What Vienna State Opera does

The Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper GmbH) is a state-owned opera house headquartered at Opernring 2, 1010 Vienna. Founded in 1869, the venue was destroyed during World War II, rebuilt, and reopened in 1955. It operates as a private limited company (GmbH) wholly owned by Bundestheater Holding GmbH, the holding entity of the Austrian Federal Theatres. The institution produces more than 50 opera and ballet productions annually on its main stage and, more recently, on its secondary NEST venue dedicated to younger audiences and experimental work.

The company's revenue mechanics combine multiple streams: ticket sales (individual and subscription), corporate sponsorship (named partners include Lexus, OMV, and STRABAG), membership and donations via Friends Circles, venue rentals, guided tours, and ancillary programming including the U27 youth initiative. Digital distribution is handled through the Staatsoper Play streaming platform, and on-site productions are supported by a multilingual subtitle system that broadens international audience reach. The institution also holds a 16.30% equity stake in ART for ART Theaterservice GmbH, embedding it in a shared theatrical-services infrastructure.

Leadership comprises Dr. Bogdan Roščić (Artistic Director) and Dr. Petra Bohuslav (Commercial Director), reflecting an explicit dual artistic-and-commercial governance split. The underlying business model is a publicly subsidised cultural operation rather than a profit-seeking enterprise: the federal government is the sole equity owner and the dominant funder, with earned revenue, sponsorship, and donations acting as supplementary income layers atop the structural public subsidy.

Name

Vienna State Opera

Legal name

Wiener Staatsoper GmbH

Website

https://wiener-staatsoper.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1869

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper GmbH) is a state-owned Austrian opera house founded in 1869 and wholly owned by Bundestheater Holding, producing 50+ opera and ballet productions annually and earning revenue through ticket sales, corporate sponsorships, donations, and venue rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Dance Companies (711120), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Opera & Operetta (MPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Classical Ballet (Full-Length & Repertoire) (MPAGADAA), Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Opera performances
• Ballet performances
• Performing arts venue
• Subscription ticket packages
• Youth music programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Direct ticket sales through online ticket shop, box offices, and subscriptions for opera, ballet, and concert performances
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Partnerships with corporate sponsors including general sponsors (Lexus), future partners (OMV), and main sponsors (STRABAG for NEST)
3. Friends Circles and Donations: Membership programs including the Official Circle of Friends (Freundeskreis) and Wiener Staatsballett Friends, with tax-deductible donation options
4. Venue Rentals: Rental of the historic opera house for events including the famous Vienna Opera Ball

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper GmbH) produces and presents opera, ballet, and concert performances at its historic 1869 opera house on Vienna's Ringstrasse, supported by a resident ensemble, orchestra, chorus, and ballet company. It also operates the NEST youth venue, the Staatsoper Play digital streaming platform, subscription and cycle ticket packages, guided tours, and educational programs for schools and young audiences. Additional offerings include venue rentals (such as the Vienna Opera Ball) and the Opernring 2 magazine and seasonal publications.

Product overview

The Vienna State Opera operates a multi-venue performing arts organization offering opera, ballet, and concert performances. The portfolio includes the main State Opera venue, the Vienna State Ballet performing at both State Opera and Volksoper, the NEST youth venue, and the digital streaming service Staatsoper Play. Additional offerings include the Opernring 2 magazine, U27 youth discount program, guided tours, and subscription/cycle packages. The organization is structured under the Bundestheater Holding and is not organized as a technology product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NEST (Neue Staatsoper): A dedicated venue for children and young audiences, part of the Vienna State Opera group, offering productions specifically designed for young people from primary school age to teenagers.
• Wiener Staatsballett
• Staatsoper Play

