Black Box Belfast
Black Box Belfast is a registered charity arts venue operating two performance spaces in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter since 2006, hosting live music, theatre, comedy, festivals, and visual arts for general audiences, emerging artists, and community groups, with active inclusion outreach.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersBelfast, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Black Box Belfast does
The Black Box Belfast is a registered charity (NIC100983) and not-for-profit arts venue operating two physical performance spaces in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter since 2006. The main venue (240 standing / 180 theatre / 160 cabaret) hosts live music, theatre, comedy, cabaret, festivals, and corporate events, while the secondary Green Room Bar (60 standing) supports acoustic performances, spoken word, comedy, and monthly visual arts exhibitions. The venue runs event programming through "Black Box Originals," a curated in-house production label, alongside a diverse range of external promoter and festival partnerships (Belfast Pride, Belfast Tradfest, Belfast Photo Festival, CQAF).
The underlying operations stack is a conventional small-venue configuration: a WordPress website, Ticketsolve for primary ticketing, Eventbrite and other platforms for specific events, MailChimp for newsletters, Global Payments for PCI/DSS-compliant card processing, Google Analytics for audience tracking, and Black Box TV on YouTube and Vimeo for video content. AV capability comprises a full PA system, stage lighting, projection and screen in the Green Room, with freelance sound engineers hired at £200+VAT per event when required.
Revenue mechanics span five streams: ticket sales (via Ticketsolve with a 12.5% service charge on externally hired events); venue hire (main venue at £200–£300+VAT per evening, Green Room at £120+VAT); bar sales of craft and draught beer; a MY BB subscription membership (targeting 200 paid members for ticket discounts and early access); donations via Crowdfunder and merchandise. Public funding from Arts Council Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council, Dormant Accounts NI, and National Lottery Community Fund underpins outreach projects including Gig Buddies Belfast (a learning disability and autism inclusion initiative), Creating Connections workshops, and Moon Music. Customer concentration is dispersed across general audiences, emerging artists, festival partners, and corporate hirers, with no single named anchor customer dominating revenue.
Black Box Belfast firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Black Box Belfast
- Legal name
- The Black Box Trust Ltd
- Website
- https://blackboxbelfast.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Black Box Belfast is a registered charity arts venue operating two performance spaces in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter since 2006, hosting live music, theatre, comedy, festivals, and visual arts for general audiences, emerging artists, and community groups, with active inclusion outreach.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Black Box Belfast industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Venue
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Performing Arts Companies (7111)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages) (MPAGALAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Live Music Venues & Concert Bars (THAFAEAD), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Venue & Facility Reservations (Private Rooms, Event Spaces) (HSACALAJ)
Keywords
Where Black Box Belfast is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Belfast
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Black Box Belfast business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticket sales for live events including concerts, comedy, theatre performances, and festivals. Tickets are sold through the venue's Ticketsolve platform with a 12.5% service charge for externally hired events.
- Venue Hire: Revenue from hiring out the Main Black Box live venue space and the Green Room bar. Main venue hire ranges from £200-£300+VAT depending on day of week. Green Room hire is £120+VAT. Includes optional screen/projector hire at £35+VAT.
- Bar Sales: Revenue from the Green Room Bar selling craft beers, draught beers, and beverages during events and exhibitions.
- Membership Program: MY BB membership offering benefits including advanced ticketing access, ticket discounts, cheap pints of Guinness, and early notification of new shows. The venue targets growing paid membership to 200 members.
- Donations and Fundraising: Accepts donations via Crowdfunder and during cancelled events. Proceeds from merchandise sales support venue operations and outreach projects.
- Art Sales and Exhibitions: Monthly visual arts exhibitions in The Green Room featuring different artists. The venue does not take commission on sales and pays featured artists a fee for their time.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Main Venue Evening Hire (5pm-11:30pm) |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Green Room Bar Evening Hire (5pm-11:30pm) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Festival Event Tickets |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership (MY BB) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Community Event Tickets |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Black Box Belfast product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Black Box Belfast is a not-for-profit arts venue operating two distinct event spaces in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter: The Black Box main venue (240 standing / 180 theatre / 160 cabaret capacity) and The Green Room Bar (60 standing capacity). The venue hosts ticketed live events including music, comedy, theatre, film screenings, and visual arts exhibitions, and rents its spaces to external promoters and corporate clients. It also operates a paid MY BB membership program, monthly visual arts exhibitions in The Green Room, and community outreach projects such as Gig Buddies Belfast for people with learning disabilities.
Product overview
The Black Box Belfast is a not-for-profit arts venue established in 2006 in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter, operating as a multi-space venue offering event hosting, ticketing, and community arts programs. The core offering consists of two distinct venue spaces: The Black Box (main live performance venue with 240 standing capacity) and The Green Room Bar (intimate space for 60). These spaces are supported by Box Office/Ticketing Services using the Ticketsolve platform, and a Membership Program (MY BB) offering subscriber benefits. Additional offerings include The Green Room Exhibitions (monthly visual arts showcases), Black Box TV (online video content), and Venue Hire services for external event organizers. Community engagement is delivered through outreach projects including Gig Buddies Belfast, Creating Connections workshops, and Moon Music program. The venue programs events across categories including Live Music, Comedy, Theatre, Festivals, Visual Arts, and Spoken Word/Science.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Green Room: A bar and exhibition space within The Black Box venue, hosting acoustic performances, spoken word events, comedy, and visual arts exhibitions.
Products and services
- The Black Box Venue Main live performance venue space in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter offering 240 standing, 180 theatre rows, or 160 cabaret seating capacity. Features full PA system, stage lighting, and audio-visual equipment, suitable for live music gigs, art events, readings, film screenings, theatre, and corporate events.
