Les SUBS

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.

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

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

• Live performing arts
• Contemporary dance venue
• Festival programming
• Artist residency programs
• Cultural mediation

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticket sales for performances, events, and festivals with tiered pricing structures including full price, reduced, student, and solidarity rates.
2. 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).
3. 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.
4. Venue Privatization: Revenue from privatizing venue spaces for events, corporate functions, and special occasions.
5. Bar and Terrace Services: Food and beverage services including terrace operations during summer months (Wednesday to Friday 18h-23h30, Saturday 15h-23h30).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Fondation Daniel et Nina CarassominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Supporting Pépites program in 2026 alongside DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Caisse des Dépôts.
• Caisse des DépôtsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Supporting Pépites program in 2026 alongside DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso.
• DGCA - Ministère de la culturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Supporting Nova Materia as associate composers through 'compositeur·ice associé dans les scènes pluridisciplinaires' device alongside SACEM.
• SACEMcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-supporting Nova Materia associate composer program with DGCA for pluridisciplinary scenes.
• Réseau Le Carillon LyonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Solidarity merchant network improving living conditions for homeless people through services (phone charging, water, toilets, WiFi, document printing) since 2017.
• Ville de LyoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLes 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-AlpescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council provides ongoing support to Les SUBS as a conventionnée cultural venue, part of regional cultural development strategy.
• DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-AlpescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirection Régionale des Affaires Culturelles provides state support including funding for Pépites program (2026) and artistic creation projects.
• Association Culture pour tousminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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 ToqueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital app fighting student precarity by providing free food baskets and cultural offers to students.
• Réseau IntersticesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork 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 HermèscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor 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-AlpesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Culture & Santé program supporting projects adapted to people with disabilities, healthcare workers and their families.
• Réseau des Scènes InclusivesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLes SUBS is member of this network promoting inclusive performing arts scenes.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/les_subs_lyon

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Les SUBS