Hall of La Machin

What Hall of La Machin does

Spectacle venue in Toulouse, France, opened in 2018 and operated by the non-profit Association La Machine Toulouse (Loi 1901) under a public service delegation from Toulouse Métropole. The venue showcases the mechanical spectacle machines of Compagnie La Machine, a street-theater company founded in 1999 by François Delaroziere. It houses a permanent "stable" of giant mechanical creatures — including the 47-tonne Minotaure (14m tall, carrying 49 passengers), the 38-tonne Grande Araignée, and the 8-tonne Aéroflorale II flying greenhouse — designed and built in-house and operated in real-time performances by 100+ annually contracted Véritables Machinistes (circus artists, puppeteers, pyrotechnicians, musicians). The site sits on the historic 1.8 km Aéropostale runway in Montaudran, with a 2,800 m² indoor exhibition hall and 10,000 m² outdoor Piste des Géants.

The business operates a multi-stream revenue model combining ticket sales (Halle visit €11.60, Minotaure ride €11.60, combined €20.70, Piste des Géants €18.30), annual passes (€44), on-site F&B at Minotaure Café, retail at La Belle Boutique, private event privatization for 10–4,000 guests, school and group bookings, and recurring seasonal festivals (Halle Day Long, Halle Night Long, MECANIK PARADIZE). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via its own SeeTickets-powered ticketing platform and on-site box office, supplemented by group reservation systems and tourism/cinema cross-promotion partners. Customer segments span tourists, families, schools, corporate clients, accessibility-focused visitors, and community organizations, with dedicated programs for French Sign Language tours and vibrating vests for deaf concert-goers.

Name

Hall of La Machin

Legal name

La Machine Toulouse (Association Loi 1901)

Website

https://halledelamachine.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Spectacle venue in Toulouse, France operating since 2018 that exhibits giant mechanical creatures designed by Compagnie La Machine's François Delaroziere, serving tourists, families, schools, and corporate clients via ticketed exhibitions, rides, festivals, and private events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Entertainment Venue

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131), Amusement and Theme Parks (71311)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Rentals (Tents, Furniture, A/V, Decor) (HSACAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Amusement/Redemption Arcade Machines (Ticket & Prize) (MPAEAJAD)

Keywords

• Mechanical spectacle venue
• Live performance machines
• Cultural tourism attractions
• Street theater experiences
• Interactive museum exhibits

Headquarters

HQ city

Toulouse

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual admission tickets to the Halle de la Machine, Minotaure rides, combined packages, and special events. Pricing varies by attraction type and season.
2. Annual Passes: Individual annual subscription allowing unlimited Halle visits plus one Minotaure ride per year.
3. Minotaure Café Restaurant: On-site restaurant and bar operated by the venue, serving creative cuisine with seasonal menus. Includes privatization options for events.
4. La Belle Boutique: Gift shop and bookstore selling art books, drawing notebooks, posters, postcards, and branded merchandise related to Compagnie La Machine and François Delaroziere.
5. Private Event Rentals: Corporate event privatization including seminars, galas, cocktails, team building events. Spaces accommodate 10 to 4,000 people including La Halle (2800m2), Piste des Géants (10,000m2), Minotaure Café, and meeting rooms.
6. Déjeuner des Petites Mécaniques: Gourmet lunch experience served by machines and Véritables Machinistes, priced at €65 per person.
7. Group Bookings and School Visits: Specialized educational and group visit packages including guided tours, investigation workbooks, and themed visits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Halle de la Machine operates a permanent indoor and outdoor cultural venue in Toulouse showcasing giant mechanical spectacle machines from Compagnie La Machine. Visitors purchase tickets to view animated mechanical creatures (Minotaure, Grande Araignée), ride the 47-ton Minotaure along the 1.8 km Piste des Géants, experience a mechanical carousel, dine at Minotaure Café, shop at La Belle Boutique, and attend seasonal festivals and music events (Halle Day Long, Halle Night Long, MECANIK PARADIZE), with corporate venue privatization and school group programs offered alongside.

Product overview

Halle de La Machine operates as a unified mechanical theater venue centered on the spectacle machines of Compagnie La Machine, led by François Delaroziere since 1999. The portfolio comprises the core La Halle exhibition (featuring the mechanical bestiary with the Great Spider, Mechanical Dinner, and Kermesse machines), the Voyage en Minotaure ride (a 47-ton giant carrying 49 passengers), and the Manège Carré Sénart carousel. Supporting experiences include the Minotaure Café restaurant, La Belle Boutique bookstore, and Le Déjeuner des Petites Mécaniques gourmet lunch. Seasonal programming includes Halle Day Long and Halle Night Long summer festivals (centered on the Aéroflorale II flying greenhouse), the MECANIK PARADIZE music festival, and Les Voyages de l'Aéroflorale II exhibition. Group offerings encompass school visits with themed maintenance/orientation weeks, Joyeux Méca'nniversaire birthday packages, and full venue privatization for corporate events. Cultural action programs serve schools and community groups with sensory circuits, sign language tours, and apprentice machinist workshops. Tickets are sold through the SeeTickets-powered online ticketing platform, with group rates, annual passes, and combined visit + ride packages available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Minotaure Café: Restaurant and bar on the venue premises, offering creative seasonal cuisine and the Minotaure beer.
• La Belle Boutique
• Halle Night Long
• Halle Day Long / Halle Summer Long
• MECANIK PARADIZE
• Manège Carré Sénart

