Circus-Theater Roncalli

What Circus-Theater Roncalli does

Circus-Theater Roncalli is a privately held German live entertainment company founded in 1975 by Bernhard Paul and headquartered in Cologne. The company produces and tours a large-scale artistic circus featuring international acrobats, clowns, illusionists, and live orchestras, performing 162 shows across 7 European cities in its 2026 jubilee tour season. It operates a multi-brand portfolio including the core touring circus, the permanent Roncalli's Apollo Varieté venue in Düsseldorf, the Roncalli Event GmbH B2B event agency, the 'Circus meets Schlager' crossover show, souvenir retail, gift vouchers, and café operations.

The company has been animal-free since 2018 and positions itself on environmental sustainability and artistic distinction rather than traditional circus spectacle. Its technology stack is conventional e-commerce and digital marketing infrastructure: EVENTIM for ticketing, Shopify for merchandise, Google Analytics 4 and Microsoft Clarity for web analytics, Brevo for email marketing, and Google Ads/Microsoft Advertising for paid acquisition. No proprietary technology platform or AI/ML capabilities are evident.

Revenue is generated primarily through B2C ticket sales (€23.75–€97.60 per seat across 11 pricing tiers), supplemented by merchandise, gift vouchers, corporate event services via Roncalli Event GmbH, and the Apollo Varieté venue. The company sells tickets through its proprietary webshop, EVENTIM, physical box offices, authorized presale points, and phone sales. The 50th anniversary tour in 2026 marks a major milestone, with next-generation family members being prepared for leadership succession.

Name

Circus-Theater Roncalli

Legal name

Circus Roncalli GmbH

Website

https://roncalli.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Circus-Theater Roncalli is a Cologne-based, privately held German live entertainment company founded in 1975 that produces and tours a large-scale artistic circus across European cities, complemented by a permanent variety theater, B2B event services, merchandise, and crossover show formats for family and corporate audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Circus Entertainment

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Circus & Physical Theatre (MPAGABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Circus, Magic & Variety Shows (THAJAFAH)

Keywords

• Live circus performances
• Variety theater shows
• Circus event production
• Circus merchandise sales
• Circus gift vouchers

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from circus show tickets sold through direct website sales, EVENTIM integration, phone orders, and physical box offices at each tour location
2. Merchandise and Souvenirs: Souvenir shop sales including program booklets (5-10€), posters (5-100€), apparel (18-20€), mugs (12€), bags (4.25-10€), magnets (10€), keychains (3€), juggling sets (7€), and premium items like the limited New York poster (100€)
3. Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers sold through the ticket webshop for circus show experiences
4. Corporate Events and Event Services: Roncalli Event GmbH provides full-service event and show concepts for corporate clients, including firm events, roadshows, product presentations, catering concepts, and arena shows

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Circus-Theater Roncalli produces and tours a poetic, artistic circus show featuring international acrobats, clowns, illusionists, and live musicians across multiple European cities each season. The company also operates the permanent Roncalli's Apollo Varieté venue in Düsseldorf, runs a full-service corporate event agency (Roncalli Event), sells official merchandise and gift vouchers, and operates branded cafés at tour locations. The 2026 season marks the 50th anniversary jubilee tour with 162 performances across seven German and Austrian cities.

Product overview

Circus-Theater Roncalli operates as a live entertainment company offering a portfolio of circus and variety theater products. The core offering consists of touring circus performances featuring international artists, acrobats, clowns, and live musicians across multiple European cities annually. The company also produces specialized shows including 'Circus meets Schlager' (circus combined with German pop music) and runs Roncalli's Apollo Varieté in Düsseldorf. Supporting products include a souvenir shop selling official merchandise, gift vouchers, the Roncalli Event Agency (offering custom event production services for corporate clients, exhibitions, markets, and cruise ships), café services, and a ticket sales platform. The 50th anniversary in 2026 marks a significant milestone with commemorative touring productions. The company is certified animal-free since 2018 and maintains largely plastic-free operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Roncalli's Apollo Varieté: Varieté theater venue operated by Apollo Varieté Betriebs GmbH in Düsseldorf
• Roncalli Event
• Circus meets Schlager
• Roncalli Grand Café
• Café des Artistes

