What Brighton Dome does

Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival Ltd is a UK registered charity (No. 249648) operating a portfolio of historic arts and culture assets from a single Brighton campus. The organisation runs three core divisions: Brighton Dome, a multi-arts venue comprising the Concert Hall, Corn Exchange, Studio Theatre and Founders Room presenting over 600 events annually across music, theatre, dance, comedy, literature and visual arts; Brighton Festival, England's leading mixed-arts celebration held each May; and Create Music, the Sussex Music Hub Lead Organisation delivering music education to over 4,000 children and young people across East and West Sussex. Revenue is generated through six documented streams: ticket sales (transactional, £10–£80+ per ticket), annual membership (subscription, from £40/year), venue hire for corporate and private events, donations and sponsorship including a Patrons Circle and named-seat programme, bar and hospitality, and Create Music education services. The core technology stack is limited to standard ticketing and CRM systems; there are no proprietary AI or technology products and no public API. The organisation is funded principally by Arts Council England and Brighton & Hove City Council, supplemented by trusts (notably The Pebble Trust), corporate sponsors (Mayo Wynne Baxter), event presenter partners (Fane UK, Kilimanjaro Live, Intelligence Squared, ScreenTear Events) and academic partners (University of Sussex).

In 2024 Brighton Dome completed the major refurbishment of its Grade I listed Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre and launched Anita's Room, a dedicated creative residency space for artists. Create Music Academy was launched as a paid short-course offering for 2026, extending the education division into direct-to-consumer tuition. Leadership transitioned to an interim Chief Executive, Maxine Hort, in October 2024. The charity is governed by a Board of Trustees with no parent company or private equity ownership; the registered entity is Brighton Dome and Festival Ltd, domiciled in England and Wales.

Name

Brighton Dome

Legal name

Brighton Dome and Festival Ltd

Website

https://brightondome.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Brighton Dome is a UK registered charity operating a Grade I listed multi-arts venue, the annual Brighton Festival, and Create Music, a music education hub reaching over 4,000 young people across Sussex with FY2023/24 turnover of £12.4M.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

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)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA), Music Camps (Band, Choir, Instrument Intensive) (EDAMALAJ), Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)

Keywords

• Performing arts venue
• Multi-arts programming
• Music education services
• Corporate venue hire
• Arts festival management

Headquarters

HQ city

Brighton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticket sales for over 600 annual events spanning music, theatre, dance, comedy, literature, spoken word, visual arts, film, digital, community and participatory events.
2. Membership Programs: Annual membership from £40 per year offering priority booking, discounts, and other benefits for supporters.
3. Venue Hire: Hiring of flexible spaces including Corn Exchange, Studio Theatre, Concert Hall, and Founder's Room for conferences, dinners, exhibitions, commercial filming, concerts, and community events.
4. Donations and Sponsorship: Charitable donations, corporate sponsorships, Patrons Circle, named seat programs, legacy gifts, and trust/foundation funding.
5. Bar and Hospitality: Food and beverage sales during events and performances.
6. Create Music Education: Music education services teaching over 4,000 children and young people across East and West Sussex.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Brighton Dome is a multi-arts venue and registered charity that presents over 600 events annually across music, theatre, dance, comedy, literature, spoken word, visual arts, film, and community programming through five physical performance spaces. It also produces the annual Brighton Festival (England's leading mixed-arts celebration held each May) and operates Create Music, a music education hub teaching over 4,000 children and young people across East and West Sussex. Supporting offerings include venue hire for corporate and private events, membership programs, artist residencies, and food and beverage services.