Products and services

• La Halle de La Machine The main indoor exhibition venue housing the mechanical spectacle stable of Compagnie La Machine, featuring permanent live shows with giant machines (Great Spider, Mechanical Dinner, Plant Expedition, Mechanical Symphony, Kermesse) operated by Véritables Machinistes performers including circus artists, actors, builders, and musicians.
• Voyage en Minotaure A 30-minute guided ride aboard Astérion the Minotaure, a 47-ton mechanical giant (14m tall, 13m long, 4m wide) made of steel, wood, and leather with gold-leaf tattoos, traversing the Piste des Géants and carrying up to 49 passengers per ride.
• Manège Carré Sénart A 40-ton mechanical wooden carousel with 18-meter diameter and 14-meter height, featuring giant buffaloes, fish-head mobiles, and climbing insects in ornamental fairy-tale architecture, accommodating 48 riders per ride.
• Minotaure Café An on-site restaurant and bar under a monumental chandelier designed by François Delaroziere, offering seasonal creative cuisine served by Véritables Machinistes, with outdoor terrace facing the Minotaure. Open Tuesday to Sunday, with express formulas from €13 and full meals up to €21.
• La Belle Boutique An on-site boutique and bookstore offering art books, drawing notebooks, posters, postcards, and merchandise related to Compagnie La Machine and François Delaroziere's artistic universe, including art, architecture, children's literature, mythology, and fairy tales.
• Le Déjeuner des Petites Mécaniques A gourmet lunch experience for up to 32 guests served by mechanical devices and Véritables Machinistes, featuring a 5-course menu (amuse-bouche, starter, main, cheese, dessert) with coffee and wine for €65 per person. Available Saturdays, Sundays, and selected dates.
• MECANIK PARADIZE An outdoor music and spectacular machine festival featuring electronic music artists, live machine spectacles by François Delaroziere, street arts, and family programming, co-produced with Les Productions du Possible.
• Halle Night Long Free summer evening music festival held every Friday and Saturday from 7pm to 10pm on the forecourt with snow effects, fire displays, and nightly Minotaure rides, featuring genres including rock, electro, rap, pop, funk, and Latin music.
• Halle Day Long Summer daytime programming centered around Aéroflorale II, featuring storytelling sessions, aerial performances by Véritables Machinistes, Minotaure rides, carousel access, and eclectic concerts, open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 7pm.
• Les Voyages de l'Aéroflorale II Exhibition showcasing the Aéroflorale II, a 15m-tall, 10m-wingspan, 8-ton flying greenhouse that traveled the world collecting plants with phytovoltaic potential, featuring a botanical laboratory with interactive machines (apple-blushing device, plant-caressing device, plant-listening device), over 1,300 plants, and photographic documentation of global expeditions.
• Halle Privatization Private event hire of the venue and its spaces including La Halle (2,800 m² for up to 4,000 guests), La Piste des Géants (10,000 m² outdoor area), Minotaure Café (140 m²), Le Balcon (200 m²), and meeting rooms (90 m²) for corporate events, seminars, galas, and team-building activities.
• School Visits Educational group visits for schoolchildren guided by Véritables Machinistes, featuring themed visits including maintenance weeks (January), orientation weeks (March), industry weeks (November), and mythology weeks, with investigation workbooks and sensory sessions for early childhood.
• Joyeux Méca'nniversaire Birthday party package for children aged 5-12, including Halle visit, mechanical story readings, carousel ride, and snacks prepared by Minotaure Café, with two age-specific formulas (5-8 and 8-12 years) and a special gift from the Halle team.
• Cultural Action Programs Outreach programs including early childhood sensory circuits, French Sign Language tours, after-school mechanical workshops with Léo Lagrange Federation, collective music and mechanics creation with Ramonville Music School, apprentice machinist construction workshops, and Small Mechanics educational suitcases for understanding pneumatic, hydraulic, and mechanical systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800,000+ spectators at the Minotaure's first appearance in 2018
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and minor.

