Montpellier Dance

What Montpellier Dance does

Montpellier Dance is a French publicly funded cultural institution that operates the annual Festival Montpellier Danse (running since 1981, with the 46th edition scheduled June 20 - July 4, 2026) and the Agora, Cité Internationale de la Danse, a venue in Montpellier described as the only facility in Europe dedicated entirely to choreographic creation. The institution is codirected by choreographers Jann Gallois, Dominique Hervieu, Pierre Martinez, and Hofesh Shechter, who jointly set artistic programming and institutional direction.

The organization's core product portfolio spans the annual festival (featuring 50+ international artists), the physical Agora venue, the Master exerce postgraduate degree program (M1 and M2 cohorts), the Formation BOOST professional training program, artist residency and production/diffusion services, the Numeridanse digital archive, and the Cartes Agora membership card. Technology infrastructure is limited to a secured online ticketing platform, the Numeridanse content resource, an online magazine, and standard social media channels — there is no disclosed proprietary technology stack.

The business model is a hybrid public cultural institution model with five revenue streams: festival and performance ticketing (€5-40 per ticket), venue space rental, donations and mécénat patronage, postgraduate tuition and training fees, and public institutional funding from the French Ministry of Culture, Région Occitanie, and apprenticeship tax (taxe d'apprentissage). Customers span general public festival attendees, professional choreographers and dance companies (including resident companies such as Hofesh Shechter Company), postgraduate dance students, and educational institutions participating in mediation programs. The 11-50 employee organization supplements permanent staff with the four-person codirection leadership and benefits from strategic partnerships with the Centre National de la Danse and the European Life Long Burning network.

Name

Montpellier Dance

Legal name

Agora, Cité Internationale de la Danse

Website

https://montpellierdanse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Montpellier Dance is a publicly funded French cultural institution operating the annual Festival Montpellier Danse (since 1981) and the Agora venue, serving choreographers, dance companies, postgraduate students, and general audiences with performances, residencies, and professional training programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts and Dance Festival

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Dance Performances (THAJAFAD), Tour & Artist Management Services (HSACAHAN)

Keywords

• Dance festival programming
• Performing arts venue
• Choreography training programs
• Artist residency services
• Dance production services

Headquarters

HQ city

Montpellier

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Festival and Performance Ticketing: Ticket sales for the annual Montpellier Danse festival and ongoing season performances. Ticket prices range from 5€ to 40€ depending on the event and seat category.
2. Venue and Space Rental: Rental of spaces at the Agora venue to external parties, generating revenue from third-party use of the facility.
3. Donations and Patronage (Mécénat): Charitable donations (billet solidaire), patronage (mécénat), and apprenticeship tax (taxe d'apprentissage) contributions from supporters.
4. Training Programs: Revenue from Master exerce postgraduate program and BOOST professional training programs offered at the Agora.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Montpellier Dance operates the Agora, Cité Internationale de la Danse venue and the annual Montpellier Danse Festival, presenting contemporary dance performances, hosting artist residencies and coproductions, and running professional training programs (Master exerce postgraduate degree and Formation BOOST). The organization sells tickets to performances (€5–€40), rents the venue to third parties, offers choreographic training, and supports international touring of resident artists.

Product overview

Montpellier Dance operates as a cultural institution centered around the annual Montpellier Danse Festival (since 1981) and the Agora, Cité Internationale de la Danse venue. The offering comprises the core festival product, the physical venue, and related services including professional training programs (Master exerce, Formation BOOST), production and touring services for choreographers, artist residency programs, the Numeridanse digital platform, and the Cartes Agora membership card for discounted access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Festival Montpellier Danse Annual international contemporary dance festival running continuously since 1981, presenting performances, choreographers, and dance companies from around the world. The 46th Festival runs June 20 to July 4, 2026 with ticketed performances priced €5 to €40 and free Grandes leçons de danse community events.
• Agora, Cité Internationale de la Danse venue Physical venue in the heart of Montpellier dedicated entirely to choreographic creation, hosting the annual festival, season performances, artist residencies, training programs, and venue rentals. Described as the only venue in Europe dedicated to choreographic creation. Open daily 11h-13h and 14h-17h.
• Master exerce postgraduate program Master's degree program in dance and choreography delivered at the Agora venue for advanced students and emerging choreographers, with M1 and M2 cohorts, pedagogical teams, and post-exerce career development offerings. Holds Qualiopi certification as a training organization.
• Formation BOOST Professional training program at the Agora for dancers and choreographers pursuing advanced skills development. Program information available in French and English.
• Production & Diffusion (touring services) Production and international touring services for resident choreographers and companies, with a published touring calendar and coproduction partnerships enabling international distribution of works such as IN THE BRAIN by Shechter II and Imminentes by Jann Gallois.
• Artist Residencies Residency programs for choreographers and dance artists at the Agora venue, supporting artistic creation, rehearsal, and development of new works.
• Numeridanse digital platform Online digital platform providing access to dance content, archives, and educational materials related to the festival and venue, delivered in partnership with the Centre National de la Danse.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 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 core and minor.

