Les SUBS
Les SUBS is a Lyon-based non-profit cultural venue (Association loi 1901) offering year-round programming in dance, theater, music, circus, and digital arts, serving general audiences, professional artists through residencies, and underprivileged communities through inclusion partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersLyon, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Les SUBS does
Les SUBS (legally Les Nouvelles Subsistances, Association loi 1901) is a non-profit cultural venue in Lyon, France, founded in 2003 within a historic site that previously served as a 17th-century convent and a 19th-century military barracks. The organization operates as a lieu vivant d'expériences artistiques — a living venue for artistic experiences — delivering a year-round program across dance, theater, music, circus, and digital arts. Core offerings include live performance programming across multiple indoor spaces (Verrière, Hangar, Boulangerie) and the outdoor ARCADIA installation, plus recurring festivals (Nuits de Fourvière, Transforme, Optimisme Ambient, IF Festival), artist residency programs (notably the Pépites 2-3 year professionalization track launched in 2021 and the Nova Materia associate composer tenure 2025-2027), cultural mediation services (workshops, accessibility programs such as Les Chuchotines audio description), and site tours (SUBS-VISITES).
The business model combines multiple revenue streams: ticket sales (tiered €5-€24 with solidarity, reduced, and full-price rates), public operating subsidies from Ville de Lyon, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes as a conventionnée cultural venue, private mécénat from Fondation d'entreprise Hermès, Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso, and Caisse des Dépôts, venue privatization for corporate events, and seasonal bar/terrace services. GTM is event-driven, leveraging festival programming as seasonal anchors, a cultural mediation team building institutional and social-partner pipelines, digital channels (website in French and English, Forumsirius newsletter, podcast series Voyage en ARCADIA), and embedded inclusion networks — notably 38 cultural structures under the Charte de Coopération Culturelle and 20+ social partner structures enabling near 300 free places per season through Culture pour tous.
Headcount is in the 11-50 range; the organization holds a spectacle entrepreneur license and SIRET 450 389 101 000 12, with no parent company, private equity, or venture capital ownership. Customer segments span professional artists and companies (primary, for residencies and co-production), the general public, youth and educational institutions, people with disabilities, and socially excluded populations including incarcerated individuals.
Les SUBS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Les SUBS
- Legal name
- Les Nouvelles Subsistances (Association loi 1901)
- Website
- https://les-subs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Les SUBS is a Lyon-based non-profit cultural venue (Association loi 1901) offering year-round programming in dance, theater, music, circus, and digital arts, serving general audiences, professional artists through residencies, and underprivileged communities through inclusion partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Les SUBS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Venue
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Performing Arts Companies (7111)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC)
Keywords
Where Les SUBS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lyon
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Les SUBS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticket sales for performances, events, and festivals with tiered pricing structures including full price, reduced, student, and solidarity rates.
- Public Subsidies: Operating support from Ville de Lyon, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes as a conventionnée cultural venue (Association loi 1901).
- Private Mécénat/Sponsorship: Support from private foundations including Fondation d'entreprise Hermès, Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso, and Caisse des Dépôts for specific programs and artistic projects.
- Venue Privatization: Revenue from privatizing venue spaces for events, corporate functions, and special occasions.
- Bar and Terrace Services: Food and beverage services including terrace operations during summer months (Wednesday to Friday 18h-23h30, Saturday 15h-23h30).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Full Price Tariff |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Reduced Tariff |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Solidarity Tariff |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium Events |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Festival Events (Nuits de Fourvière) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Children's Workshops |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | IF Festival Entry |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Les SUBS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Les SUBS operates a multidisciplinary performing arts venue in Lyon hosting live dance, theater, music, and circus programming across indoor and outdoor spaces, including flagship festivals (Optimisme Ambient, Transforme, Nuits de Fourvière, IF Festival). It runs multi-year artist residency and professionalization programs (Pépites, associate artist programs), delivers cultural mediation and accessibility services, accepts venue privatization bookings, and operates an outdoor bar/terrace during summer months.
Product overview
Les SUBS is a living cultural venue in Lyon, France that serves as a hub for contemporary performing arts. The venue offers a unified platform combining live performance programming (dance, theater, music, circus), artist residency support through programs like Pépites, educational/cultural mediation, and festival hosting. Key products include the main venue spaces for performances, artist residency programs, the interactive logo personalization web tool, the ARCADIA monumental installation, and the SUBS-VISITES historical tour experience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Live Performance Programming Year-round ticketed programming of contemporary dance, theater, music, and circus performances across indoor (Verrière, Hangar, Boulangerie) and outdoor (ARCADIA) spaces, sold to individual audiences and groups at full, reduced, student, and solidarity tariffs.
- Artist Residency Programs Studio residencies and professionalization programs offered to choreographers, theater makers, musicians, and circus artists, including the Pépites multi-year program for young multidisciplinary creators and associate artist roles (e.g., composers).
