Odeon
Odéon Théâtre de l'Europe is a French national public theater operating two historic Paris venues (Odéon Paris 6, 800 seats; Ateliers Berthier Paris 17, 600 seats), presenting contemporary and classical theatrical productions funded primarily by the French Ministry of Culture, supplemented by ticket sales, venue rental, and corporate and individual patronage.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1782
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Odeon does
The Odéon Théâtre de l'Europe is a French national theater institution constituted as an établissement public à caractère industriel et commercial (EPIC) under the administrative authority of the French Ministry of Culture. Founded in 1782 as the first Parisian monument fully dedicated to theatrical performance, it operates two historic venues in Paris: the 800-seat Odéon Paris 6 (Italian-style auditorium built by architects Peyre and de Wailly, destroyed and rebuilt after fires in 1799 and 1818, designated a historical monument on October 7, 1947) and the 600-seat Ateliers Berthier Paris 17 (built by Charles Garnier in 1895, converted to public venue in January 2003, designated the Odéon's second theatre in May 2005). Its core product is a program of 14 spectacles and approximately 265 représentations per season, with 148,766 in-venue visitors and 546,000 online visits reported for 2023.
The institution's product surface extends beyond core performance to include online and telephone ticket booking through a proprietary digital platform (billetterie-en-ligne.theatre-odeon.eu and 01 44 85 40 40), venue rental for private and corporate events including Soirées Prestige packages, an on-site Café de l'Odéon and theatre bookshop, guided historical tours, educational and cultural transmission programs targeting schools and universities, newsletter subscription, and structured corporate sponsorship and individual patronage programs (Giorgio Strehler Circle; Odéon Foundation hosted by Fondation de France created December 2025). Underlying technology includes integrated video, sound, and multimedia elements in productions plus standard digital ticketing and online booking infrastructure; core technology is otherwise defined by the physical venues themselves. Distribution operates as direct-to-consumer across self-serve online, telephone, in-person box office, direct enterprise rental sales, and patronage fundraising.
The business model is a hybrid public-subsidy and earned-revenue model. Primary funding flows from the French Ministry of Culture via DRAC (Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles), typical of an EPIC. Earned revenue is generated across five segments: general public ticketing with full prices of €14–€42 across venue categories plus sliding scales for Under-28 / RSA / job-seekers / theater-school students / disabled audiences (€6–€22); corporate venue rental and Soirées Prestige packages; corporate sponsorship and partnerships (e.g., Fondation d'entreprise Hermès) offering 60% donation tax deduction; individual patronage through the Giorgio Strehler Circle and Odéon Foundation; and ancillary income from café, bookshop, and tours. Customer segments span general public audiences, corporate clients, corporate patrons and sponsors, individual patrons, and educational institutions, with programming oriented to contemporary and classical European theater, surtitled performances, and European coproductions with partners including Mitos 21, Festival d'Automne à Paris, Théâtre National de Strasbourg, Le Phénix Valenciennes, Schaubühne Berlin, and Volksbühne Berlin. The current director is Julien Gosselin, in office since July 15, 2024.
Odeon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Odeon
- Legal name
- Théâtre National de l'Odéon
- Website
- https://theatre-odeon.eu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1782
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Odéon Théâtre de l'Europe is a French national public theater operating two historic Paris venues (Odéon Paris 6, 800 seats; Ateliers Berthier Paris 17, 600 seats), presenting contemporary and classical theatrical productions funded primarily by the French Ministry of Culture, supplemented by ticket sales, venue rental, and corporate and individual patronage.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Odeon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Odeon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Odéon Paris 6 - Category 1 (Best seats) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Odéon Paris 6 - Category 2 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Odéon Paris 6 - Category 3 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Odéon Paris 6 - Category 4 (Limited visibility) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ateliers Berthier 17e - Category 1 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ateliers Berthier 17e - Category 2 |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership/Subscription - Under 28 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Disabled audience |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Preview performances |
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Odeon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Odéon Théâtre de l'Europe operates as a French national theater producing and presenting live theatrical performances at two historic Paris venues — Odéon Paris 6 (800 seats, built 1782) and Ateliers Berthier Paris 17 (600 seats). Its core offering is the staging of contemporary and classical theatrical productions, complemented by online ticketing, venue rentals for private and corporate events, a café, bookshop, educational programs, guided tours, and corporate/individual patronage opportunities.
Product overview
Odéon Théâtre de l'Europe is a national French theater institution operating two venues: Odéon Paris 6 (800-seat Italian-style historic theater built in 1782) and Ateliers Berthier Paris 17 (600-seat modular space built by Charles Garnier in 1895). The institution offers live theatrical performances as its core product, supported by ticket booking services, venue rentals for private events, café and bookshop amenities, educational programs, guided tours, and patronage/sponsorship opportunities. The theatre is directed by Julien Gosselin and presents a mix of its own productions (notably adaptations of contemporary literature by Gosselin's company Si vous pouviez lécher mon cœur) and international guest productions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Théâtre Odéon – Live Theatrical Performances
- Online Ticket Booking
- Venue Rental / Private Events
- Café de l'Odéon
- Theatre Bookshop
- Educational and Cultural Programs (EAC)
- Guided Tours (Les Visites de l'Odéon)
- Corporate Sponsorship Programs (Mécénat)
- Odéon Foundation – Individual Patronage and Giorgio Strehler Circle
Companies that use Odeon
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Odeon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Odeon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Mitos 21coreAssociation of leading European theatrical institutions working together to help professionals meet, share experience, compare know-how, and work on common topics across European theater.