• CMA Occitanie (Chambre des Métiers et de l'Artisanat)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Chamber of Trades and Crafts representing over 255,000 artisan businesses. Initiating collaboration in 2026 to promote artisan trades, specific know-how, and the diversity of crafts through joint mediation actions.
• Toulouse MétropolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerToulouse Métropole manages the Halle de la Machine under a public service delegation (délégation de service public) to the Association La Machine Toulouse. The Métropole provides operational support and strategic oversight for the venue.
• UIMM OccitaniesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnion of Industries and Metalworking Trades. Became 'Titanesque Sponsor' of the Halle de la Machine, supporting activities and promoting shared values around technical and creative trades such as boilermaking, industrial maintenance, and welding.
• L'Envol des PionnierssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum dedicated to aviation pioneers. Located adjacent to the Piste des Géants. Piste des Géants ticket includes access to the museum.
• Productions du PossiblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of the Pink Paradize Festival and Mecanik Paradize events. Partners on major music festivals at the Halle including Chilly Gonzales concerts and electronic music events.
• Souffleurs de senssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAssociation providing image describers for visually impaired people. Partners with Halle de la Machine to offer accompanying services for blind and visually impaired visitors.
• Association La Machine ToulousecoreOthersAssociation (Law 1901) operating the Halle de la Machine under public service delegation from Toulouse Métropole. The parent organization of Compagnie La Machine.
• Mairie de ToulousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Toulouse government. Supports cultural programming, accessibility initiatives including vibrating vests for deaf concert-goers, and youth audience projects.
• Région OccitaniesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council providing institutional support for cultural projects and initiatives.
• Fédération Léo LagrangesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on 'Small Mechanics, Big Movements' project with after-school centers (CLAE and ADL) in Toulouse. 4-year cultural action project.
• École Municipale d'Enseignement Artistique de RamonvilleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic school conducting monthly workshops with young amateur musicians around the Mechanical Symphony machines with Mino Malan.
• DSAA du Lycée Rive Gauche & DRAC OccitanieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partners who created the 'Small Mechanics Suitcases' - educational tools explaining moving mechanisms found on machines.
• Q-ParkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParking partner offering reduced rates (€4.20 for 3 hours) for Halle de la Machine visitors.
• UGC MontaudranminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCinema partner offering €6.50 tickets for Halle visitors on presentation of a visit or Minotaure ride ticket.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tivoli Gardens: Historic Copenhagen amusement park founded in 1843, featuring classic rides, mechanical attractions, gardens, and live performances. Comparable as an established European amusement park with mechanical/traditional ride heritage, but operates at much larger scale with international tourism appeal.
• Disneyland Paris: Europe's most-visited tourist attraction, featuring themed mechanical rides, animatronics, and immersive environments. While at vastly different scale, Disneyland Paris represents the gold standard for themed mechanical entertainment and serves as a benchmark for visitor expectations in European family entertainment.

Direct peers

• Musée des Arts et Métiers: Paris-based museum of science, technology, and mechanical arts housed in a former priory. Comparable as a French cultural institution celebrating mechanical engineering and craftsmanship, though it focuses on historical artifacts rather than live spectacle machines.
• Efteling: Dutch fairytale-themed theme park famous for its mechanical attractions, animatronics, and storytelling rides set in a wooded environment. Comparable for its family-focused mechanical spectacles and emphasis on handcrafted, artisanal ride experiences rather than high-thrill rides.
• Puy du Fou: Award-winning French theme park renowned for its cinematic historical reenactments featuring animatronics, large-scale mechanical sets, and live theatrical spectacles. Shares the model of theatrical mechanical storytelling and immersive themed experiences, but operates on a much larger scale with multiple parks (France and Spain).
• Les Machines de l'Île: The flagship permanent venue of Compagnie La Machine in Nantes, featuring the Grand Éléphant (12m tall, 48-tonne mechanical ride), Carrousel des Mondes Marins, and the Arbre aux Hérons. Operates on the same spectacle machine model with public-private partnership, making it the closest direct peer and effectively a sister venue.

Regional players

• Parc Astérix: French theme park north of Paris based on the Astérix comic universe, offering themed areas, shows, and mechanical attractions. Comparable as a French regional theme park with theatrical/animation elements, though it focuses more on traditional thrill rides and IP-driven theming.
• Futuroscope: French theme park near Poitiers focused on multimedia, cinematic, and technological experiences rather than traditional rides. Comparable as a French destination entertainment venue but differentiates through immersive film-based attractions rather than mechanical spectacle.

Others

• Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie: Paris's largest science museum, featuring interactive exhibits, technical demonstrations, and educational programming. Comparable as a French cultural/educational venue combining technology and public engagement, though focused on science communication rather than entertainment spectacle.
• L'Envol des Pionniers: Adjacent Toulouse aviation museum on the same historic Aéropostale site, with which Halle de la Machine has a bundled ticket partnership. Functions as a complement rather than competitor but shares the same site, visitor base, and cultural mission around the Montaudran heritage location.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Halle_LaMachine
• Facebookfacebook.com/halledelamachine.toulouse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/halle-de-la-machine
• Instagraminstagram.com/halledelamachine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Hall of La Machin