- Festival Optimisme Ambient Annual curated festival of sound universes and hybrid forms between dance and music, entering its 6th edition in 2026.
- Festival Transforme Multidisciplinary performing arts festival featuring innovative artistic gestures, launched with support from Fondation d'entreprise Hermès.
- IF Festival Illustration festival in its 4th edition, bringing illustrators from France, Europe and worldwide for exhibitions, workshops, and events, with IF Festival entry tickets at €5–€10.
- Nuits de Fourvière Programming Select performances programmed within the annual Nuits de Fourvière festival, presenting dance, theater, and music at Les SUBS venues including the Arcadia outdoor space, with tickets from €12–€24.
- Venue Privatization Private hire of Les SUBS spaces (Verrière, Hangar, Boulangerie, ARCADIA outdoor) for corporate events, seminars, receptions, and private functions.
- La Terrasse Bar Seasonal outdoor bar and terrace food-and-beverage service, operated Wednesday–Friday 18:00–23:30 and Saturday 15:00–23:30, with extended openings on summer Sundays and special dates.
- SUBS-VISITES Historical Tours Free 30-minute guided historical tours of the Les Subsistances site, covering its evolution from convent to military barracks to cultural venue.
- Children's Circus Workshops Practical introductory circus workshops for children at €5 per session, offered as part of participatory cultural programming.
- Educational and Cultural Mediation Programs Workshop programs, school visits, guided participatory projects, and accessibility services (including Les Chuchotines audio description) for schools, social organizations, disability groups, and other institutional audiences.
Quantifiable outcome
- Near 300 free places offered each season to social beneficiaries
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Les SUBS
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Les SUBS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Les SUBS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Fondation Daniel et Nina CarassominorSupporting Pépites program in 2026 alongside DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Caisse des Dépôts.
- Caisse des DépôtsminorSupporting Pépites program in 2026 alongside DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso.
- DGCA - Ministère de la culturecoreSupporting Nova Materia as associate composers through 'compositeur·ice associé dans les scènes pluridisciplinaires' device alongside SACEM.
- SACEMcoreCo-supporting Nova Materia associate composer program with DGCA for pluridisciplinary scenes.
- Réseau Le Carillon LyonminorSolidarity merchant network improving living conditions for homeless people through services (phone charging, water, toilets, WiFi, document printing) since 2017.
- Ville de LyoncoreLes SUBS is conventionnée (formally partnered) with Ville de Lyon, receiving municipal subsidies and operating under the Charte de Coopération Culturelle pilotée by the City of Lyon since 2004, uniting 38 cultural structures.
- Région Auvergne-Rhône-AlpescoreRegional council provides ongoing support to Les SUBS as a conventionnée cultural venue, part of regional cultural development strategy.
- DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-AlpescoreDirection Régionale des Affaires Culturelles provides state support including funding for Pépites program (2026) and artistic creation projects.
- Association Culture pour tousminorPartnership with association working to make culture accessible to people in socio-economic difficulty, reaching 800 partner social structures with ~300 free places per season.
- Happy ToqueminorDigital app fighting student precarity by providing free food baskets and cultural offers to students.
- Réseau IntersticesminorNetwork of cultural, social, medico-social and educational structures in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes engaged in inclusion through art and culture, with Les SUBS actively developing joint actions.
- Fondation d'entreprise HermèscoreMajor partner supporting Festival Transforme and Colo' Artistique program including funding for Pour aller plus loin actions within Transforme Festival.
- Agence Régionale de Santé Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesminorPartner in Culture & Santé program supporting projects adapted to people with disabilities, healthcare workers and their families.
- Réseau des Scènes InclusivesminorLes SUBS is member of this network promoting inclusive performing arts scenes.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Les SUBS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Les SUBS social profiles
Digital presenceLes SUBS compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Les SUBS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Les SUBS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Les SUBS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Les SUBS 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 Les SUBS
What does Les SUBS do?
Les SUBS operates a multidisciplinary performing arts venue in Lyon hosting live dance, theater, music, and circus programming across indoor and outdoor spaces, including flagship festivals (Optimisme Ambient, Transforme, Nuits de Fourvière, IF Festival). It runs multi-year artist residency and professionalization programs (Pépites, associate artist programs), delivers cultural mediation and accessibility services, accepts venue privatization bookings, and operates an outdoor bar/terrace during summer months.
Is Les SUBS a public or private company?
Les SUBS is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Les SUBS founded?
Les SUBS was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Les SUBS based?
Les SUBS is headquartered in Lyon, France, in the Europe region.
How does Les SUBS make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are public Subsidies, private Mécénat/Sponsorship, venue Privatization and bar and Terrace Services.
Does Les SUBS have an API?
No public API is recorded for Les SUBS.
What industry is Les SUBS in?
Les SUBS's product category is Performing Arts Venue. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAM, Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking), with a secondary code of MPAGALAC, Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues). Its NAICS code is 71131 and its SIC code is 7900.