• Région OccitaniecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRégion Occitanie is listed as a partner and supporter of the Agora, Cité Internationale de la Danse, contributing to the funding and regional promotion of the venue and its festival.
• Ministère de la Culture (French Ministry of Culture)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe French Ministry of Culture is listed as a partner supporting the Agora, providing national-level institutional backing and funding for the dance venue and festival.
• Centre National de la Danse (CN D)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Agora hosts CN D practical resource sheets and collaborates with the Centre National de la Danse on dance education, archival resources, and professional development programs including the Numeridanse platform.
• Life Long Burning (European Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgora participates in the European Life Long Burning network, a strategic partnership supporting lifelong creative development for professional dancers and choreographers across Europe, enabling international coproduction and touring opportunities.
• Hofesh Shechter CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHofesh Shechter Company is one of the key resident artistic companies at the Agora, receiving production support and residency. The company is co-directed by Hofesh Shechter, one of the four codirectors of the Agora.
• hetpaleis & VoetvolkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Belgian theater collective hetpaleis and dance company Voetvolk are featured artists in the 46th Festival, presenting WASCO! with Lisbeth Gruwez and Maarten Van Cauwenberghe.
• Jann GalloiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJann Gallois is one of the four codirectors of the Agora and is supported with dedicated production and diffusion resources. Her work 'Imminentes' is a 2025 creation produced and toured by the Agora.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tanz im August: Berlin's flagship contemporary dance festival presenting international companies each summer. Direct festival peer in another major European capital with comparable programming strategy.
• Holland Dance Festival: Leading Dutch dance festival producer and presenter, including the Holland Dance Festival and Dance Days programming for young audiences. Comparable as a producing festival that operates across multiple venues.
• Julidans: Annual Amsterdam-based international dance festival presenting contemporary choreography in multiple venues. Comparable in scale and curatorial focus to Montpellier Danse.
• Sadler's Wells: London's flagship presenting house dedicated exclusively to dance, with year-round programming, artist residencies, and international co-commissioning. Closely comparable to Montpellier Danse/Agora in being a dedicated dance venue rather than a multi-genre theater.
• La Biennale de la Danse de Lyon: Major biennial dance festival in Lyon featuring international programming, large-scale events, and educational programming across the city. Closest direct festival peer to Montpellier Danse within France.
• Maison de la Danse: Lyon-based national dance house with resident companies (Maguy Marin, etc.), season programming, training, and international touring output. Most direct French parallel to the Agora's model.
• Théâtre de la Ville - Paris: Historic Parisian presenting venue with dance at the core of its programming, including international co-productions and residencies. Comparable in being a venue-led dance presenter with international reach.

Broad incumbents

• La Villette: Major Parisian cultural venue presenting dance alongside music, theater, and visual arts, with strong residencies and educational programming. Comparable as a venue-led presenter but with a much broader genre mix than the Agora.
• Festival d'Avignon: France's largest performing arts festival, predominantly theater-led but with substantial dance programming. Comparable as a flagship French summer festival but at substantially greater scale and across more disciplines.

Others

• Centre National de la Danse (CN D): French national resource center for dance, providing archival, educational, and research services across the sector. Directly named partner of the Agora and a key ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MontpellierDanse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/montpellier-danse
• Instagraminstagram.com/agoradansemontpellier
• Xx.com/montpellierdans

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Montpellier Dance