What Stadttheater Bremerhaven does

Stadttheater Bremerhaven is a municipal three-genre theater (Drei-Sparten-Theater) operating under the Stadtgemeinde Bremerhaven, founded in 1867 and based in Bremerhaven, Germany. It produces opera and musical theater, ballet, and drama, complemented by a dedicated youth division (JUB – Junges Theater Bremerhaven) and the resident Philharmonisches Orchester Bremerhaven. The infrastructure spans four venues: the 685-seat Großes Haus (reopened in 2000 as one of Europe's most technically modern stages), the 120-seat Kleines Haus, the 85-seat JUB studio, and the ~200-seat Theater im Fischereihafen, plus chamber concerts staged at the Deutsches Auswandererhaus.

The theater's core technical platform is a modern stage machinery stack including four Doppelstock-Hubpodien, a 12m x 11.85m Drehscheibenwagen, an expandable orchestra pit for 60 musicians, 33 Prospektzüge and additional panoramic and point hoists, and a Transtechnik Prisma NT lighting console with 2,048 circuits. Distribution is multi-channel: a physical box office (Theaterkasse), an EVENTIM online shop, regional Vorverkaufsstellen, and a dedicated Gruppenservice offering tiered discounts of 10–20% for groups of 10+. Since 2008, every ticket doubles as a BremerhavenBus transit pass, embedding a public-transport partnership into the core product.

Revenue is generated through ticket sales (EUR 10.30–48.70 per seat across price categories), season subscriptions (Abonnements), gift vouchers, donations denominated from EUR 5 to EUR 1,000, merchandise (Bühnenboden stage-floor blocks at EUR 30 and the limited Klemmbaustein-Set at EUR 45), and support-association memberships (EUR 20+ annual minimum). Subsidy from the parent municipality and accumulated donations from the 1,314-member Theater-Förderverein (over EUR 2 million since 1970) provide the principal non-commercial funding. Customers are segmented across general adult audiences, families and youth (served via FreiKarte and Kulturloge), institutional groups, higher-education students (Hochschule Bremerhaven Theater-Flatrate), and accessibility-qualified visitors. Marketing reaches audiences through Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, a Spotify podcast, an email newsletter, and traditional season print materials.

Name

Stadttheater Bremerhaven

Legal name

Stadttheater Bremerhaven

Website

https://stadttheaterbremerhaven.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1867

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stadttheater Bremerhaven is a municipal three-genre theater in Bremerhaven, Germany, founded in 1867, producing opera, ballet, drama, and youth theater across four venues totaling roughly 1,090 seats, funded via ticket sales, subscriptions, donations, and municipal subsidy for the regional population and visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Dance Companies (711120)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC), Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL), Theater & Performing Arts Ticketing (HSACALAC)

Keywords

• Performing arts theater
• Opera and ballet
• Symphony orchestra concerts
• Youth theater programming
• Municipal drama productions

Headquarters

HQ city

Bremerhaven

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales across all venues (Großes Haus, Kleines Haus, JUB, and external venues). Prices range from 10.30 EUR (children's theater) to 48.70 EUR (premium opera seats), with various price categories and discounts for students, disabled visitors, and groups.
2. Subscriptions (Abonnements): Season subscriptions offering discounted access to multiple performances throughout the season.
3. Gift Vouchers (Wertgutscheine): Gift vouchers available in custom amounts, valid for 3 years from issue date, redeemable for any performance.
4. Donations (Spenden): Online donation options through EVENTIM shop in denominations of 5, 10, 25, 50, 250, 500, and 1000 EUR.
5. Theater-Förderverein Memberships and Donations: Support association with annual membership fee of 20 EUR minimum; has contributed over 2 million EUR since founding in 1970 through project financing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Stadttheater Bremerhaven is a municipal three-genre theater (Drei-Sparten-Theater) that produces and presents live performing arts including opera/operetta (Musiktheater), ballet, drama (Schauspiel), and symphonic concerts across multiple venues (Großes Haus, Kleines Haus, JUB studio, Deutsches Auswandererhaus, Theater im Fischereihafen). It also operates a dedicated children's and youth theater division (JUB) and runs the Philharmonisches Orchester Bremerhaven. Tickets are sold directly via box office, online shop (EVENTIM), advance booking points, and a group sales service.

