Luzern, Rote Fabrik Zürich, Charleroi Danse, Konzert Theater Bern and Schlachthaus Theater Bern.
Does Steam Center Bern have an API?
No public API is recorded for Steam Center Bern.
What industry is Steam Center Bern in?
Steam Center Bern's product category is Performing Arts Venue. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAM, Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking), with a secondary code of MPAGALAC, Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues). Its NAICS code is 71131 and its SIC code is 7830.