Metro Al Madina

What Metro Al Madina does

Metro Al Madina (legal entity METRO SAL) is an independently operated live performance venue and cultural theater hub located beneath the Aresco Center on Justinian Street in Beirut's Hamra district, founded around 2012. The company operates a single physical venue with two stage configurations: a main hall accommodating up to 250 seated or 900 standing guests, and an intimate secondary "Moon" stage, plus a ticketing booth, on-site bar, smoking/lounge area, backstage with dressing rooms, and an after-show clubbing space. Its core product is live entertainment programming across plays, musicals, concerts, stand-up comedy, cabaret shows, poetry readings, clubbing nights, and private bookings including corporate events, conferences, masterclasses, and film screenings.

The business runs four interlocking revenue streams: (1) ticket sales across zone-based seating priced from $15 to $90+ with "pay-as-you-like" entry options for select events, (2) venue space rental for private events, (3) on-site food and beverage sales through the main bar and lounge areas, and (4) late-night clubbing revenue from the Midnight Metro series. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer through the company's website (metromadina.com) and a physical ticketing booth (Mon-Sat 2-8 PM), with no third-party resellers. The company has produced more than 80 in-house cabaret shows, musicals, theater plays, and music albums since founding; the flagship Hishik Bishik Show has run continuously for more than 10 years and led to larger productions such as Opera Hishik Bishik featuring 50 performers with a symphony orchestra.

A wholly-owned subsidiary, Metro Al Mehaniya, operates as a free, two-year performing arts school that trains young artists from diverse Lebanese backgrounds in theater, music, and performance, with its first cohort graduating in 2022. The company is privately held, founder/management-controlled, and discloses no external investors, parent company, or funding rounds. The technology stack is non-technical (WordPress/Visual Composer website, standard ticketing checkout, no APIs, no app), and there are no patents, certifications, or disclosed enterprise customers. The customer base consists of Beirut-area live-performance audiences, local and visiting performing artists, aspiring artists enrolled in the school, and organizations booking the venue for private events.

Name

Metro Al Madina

Legal name

METRO SAL / Metro Al Madina

Website

https://metromadina.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Metro Al Madina is an independent live-performance venue in Beirut's Hamra district, founded around 2012, that produces and hosts plays, concerts, cabaret, comedy, and clubbing nights for paying audiences and rents its 250-seat/900-standing hall for private events while operating a free performing arts school, Metro Al Mehaniya.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Performance Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB), Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL), Live Music Bars & Venues (CRANACAH)

Keywords

• Live performance venue
• Performing arts theater
• Venue space rental
• Cabaret productions
• Live entertainment events

Headquarters

HQ city

Beirut

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for events including concerts, stand-up comedy, cabaret shows, plays, and parties. Tickets are sold in zones with varying price points from $15 to $90+ depending on event type and seating zone. Also offers 'pay as you like' and support ticket options.
2. Venue Space Rental: Rents out the venue space for private events including plays, concerts, musicals, private parties, conferences, masterclasses, screenings, workshops, and book signings. The hall accommodates up to 250 seated or 900 standing.
3. Food and Beverage Sales: On-site bar and food service during events. The venue includes a mini bar recreating the old venue aesthetic, a main bar inside the hall, and smoking/lounge areas. Drinks and food are available at events.
4. Clubbing Nights Revenue: After-show clubbing area in front of the bar transforms into a dance venue after performances conclude, generating additional revenue from drinks and entrance fees for late-night events like Midnight Metro.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Metro Al Madina operates a single physical live performance venue in Beirut's Hamra district, hosting and producing concerts, plays, musicals, stand-up comedy, cabaret shows, poetry readings, clubbing nights, film screenings, festivals, and private events. The venue accommodates up to 250 seated or 900 standing guests and runs an integrated ticketing service with tiered seating zones. It also operates Metro Al Mehaniya, a free two-year performing arts school, and produces original in-house shows including the long-running Hishik Bishik cabaret production.

Product overview

Metro Al Madina is a performing arts venue and cultural theater hub in Beirut, Lebanon. The company operates as a multi-faceted entertainment platform combining venue operations, ticketing services, in-house production, and performing arts education. The core offering is the physical venue (accommodating 250 seated to 900 standing guests) available for rental, supplemented by an integrated online and in-person ticketing system with multiple seating zones. Metro Al Mehaniya is a free two-year performing arts school. The company produces signature shows including the Hishik Bishik Show (running 10+ years), Opera Hishik Bishik, and various theatrical productions. Midnight Metro provides clubbing/nightlife experiences, while regular programming includes concerts, stand-up comedy, cabaret shows, and musical performances.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Venue Space Rental Full venue available for private booking including plays, concerts, musicals, private parties, conferences, masterclasses, screenings, workshops, and book signings. The hall accommodates up to 250 seated or 900 standing guests with different seating arrangements, a backstage with dressing rooms, and full bar service.
• Ticketing Services Online and in-person ticketing for all venue events with tiered seating zones (Zone A+ through Zone D) and 'Pay as you like' ticket options. A physical ticketing booth operates Monday–Saturday 2–8 PM with extended event-day hours.
• Metro Al Mehaniya Performing Arts School

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 2,500 shows performed on Metro's stage
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Babylon: Istanbul cultural and concert venue presenting live music, theater, and performing arts programming with on-site hospitality. Comparable as a regional cultural-hub venue with multi-genre programming.
• Cairo Jazz Club: Cairo-based independent live music and cultural venue hosting regional and international acts with bar-driven economics. Closest regional MENA comparable combining live performance programming and on-premise beverage revenue.

Direct peers

• Young Vic Theatre: London theater producing in-house productions and operating a structured learning and community program. Highly comparable to Metro's combination of resident productions and Mehaniya-style training pipeline.
• The Music Hall: Live music and event venue based in Beirut hosting concerts, performances, and private events. Most directly comparable same-city peer in venue-led ticketed entertainment.
• Roundhouse: Camden-based performing arts venue combining live programming with a renowned creative program for young artists. Matches Metro's venue-plus-education architecture with cabaret, music, and theater programming.
• Soho Theatre: Independent London theater hub producing and presenting comedy, cabaret, theater, and live performance with attached bar. Closely mirrors Metro's independent multi-genre programming and venue-with-bar model.
• Olympia Theatre Dublin: Established Dublin performing arts and concert venue presenting theater, comedy, cabaret, and live music in a heritage space. Comparable as a single-venue, multi-genre performing arts destination with bar service.

Broad incumbents

• The Fillmore: Iconic US live music venue chain under Live Nation presenting touring concerts across multiple cities. Comparable as a ticketed live-music venue operator, though at far larger scale and as part of a global portfolio.
• House of Blues: Multi-city live music and entertainment venue chain with cabaret/heritage roots. Comparable on the live performance plus on-site F&B clubbing model, though operating across many US markets rather than one city.
• Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM): Independent performing arts hub operating multiple venues with in-house productions, curated festivals, and arts-education programs. Strongly comparable model to Metro's combination of resident productions, programming diversity, and learning initiatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/metromadinabeirut
• Xx.com/MetroAlMadina
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/metro-al-madina

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Metro Al Madina