- The Green Room Bar Smaller intimate bar and multidisciplinary performance space with 60 standing, 45 theatre-style, or 40 cabaret capacity. Features small PA, screen and projector, and DJ facilities. Suitable for acoustic performances, spoken word events, comedy gigs, training sessions, and workshops.
- Venue Hire Service Rental service for the Main Black Box live venue and the Green Room Bar for external events, festivals, conferences, training sessions, AGMs, screenings, and private functions. Main venue evening hire ranges from £200-£300+VAT depending on day of week; Green Room hire is £120+VAT. Optional screen and projector hire available at £35+VAT.
- MY BB Membership Program Paid annual subscription membership offering advanced ticketing access, ticket discounts, reduced pint prices of Guinness, and first access to new shows. Processed via Ticketsolve platform, with the venue targeting 200 paid members.
- The Green Room Exhibitions Monthly visual arts exhibitions in The Green Room showcasing different artists working across diverse styles and mediums. The venue does not take commission on art sales and pays featured artists a fee for their time. Features monthly open calls and Late Night Art openings.
- Event Programming Curated ticketed event programming across categories including Black Box Originals (venue-produced shows), Comedy, Festivals (e.g., Belfast City Blues Festival), Live Music, Queer events, Theatre/Spoken Word/Science, Visual Arts, and Fundraisers. Ticket prices range from free community events to £20 for premium shows.
Companies that use Black Box Belfast
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Black Box Belfast technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Black Box Belfast partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- TicketsolvecoreBox Office ticketing platform provider managing all online ticket sales, memberships, and customer data. Acts as data processor on behalf of The Black Box.
- Global Payments (formerly Realex)corePayment card processing provider for secure online transactions. PCI/DSS compliant and VISA accredited for Account Information Security.
- Oh Yeah Music CentreminorShared office location provider for Black Box administrative staff. Located at 15-21 Gordon Street, Belfast.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Black Box Belfast competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre): Multi-disciplinary arts centre in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter hosting live music, theatre, comedy, visual arts and community programming. Closest comparable by venue type, programming breadth, and Belfast city-centre footprint.
- Empire Music Hall: Established Belfast music hall hosting live bands, comedy, and club nights. Comparable as a Belfast live-music venue competing for similar touring acts and audiences.
- Voodoo Belfast: Belfast bar and live music venue offering intimate live performances, club nights, and themed events. Comparable by venue-plus-bar model and small-format live entertainment in Belfast.
- Lyric Theatre Belfast: Belfast's primary producing theatre hosting drama, music, and community-facing productions. Comparable as a Belfast-based live performance venue with public funding support and theatre programming overlap.
- The Duke of York (Belfast): Heritage Belfast pub hosting regular live music sessions. Comparable as a small-format, music-forward Belfast venue combining bar service with live performance.
- Oh Yeah Music Centre: Belfast music charity and live music venue supporting emerging artists. Already shares administrative office space with Black Box and overlaps on artist-development and live-music programming missions.
- Accidental Theatre: Small independent theatre and arts venue in Belfast with a fringe/experimental programming orientation, comparable to Black Box's emerging-artist incubation role and intimate scale.
- Queen's Film Theatre (QFT): Belfast art-house cinema and cultural venue hosting film screenings, festivals, and live events. Comparable as a Belfast cultural venue with festival partnerships and a public-funding support model.
Regional players
- The Lemon Tree (Aberdeen): Small-scale Aberdeen arts venue offering live music, comedy, theatre and community programming with similar multi-disciplinary remit. Comparable by venue size, programming model, and not-for-profit cultural positioning, though operating in a different UK region.
Broad incumbents
- Grand Opera House Belfast: Larger historic Belfast theatre with broader mainstream programming (West End tours, opera, pantomime). Competes for live-entertainment audiences and festival slots in Belfast but operates at significantly larger scale and capacity.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Black Box Belfast social profiles
Digital presenceBlack Box Belfast compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Black Box Belfast financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Black Box Belfast leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Black Box Belfast funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Black Box Belfast 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 Black Box Belfast
What does Black Box Belfast do?
Black Box Belfast is a not-for-profit arts venue operating two distinct event spaces in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter: The Black Box main venue (240 standing / 180 theatre / 160 cabaret capacity) and The Green Room Bar (60 standing capacity). The venue hosts ticketed live events including music, comedy, theatre, film screenings, and visual arts exhibitions, and rents its spaces to external promoters and corporate clients. It also operates a paid MY BB membership program, monthly visual arts exhibitions in The Green Room, and community outreach projects such as Gig Buddies Belfast for people with learning disabilities.
Is Black Box Belfast a public or private company?
Black Box Belfast is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Black Box Belfast founded?
Black Box Belfast was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Black Box Belfast based?
Black Box Belfast is headquartered in Belfast, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Black Box Belfast make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are venue Hire, bar Sales, membership Program, donations and Fundraising and art Sales and Exhibitions.
Who are Black Box Belfast's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre), Empire Music Hall, Voodoo Belfast, Lyric Theatre Belfast, The Duke of York (Belfast), Oh Yeah Music Centre, Accidental Theatre and Queen's Film Theatre (QFT). The Lemon Tree (Aberdeen) is listed as a regional player. Grand Opera House Belfast is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Black Box Belfast have an API?
No public API is recorded for Black Box Belfast.
What industry is Black Box Belfast in?
Black Box Belfast's product category is Performing Arts Venue. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGALAF, Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages), with a secondary code of THAFAEAD, Live Music Venues & Concert Bars. Its NAICS code is 71131 and its SIC code is 7900.