Product overview

Stadttheater Bremerhaven is a three-sparten theater (Drei-Sparten-Theater) offering Musiktheater/Opera, Ballett, and Schauspiel/Drama productions, complemented by the Junges Theater Bremerhaven (JUB) for children and youth programming and the Philharmonisches Orchester for orchestral performances. The theater operates multiple venues: the Großes Haus (685 seats), Kleines Haus (120 seats), JUB studio stage (85 seats), and additional performance spaces including the Deutsches Auswandererhaus and Theater im Fischereihafen. The product portfolio includes live theatrical performances, digital content via podcast, merchandise items such as building block sets and stage floor collectibles, and accessibility services including the FreiKarte program for youth. Ticket sales are handled through an online platform and physical box office, with various subscription and group booking options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JUB - Junges Theater Bremerhaven: Young Theater Bremerhaven - dedicated children's and youth theater division offering productions for young audiences and theater education programs
• Niederdeutsche Bühne Waterkant
• Theater im Fischereihafen (TiF)

Products and services

• Musiktheater (Opera and Operetta Productions) Opera and operetta productions presented at the Großes Haus, featuring works by composers such as Verdi, Rossini, and Smetana, targeted at adult opera and music theater audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Theater-Förderverein has raised over 2 million EUR since 1970 for theater support and modernization
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BremerhavenBuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Since 2008, all theater tickets serve as combined transit passes, valid for bus travel throughout the BremerhavenBus network. Tickets are valid two hours before performances and for return travel until end of service on event day.
• Theater im Fischereihafen (TiF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996Separate venue operated in cooperation with Forum Fischbahnhof. Opened May 10, 1996 in a restored fish shipping hall with approximately 200 seats and variable stage design. Website: www.tif-bremerhaven.de
• Theater-Förderverein Bremerhaven e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 1970Founded March 13, 1970 to support the theater's existence. Has contributed over 2 million EUR since founding for equipment, renovations, and youth theater development. As of 2021, has 1,314 members. Supports with annual subsidies for season programs, young theater, opera/musical, and youth clubs.
• Große Kirche BremerhavenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for the 'Theaterkirche' program, combining dramaturgy with liturgy. Three times per season, theological and theatrical content is presented at the Große Kirche for selected productions.
• Freiwilligenagentur BremerhavenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral contact point for the Kulturloge Bremerhaven program, enabling free theater and museum access for people with limited financial means. Located at Bürgermeister-Smidt-Str. 109, Bremerhaven.
• Deutsches AuswandererhausminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Philharmonisches Orchester performs four chamber music evenings per season in the New-York-Saal of the Deutsches Auswandererhaus museum. Contact: Columbusstraße 65, Bremerhaven.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Theater Bielefeld: Multi-genre municipal theater (Stadttheater) offering opera, ballet, drama, and the Philharmonisches Orchester in a comparable mid-sized German city. Closely comparable on operating model and scale.
• Theater Hagen: Multi-genre municipal theater in a similarly-sized Hagen (~190k). Operates opera, ballet, drama, and orchestra with comparable public funding dependency and audience catchment.
• Mainfranken Theater Würzburg: Three-genre theater (Drei-Sparten-Theater) in a comparable mid-sized German city with opera, drama, and ballet. Direct comparison on scale, municipal ownership, and multi-genre cost structure.
• Theater Lübeck: Multi-genre theater in a comparable-sized northern German city (Theater Lübeck, Museum, Philharmonie). Operates opera, ballet, drama, and orchestra with similar municipal funding model.
• Oldenburgisches Staatstheater: Regional state theater in Lower Saxony offering opera, ballet, drama, and concerts in a comparable mid-sized German city. Similar Drei-Sparten structure, public funding model, and audience catchment profile.
• Stadttheater Kassel: Multi-genre municipal theater offering opera, ballet, drama, and concerts in a similar mid-sized German city. Comparable in scale, programming breadth, and public ownership structure.
• Theater Kiel: Multi-genre municipal theater in a comparable mid-sized port city with opera, ballet, drama, and symphony orchestra. Comparable venue infrastructure and publicly funded municipal theater model.
• Theater Bremen: Largest multi-genre theater in the same federal state (Bremen), operating opera, ballet, drama, and orchestra across multiple venues. Directly comparable in genre mix, public funding model, and venue scale to Stadttheater Bremerhaven.
• Theater Regensburg: Multi-genre municipal theater in a similarly-sized Bavarian city performing opera, ballet, drama, and orchestra. Comparable public funding model and venue configuration.
• Deutsches Theater in Göttingen: Multi-genre municipal theater in a similarly-sized university city with comparable opera, drama, and orchestral programming. Direct comparison on scale, public funding, and audience profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheaterBremerhaven
• Facebookfacebook.com/stadttheater.bremerhaven
• Instagraminstagram.com/stadttheaterbremerhaven/?hl=de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stadttheater-bremerhaven

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Stadttheater Bremerhaven