Products and services

• Circus-Theater Roncalli Tournee The primary annual touring circus show featuring international artists, clowns, acrobats, and live musicians performing in tent-based arena productions across multiple European cities. Targeted at families and general public seeking high-quality live entertainment.
• 50 Jahre Roncalli Jubiläumstournee 2026 Special 50th anniversary tour program celebrating five decades of Circus-Theater Roncalli, described as 'a door to the future' combining innovation with the beloved Roncalli atmosphere. Features 162 performances across seven German and Austrian cities.
• Circus meets Schlager A show concept combining traditional circus arts with German Schlager music performances, staged at Metronom Theater Oberhausen with guest star Ella Endlich. Features flexible seating that enables a true circus arena experience.
• Roncalli's Apollo Varieté Variety theater productions at the permanent Apollo venue in Düsseldorf, offering year-round circus and variety entertainment as a separate brand within the Roncalli portfolio, operated by Apollo Varieté Betriebs GmbH.
• Weihnachtscircus (Christmas Circus) Annual Christmas season circus performances held in various cities including Berlin, Osnabrück, and Lübeck, featuring special holiday programming with seasonal shows.
• Roncalli Souvenirshop Online and physical merchandise store selling official Roncalli products including program booklets (5-10€), posters (5-100€), apparel (18-20€), mugs (12€), bags (4.25-10€), magnets, keychains, juggling sets, and limited edition items.
• Roncalli Gutscheine (Gift Vouchers) Gift voucher product for circus show tickets sold through the ticket webshop, allowing recipients to choose their own performance dates and seating.
• Roncalli Event Agentur Full-service event agency offering custom show concepts and event production for corporate events, exhibitions, markets, catering concepts, arena shows, special events, circus shows, and cruise ships, combining 50 years of circus expertise with professional event management.
• Journey to The Rainbow (Reise zum Regenbogen) Special production created for the New York City premiere at Lincoln Center in collaboration with Big Apple Circus. Featured 34 international artists with custom-designed costumes and original music by Georg Pommer performed by a 9-piece live orchestra.
• ARTistART Tournee 2025 Annual touring show presenting a poetic homage to the art world, with artists paying tribute to figures like Frida Kahlo and Keith Haring through circus performance, touring multiple German cities throughout 2025.
• Roncalli Grand Café Restaurant/café operation associated with the Roncalli brand, located in Hamburg, separate from the main touring circus performances.
• Café des Artistes On-site dining service at circus venues offering food and beverages for show attendees during tour stops.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 45 million spectators entertained since 1975
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Österreich hilft ÖsterreichminorOthers · 20 September 2024Charitable partnership where Roncalli donated 50% of select ticket revenues to Austrian flood relief efforts through this humanitarian initiative.
• Big Apple CircusflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 September 2023Historic collaboration bringing Roncalli to New York City for the first time. Roncalli performed 'Journey to the Rainbow' at Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park for 8 weeks (Nov 2023 - Jan 2024), partnering with Big Apple Circus producer Nik Wallenda.
• Mitsubishi MotorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoncalli partners with Mitsubishi Motors as official automotive partner. The company uses Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV vehicles for daily short-distance travel while maintaining sustainability goals. As the only circus that travels by train, Roncalli's environmental philosophy aligns with Mitsubishi's sustainability concept.
• Swarovski KristallweltencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoncalli created 'Circus of Asia' for Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens, Austria. Special guest performances and exclusive events at one of Austria's premier tourist attractions.
• CTS EVENTIMcoreTechnology or IntegrationEVENTIM provides ticketing technology infrastructure for online ticket sales, both through direct website integration and third-party ticket purchasing platforms.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cirque du Soleil: Global leader in theatrical circus productions with touring and resident shows. Direct comparable in combining acrobatic artistry with narrative-driven live entertainment for premium audiences worldwide.
• Cavalia: Large-scale touring theatrical show blending equestrian arts, acrobatics, and live music. Comparable in premium touring-show model, tent-based delivery, and family-plus-corporate-event appeal.
• Big Apple Circus: New York-based one-ring circus emphasizing artistic intimacy and family programming. Direct co-production partner for Roncalli's 2023 Lincoln Center debut, with overlapping brand positioning in premium urban markets.
• Circus Krone: Germany's largest traditional circus, also touring nationally with animal performances. Most direct domestic competitor to Roncalli for German family audiences and corporate event bookers.
• Circus Flic Flac: German touring circus specializing in high-energy, modern, animal-free productions. Closely comparable in format (tented arena show), audience (German-speaking markets), and animal-free positioning.

Others

• CTS EVENTIM: Europe's leading ticketing platform and live entertainment operator. Functions as Roncalli's ticketing infrastructure partner and represents the upstream live-entertainment distribution layer in which Roncalli competes for audience attention.

Emerging players

• Cirque Éloize: Montreal-based contemporary circus company producing mid-scale touring shows. Comparable in artistic, narrative-driven circus programming but smaller scale and primarily North American footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Feld Entertainment: US-based global leader in live family entertainment including Ringling Bros. and Disney On Ice. Broader incumbent operating across multiple touring IP, with overlapping live-entertainment tour mechanics but wider portfolio scope.
• Holiday on Ice: Long-running European touring ice-based variety show. Comparable in large-scale European tent/arena touring model, family audience, and seasonal holiday programming economics.
• Apollo Varieté (Starlight Express / Stage Entertainment portfolio): European variety theater operator including Apollo Varieté venues. Comparable in variety-show programming and German venue footprint, though broader scope across musicals and multiple theater brands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/lillypaul
• Facebookfacebook.com/CircusRoncalli

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

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 Circus-Theater Roncalli