Products and services

• Staatsoper Play (Streaming) A streaming platform offering live and on-demand opera, ballet, and concert performances for online audiences globally.
• Wiener Staatsballett (Vienna State Ballet) The ballet company of the Vienna State Opera performing at both the State Opera and Volksoper venues, featuring productions by choreographers including George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, and Frederick Ashton.
• NEST (Neue Staatsoper) A dedicated venue for young audiences offering productions for different age groups from primary school age to teenagers, featuring contemporary material and creative reinterpretations of classical works.
• U27 Program A youth ticket program offering reduced-price tickets for opera and ballet performances to audiences under 27 years of age.
• Guided Tours Behind-the-scenes tours of the Vienna State Opera building, offering visitors insight into the historic opera house.
• Subscriptions and Cycles (Abos & Zyklen) Subscription packages bundling multiple performances across the season, including cycle programs organized by composer, theme, or performance type (e.g., Wagner cycle, Verdi cycle, ballet cycles).
• Season Booklet Seasonal publication providing an overview of the opera house's annual programming and upcoming productions.
• Opernring 2 Magazine Monthly digital magazine providing news and information about current events at the Vienna State Opera, available through the Issuu platform.
• Venue Rentals (Opernball & Events) Rental of the historic opera house for special events, including the famous Vienna Opera Ball.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ART for ART Theaterservice GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Vienna State Opera GmbH holds 16.30% equity stake in ART for ART Theaterservice GmbH, which handles ticket sales on behalf of the opera.
• LexusmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGeneral Sponsor of the Vienna State Opera, providing premium automotive brand association and sponsorship support.
• OMVmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFuture Partner of the Vienna State Opera, major energy company providing corporate sponsorship.
• STRABAGmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMain Sponsor of NEST (Neue Staatsoper), the Vienna State Opera's venue for young audiences.
• Volksoper WienminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShared repertoire partner - Vienna State Ballet performs at both the State Opera and Volksoper Wien.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bayerische Staatsoper (Bavarian State Opera): Munich's Bavarian State Opera is a directly comparable German-speaking state opera house with a permanent ensemble, year-round repertoire, and similar state-funded operating model — effectively a sister institution within the German opera ecosystem.
• Royal Opera House: London's Royal Opera House is a directly comparable historic opera venue with a resident orchestra and ballet company, an active streaming platform (ROH Stream), and a multi-channel commercial model including Friends memberships and corporate sponsorships.
• San Francisco Opera: San Francisco Opera is a major North American opera company with a comparable annual season, subscription model, donor/friends structure, and youth programs.
• Metropolitan Opera: New York's Metropolitan Opera is the closest global peer to the Vienna State Opera: a large, year-round opera house with a resident ensemble, broadcast/streaming capabilities (Met Opera on Demand), educational programs, and premium subscription/cycle offerings.
• Teatro alla Scala: Milan's La Scala is one of the world's leading opera houses with a comparable resident ensemble, international brand prestige, and a mixed model of ticket sales, sponsorships, and public funding.
• Lyric Opera of Chicago: Chicago's Lyric Opera is a comparable large-scale resident-ensemble opera company with a subscription-driven model, major donor base, and education/outreach programs similar to Vienna's NEST and U27.
• Bolshoi Theatre: Moscow's Bolshoi is a leading global opera and ballet venue with its own resident companies, historic brand, and state backing, comparable in scale and prestige to the Vienna State Opera.
• Salzburg Festival / Salzburg Easter Festival: Austria's Salzburg Festival is a peer festival-format opera presenter with a comparable premium brand, international tourism appeal, and overlapping corporate-sponsor roster, though it operates seasonally rather than year-round.
• English National Opera: London's ENO is a publicly funded opera company focused on accessible English-language productions, comparable in scale and mission, with strong education and digital initiatives overlapping the Vienna State Opera's programming.
• Opéra national de Paris: The Paris National Opera operates two venues with a resident orchestra, chorus, and ballet; it is a state-supported European opera institution with a comparable programming breadth, youth initiatives, and digital broadcast offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/wienerstaatsoperweb
• Facebookfacebook.com/wiener.staatsoper
• Instagraminstagram.com/wienerstaatsoper
• TikToktiktok.com/@wienerstaatsoper
• Xx.com/wrstaatsoper
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vienna-state-opera

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

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 Vienna State Opera