Roncalli's Apollo Variete

What Roncalli's Apollo Variete does

Roncalli's Apollo Variete (legal entity: Apollo Varieté Betriebs GmbH) is a Düsseldorf-based variety theater founded in 1997 at Apollo-Platz 1 in the city's Rhine riverside district. The company operates a single fixed venue that runs a rotating program of live variety productions on a roughly quarterly cadence, combining stage performance (acrobatics, cabaret, circus-style acts) with on-site gastronomy. It serves primarily individual leisure audiences in the Rhine-Ruhr region, supplemented by group and private/corporate bookings.

The revenue model is built around three pillars: (1) ticket sales across multiple price tiers ranging from €21.90 to €71.90 for standard seating, plus premium include-menu tiers at €89.90–€99.90; (2) on-site gastronomy, where F&B is bundled into premium offerings and consumed alongside ticketed entry; and (3) ancillary streams including gift vouchers, branded merchandise, and dedicated event-location services for corporate and private clients. Distribution is handled primarily through EVENTIM, Germany's dominant ticketing marketplace, while merchandise is sold via Shopify and customer engagement is run through email marketing on Brevo.

Operationally, the company has a small core team (1–10 disclosed employees) and sits as a subsidiary within the broader Roncalli Unternehmensgruppe, whose parent is Bernhard Paul Traumfabrik GmbH & Co. KG. Management is led by founders Bernhard Paul alongside Managing Directors Dirk Renner and Patrick Philadelphia, with Oliver Steier serving as Theater Director. The publicly visible programming calendar is fully booked through 2027, indicating a stable, content-driven operating model with no disclosed geographic expansion, M&A activity, or external funding.

Name

Roncalli's Apollo Variete

Legal name

Apollo Varieté Betriebs GmbH

Website

https://apollo-variete.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Roncalli's Apollo Variete is a Düsseldorf-based live variety theater (founded 1997) that runs rotating quarterly productions combining stage performance with on-site gastronomy, serving individual leisure audiences as well as group, gift, and corporate event clients in the Rhine-Ruhr region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Variety Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Performances (THAJAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Ticketing (HSACALAC), Seasonal & Holiday Events (Ticketed) (THAJAFAJ)

Keywords

• Live variety theater
• Variety show production
• Dinner theater packages
• Event venue rental
• Theater ticket sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from admission tickets to variety shows. Tickets sold across five price categories (PK1-PK4 and Premium) with pricing varying by day of week and performance time. Premium seats offer first-row experience with complimentary gourmet offerings.
2. Gastronomy: Food and beverage sales including Show & Dine 3-course menus, à la carte dining at Apollo Restaurant, and snacks/bar service. Themed table packages available for birthdays and romantic occasions at additional cost.
3. Gift Vouchers: Sale of gift vouchers in customizable denominations, valid for 36 months from issue date for any show ticket or Show & Dine arrangement. Vouchers cannot be redeemed for on-site food and beverage.
4. Merchandise: Sale of gift packaging options (gift wrapping with decorative covers) for vouchers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Roncalli's Apollo Variete operates a variety theater in Düsseldorf that hosts quarterly-rotating live productions featuring international acrobats, magicians, comedians, musicians, dancers, and burlesque performers. The core offering combines show ticketing across five price categories with integrated gastronomy options, including Show & Dine 3-course menus, à la carte dining at the Apollo Restaurant, and pre-show Artistenteller arrangements. Supporting offerings include themed tables for birthdays, romantic date nights, and champagne dinners, gift vouchers valid for 36 months, and private event venue rental for corporate celebrations such as Christmas parties.