- Festival d'Automne à PariscoreMajor coproduction partner for numerous performances including Le Passé, 2666, Joueurs Mao II Les Noms, The Work, and Trilogia Cadela Força. Co-produces international contemporary creation.
- Théâtre National de StrasbourgcoreLongstanding coproduction partner; associated artists from Groupe 45; key partner for European theatrical projects.
- Le Phénix - Scène Nationale ValenciennescorePôle européen de création partner; associated artists Julien Gosselin and Si vous pouviez lécher mon cœur; coproducer of major works including 2666, Les Particules élémentaires.
- Théâtre du Nord - CDN LillemajorCoproduction partner for Les Particules élémentaires and other productions.
- Christiane Jatahy / Compagnie VerticecoreAssociated artist to the Odéon; Brazilian director known for work bridging theater and cinema; created Entre chien et loup, Notre Odyssée, and other major works at the theater.
- Schaubühne BerlinmajorGerman theater led by Thomas Ostermeier; coproduction partner for Vernon Subutex 1 and other international exchanges.
- La Brèche - Comédie Saint-ÉtiennemajorHome company of Lorraine de Sagazan; coproduction partner for Léviathan.
- Fondation de FrancemajorHosts the Odéon Théâtre de l'Europe Foundation created in December 2025, providing framework for public-interest projects supporting artistic creation and transmission.
- Giorgio Strehler CircleminorIndividual patrons circle supporting the theater for 12 years; contributes to artistic creation, international productions, and educational projects.
- Ministère de la CulturecorePrimary public funder of the national theater; supports productions, artistic missions, and venue operations through DRAC (Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles).
- Jeune Théâtre NationalminorNational young artists training program; artistic participation in Odéon productions.
- Samira Elagoz / Something GreatminorDutch artist presenting Seek Bromance and Cock Cock Who's There; Silver Lion winner at Venice Biennale 2022.
- Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz BerlinmajorGerman partner for The Work by Susanne Kennedy; coproduction with Festival d'Automne; collaboration on contemporary German theater.
- Goethe-InstitutminorGerman cultural institute; partner for The Work production.
- Fondation d'entreprise HermèsminorCorporate foundation supporting artistic projects; partner for The Work production.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Odeon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Théâtre de la Ville: Parisian municipally funded theater specializing in international contemporary dance and theater programming. Directly comparable on Paris location, programming philosophy, and international artistic exchange.
- Théâtre National de Strasbourg: Centre dramatique national and longstanding Odéon coproduction partner with overlapping European theater mandate. Similar hybrid model of own productions, international guest work, and educational programming.
- Comédie-Française: France's oldest and most prestigious national theater, also based in Paris and operating under the Ministry of Culture with multiple performance halls. Directly comparable in mission, public funding structure, repertory model, and audience profile.
- Schaubühne Berlin: Major German state-subsidized theater under Thomas Ostermeier and a direct Odéon coproduction partner (Vernon Subutex). Operates an international repertory model and European tour circuit closely aligned with the Odeon's programming ambitions.
- Théâtre National Populaire (TNP): French national theater institution with a similar public-service mandate, repertory model, and Ministry of Culture oversight. Comparable in scale, audience size, and European touring ambitions, though located in Villeurbanne/Lyon rather than Paris.
- Festival d'Automne à Paris: Major Parisian contemporary arts festival and core Odeon coproduction partner across multiple productions. Comparable as a presenter of international contemporary creation in Paris, with overlapping artist networks and audience pools.
- Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz Berlin: Berlin's publicly funded experimental theater and active Odeon coproduction partner (The Work). Comparable in its contemporary European programming, hybrid venue model, and audience-development mission.
- Théâtre du Nord - CDN Lille: Centre dramatique national and direct Odéon coproduction partner (Les Particules élémentaires). Operates a similar repertory model with both regional French and international programming.
Broad incumbents
- Royal Court Theatre: London's leading new-writing theater with a public-arts funding model and a strong international commissioning program. Comparable in mission (developing contemporary theater, international collaboration) and audience-development focus, though structurally a producing house rather than a repertory company.
Regional players
- La Comédie de Genève: Switzerland's flagship public theater, sharing French-language repertory, European co-production logic, and contemporary international programming with the Odéon. Operates at similar scale across a comparable mix of classical and contemporary work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Odeon social profiles
Digital presenceOdeon compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Odeon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Odeon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles20 records
Odeon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Odeon 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 Odeon
What does Odeon do?
Odéon Théâtre de l'Europe operates as a French national theater producing and presenting live theatrical performances at two historic Paris venues — Odéon Paris 6 (800 seats, built 1782) and Ateliers Berthier Paris 17 (600 seats). Its core offering is the staging of contemporary and classical theatrical productions, complemented by online ticketing, venue rentals for private and corporate events, a café, bookshop, educational programs, guided tours, and corporate/individual patronage opportunities.
Is Odeon a public or private company?
Odeon is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Odeon founded?
Odeon was founded in 1782. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Odeon based?
Odeon is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
Who are Odeon's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Théâtre de la Ville, Théâtre National de Strasbourg, Comédie-Française, Schaubühne Berlin, Théâtre National Populaire (TNP), Festival d'Automne à Paris, Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz Berlin and Théâtre du Nord - CDN Lille. Royal Court Theatre is listed as a broad incumbent. La Comédie de Genève is listed as a regional player.
Does Odeon have an API?
No public API is recorded for Odeon.