Product overview

Brighton Dome is a multi-arts venue and registered charity (No. 249748) operating as a unified venue portfolio complemented by an annual festival and music education programme. The core offering consists of five physical venue spaces: Brighton Dome Concert Hall (main concert venue), Brighton Dome Corn Exchange (historic conference/exhibition space), Brighton Dome Studio Theatre (intimate performance space), Brighton Dome Founders Room, and Brighton Dome Gallery Bar & Festival Bar. The organisation produces Brighton Festival (England's leading mixed-arts celebration held annually in May) and manages Create Music, the Sussex Music Education Hub teaching over 4,000 children. Supporting services include venue hire, membership programmes, artist support, online ticketing, and community volunteering. In 2024, the refurbished Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre reopened following major renovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brighton Dome Concert Hall Main concert hall venue hosting music, theatre, dance, and large-scale performances for general audiences.
• Brighton Dome Corn Exchange Historic Grade I listed venue space used for conferences, exhibitions, and large-scale performances.
• Brighton Dome Studio Theatre Intimate theatre space for smaller scale productions and experimental work.
• Brighton Festival England's leading mixed-arts celebration and internationally acclaimed annual festival held each May, featuring music, theatre, dance, circus, art, film, literature, debate, outdoor, and community events.
• Create Music Music education hub and Sussex Music Hub lead organisation teaching over 4,000 children and young people music across East and West Sussex, providing inclusive music education and performance opportunities.
• Create Music Academy Short courses for aspiring young musicians offering three weeks of intensive music, creativity, and fun.
• Venue Hire Flexible venue spaces available for conferences, meetings, dinners, social events, exhibitions, fairs, commercial filming, concerts, performances, and community events.
• Annual Membership Program Annual membership starting from £40 per year offering priority booking, discounts, and exclusive benefits for Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival events.
• Patrons Circle Vibrant network of supporters providing ongoing financial support to the organisation.
• Anita's Room Creative Space Dedicated creative space for artists to research, experiment, and create bold and courageous new work through a creative residency program.
• Online Ticketing Service Digital ticketing platform for purchasing tickets to events at Brighton Dome venues, with account management, seat selection, and mobile wallet integration.
• Volunteering Program Volunteering opportunities across events, heritage, and other programmes for people of all backgrounds to connect with their community and the arts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Teach music to over 4,000 children and young people annually across East and West Sussex
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major sponsor, higher education partner, core partners and event presenter.

• Mayo Wynne Baxtermajor sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional law firm sponsoring Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival comedy programming.
• University of Sussexhigher education partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partnership for academic collaboration and student engagement.
• Create Music Partnerscore partnersStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork including Glyndebourne, AudioActive, University of Sussex, Brighton & Hove's Royal Pavilion and Museums, Public Health, and Music Industry representatives supporting music education hub.
• Fane UKevent presenterChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTour and event promotion company presenting shows at Brighton Dome.
• Kilimanjaro Liveevent presenterChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConcert promotion company presenting music events including Marillion and Jon Anderson.
• ScreenTear Eventsevent presenterChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEvent production company presenting Brighton & Hove Comic Con at the venue.
• Intelligence Squaredevent presenterChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEvents company presenting talks and debates including Marina Hyde at Brighton Dome.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Royal Albert Hall: Iconic heritage Grade I listed performance venue in London presenting concerts, events and education programmes. Comparable as a heritage performing arts venue with similar listed-building constraints, ticketing, venue hire and donor patronage model.
• Southbank Centre: UK's largest multi-arts centre operating multiple venues, an arts education programme, and major festivals (including the London Literature Festival). Directly comparable as a multi-arts venue + festivals + education charity model, just at much larger scale in London.
• Bristol Beacon: Concert venue in Bristol (formerly Colston Hall) recently refurbished and reopened as a major music venue. Comparable as a regional concert venue in the South West with similar listed-building heritage and post-refurbishment positioning.
• Wales Millennium Centre: Multi-arts performing arts centre in Cardiff Bay hosting opera, dance, theatre, comedy and music, plus learning and participation programmes. Comparable as a publicly-backed multi-arts venue with strong education/community programming.
• Barbican Centre: London-based multi-arts venue presenting music, theatre, dance, film and visual arts across multiple performance spaces. Comparable as a multi-arts venue with mixed programming and venue hire operations.
• Town Hall Symphony Hall Birmingham: Two historic Birmingham venues presenting classical, jazz, world, pop and comedy events with an active learning and participation programme. Comparable as a multi-venue regional concert operation with education reach.
• Sage Gateshead: Multi-arts music venue in the North East combining a concert hall complex with a music education hub (Sage Gateshead Music Education). Highly comparable to Brighton Dome's combined venue + Create Music model.
• Battersea Arts Centre: Grade II* listed multi-arts venue in South London presenting theatre, comedy, music and participatory events with a strong artist development focus (similar to Anita's Room). Comparable as a smaller-scale multi-arts venue with emphasis on emerging and experimental work.

Broad incumbents

• National Theatre: UK's flagship publicly-funded producing theatre with extensive learning and touring programmes. Comparable as a major performing arts institution with education and outreach but at much larger scale and with a producing-touring model rather than mixed-arts venue model.

Emerging players

• Kings Place Music Foundation: London-based multi-purpose venue combining music programming, visual arts and conferences with curated concert series. Comparable as a mixed-use venue with venue hire, concerts and ticketed events but smaller scale and without a separate education hub.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/brightdome
• Facebookfacebook.com/brightondome

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Brighton Dome