Product overview

Roncalli's Apollo Variete operates as a variety theater venue offering live entertainment with rotating quarterly productions. The core offering consists of variete shows featuring international acrobats, magicians, comedians, musicians, dancers, and entertainers. The portfolio includes main stage productions (Pop Culture, It's a Kind of Magic, Wintershow 2026), special guest performances (Chris Kolonko, Elvis Story, Sascha Klaar, The Firebirds, Robert Kreis), and guest appearance shows. The venue's product ecosystem combines live entertainment with a comprehensive gastronomy program, including the Show & Dine 3-course menu experience, a la carte dining at the Apollo Restaurant and Rhein Rondell, the Artistenteller dining option, and themed table experiences (Romantic Date Night, Happy Birthday, Champagner Dinner). Supporting offerings include a ticket webshop (powered by EVENTIM), gift vouchers with decorative wrapping, and private event venue rental for corporate and group events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pop Culture Show Quarterly rotating variety show celebrating pop culture in all its facets, featuring music, emotions, colors, and entertainment staged by Stefan Huber, designed for general audiences seeking high-energy live entertainment.
• It's a Kind of Magic Show Magic and illusion variety show featuring floating chairs, costume changes, appearances from nowhere, award-winning magicians, impressive acrobats, and an electrifying ballet.
• Wintershow 2026 Winter show written by Roncalli founder Bernhard Paul, paying homage to Vienna, its culture, charm, and unique lifestyle, scheduled as part of the Roncalli jubilee year programming.
• Peggy March – Frau Huggenberger und ich Ursli Pfister (Christoph Marti) theatrical performance featuring entertainment industry parodies from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, with songs and stories from Peggy March's era, as part of the Apollo Gastspiele guest-performance series.
• Chris Kolonko – Ein Koffer voll Marlene Musical theater production featuring Chris Kolonko portraying Marlene Dietrich, exploring glamour, emotion, and transformation artistry, with live piano accompaniment by Chris Gall, as a scheduled future guest performance.
• Elvis die Story feat. Oliver Steinhoff Concert tribute to Elvis Presley featuring multiple award-winning international Elvis performer Oliver Steinhoff with a live band and choir, presented as a scheduled guest performance in the Apollo series.
• The Firebirds Burlesque Show Burlesque production featuring international performers combined with Germany's rock'n'roll band The Firebirds and singer Elisa Cipro, presenting classics from the 1950s and 1960s, a cappella performances, and jazz moments.
• Sascha Klaar Show Performance by internationally acclaimed pianist, entertainer, and Artist of the Year 2025 Sascha Klaar, combining rock'n'roll, soulful ballads, breathtaking acrobatics, and comedy.
• Ein Abend mit Robert Kreis Scheduled performance by Robert Kreis presented as part of the Apollo guest-performance programming.
• Apollo Gastspiele (Guest Performances) Curated collection of special guest performances and touring productions presented at the Apollo venue as part of the broader Roncalli programming, including Tour Circus-Theater Roncalli from the parent group.
• Show & Dine Combined live entertainment and dining experience pairing a variety show ticket with a 3-course menu served before (appetizer), during (main course at intermission), and after (dessert) the performance.
• À la Carte Dining Full restaurant dining à la carte menu available to theater patrons before or after performances, offering an extensive selection of dishes at the Apollo venue.
• Apollo Restaurant Full-service restaurant located within the Apollo Variete venue, open to theater guests before and after performances.
• Apollo Rhein Rondell Riverside dining and event space within the Apollo venue offering food and beverages with Rhine river views.
• Artistenteller Pre-show dining arrangement combining a show ticket with a meal at reduced prices, available as a bundled price option before performances.
• Themed Tables Special-occasion themed dining arrangements offered as add-ons to show tickets, including the Happy Birthday package (€24/person, with Crémant, table decoration, and Heinemann birthday cake), the Romantic Date Night for two (€35/person with Crémant, wine, coffee, macarons, and nightcap cocktail), and the Champagne Dinner for two (€55/person with champagne cocktail and Veuve Clicquot or Deutz champagne). Available exclusively through the ticket hotline or box office, and requiring the 3-course menu in some packages.
• Gift Vouchers Gift certificates sold in customizable denominations via the web, telephone, or box office, redeemable for show tickets across all price categories or Show & Dine arrangements, and valid for 36 months from issue. Vouchers cannot be redeemed for on-site food and beverage.
• Gift Wrapping (Geschenkhüllen) Decorative gift packaging options sold for €2.50 each, including Apollo Variete design wrappers and birthday-themed designs, available as an add-on when purchasing gift vouchers through the online shop.
• Event Location / Private Hire Private hire of the Apollo theater space and on-site facilities for corporate events, Christmas parties (Weihnachtsfeiern), and group events (Gruppenveranstaltungen), combining the venue's entertainment and hospitality offerings for organizations.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CTS EVENTIM AG & Co. KGaAcoreTechnology or IntegrationEVENTIM provides the ticketing platform infrastructure for online ticket sales. The company's embedded ticketing functionality processes ticket purchases, seat selection, and order management. EVENTIM's systems handle payment processing and ticket delivery for web-based transactions.
• Sendinblue GmbH (Brevo)coreTechnology or IntegrationBrevo (formerly Sendinblue) handles newsletter email distribution for the Apollo newsletter. Includes tracking pixel and click analysis for email campaign performance measurement.

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Chamäleon Theater Berlin: Berlin-based variety, cabaret, and new circus venue with ticketed shows and dinner service — comparable product format (live variety/cabaret with optional F&B) and German urban entertainment market.
• GOP Varieté-Theater: Germany's largest varieté chain operating in multiple cities, presenting rotating variety programs with combined dining — the closest scaled comparable in format, target audience, and show + dine pricing model.
• Friedrichsbau Varieté: Long-established German varieté theater in Stuttgart offering live variety shows with dinner packages, comparable in format (acrobats, magicians, comedians) and show + dine commercial model to Roncalli's Apollo Varieté.
• Tipi am Kanzleramt: Berlin theater-restaurant presenting live entertainment (cabaret, music, variety) with on-site dining. Comparable as a German urban venue combining ticketed live performance with full dining service.
• Tigerpalast Varieté: Frankfurt-based varieté theater with international artists, magic, acrobatics, and cabaret-style programming plus on-site dining — directly comparable as a German urban varieté with show + F&B offering.
• Wintergarten Varieté Berlin: Berlin's historic varieté venue presenting international variety, acrobatics, and music with optional dining. Comparable as a premium German city varieté with rotating international line-ups and ticketed evening format.

Broad incumbents

• Stage Entertainment: Major German theater producer and venue operator (musicals, shows) in multiple German cities. Broader incumbent with overlapping live entertainment programming and ticketed venue model, but specializing in musical theater rather than varieté.
• Cirque du Soleil: Global leader in theatrical circus and variety entertainment. A much larger incumbent operating across multiple cities and formats, but directly comparable on product category (acrobatic / variety live performance) and target market (premium live entertainment audiences).

Others

• Circus Roncalli: The parent Roncalli group's flagship touring circus and theatrical enterprise. Closely related via shared brand, founder (Bernhard Paul), and creative direction, but operates as a touring circus/circus-theater rather than a fixed varieté venue.
• Roncalli Event GmbH: Sibling entity within the Roncalli Unternehmensgruppe handling corporate and private events. Adjacent operating company sharing the parent group, founder, and venue ecosystem but focused on event services rather than ticketed varieté shows.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZ7pQqH1e7ykRqIdgBbYq8Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/apollo.variete

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Roncalli's Apollo Variete