Hudební Divadlo Karlín

What Hudební Divadlo Karlín does

Hudební Divadlo Karlín (HDK) is a municipal musical theatre located in Prague's Karlín district, founded in 1881 and owned by the City of Prague (Hlavní město Praha). It operates as a public cultural institution producing and presenting a mixed repertoire of original Czech musicals (Dracula, Rebelové, Anděl Páně) alongside internationally licensed Broadway and West End productions (Beetlejuice, Frozen, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Bodyguard, Sopranistky). The venue serves individual theatregoers, families, school groups, corporate clients, and educational institutions across Prague and the Czech Republic.

The theatre's core asset is a 919-seat pseudobaroque Main Stage (Velká scéna) — the second-largest theatrical venue in Prague after the State Opera — complemented by a 150-seat Small Stage (Malá scéna) opened for the 2023/2024 season. Operationally, HDK runs a live-performance production stack combining stagecraft, lighting, sound, set construction, and licensed music rights. It supplements its core repertoire with concert series (Le Magnifique 1 & 2), educational matinees for schools (249 Kč per pupil), the Muzikálové studio Můzy children's training program (approximately 110 young artists), and full-service corporate event hosting including VIP lounges (88 seats) and afterparty facilities (capacity 200).

HDK's business model combines multiple revenue streams: ticket sales (ranging from 249 Kč for school matinees to 690 Kč for Small Stage productions and select main stage shows), venue and equipment rentals, gift vouchers (300–2,000 Kč denominations), corporate event services, and a children's arts program. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through an owned e-commerce ticketing platform (vstupenky.hdk.cz), physical box office, dedicated B2B sales for corporate and school clients, and partnerships with media outlets and sponsors. Marketing is multi-channel — website, social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok), email newsletter, and direct sales outreach. The theatre does not disclose revenue publicly, and operations are partly subsidized through its municipal ownership structure.

Name

Hudební Divadlo Karlín

Legal name

Hudební divadlo Karlín

Website

https://hdk.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1881

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hudební Divadlo Karlín is a Prague-based municipal musical theatre (founded 1881) operating a 919-seat main stage and 150-seat small stage, producing original Czech musicals and licensed Broadway/West End productions for individual consumers, schools, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Musical Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

akta.pro primary industry

Broadway & Commercial Theatre Productions (MPAGABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

Keywords

• Musical theatre productions
• Live theatrical performances
• Corporate event venues
• School matinee programs
• Venue rental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Praha

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for theatrical performances ranging from 249 Kč to 690 Kč per ticket, with tickets available online and at physical box office.
2. Corporate Event Rental: Full or partial venue rental for corporate events, galas, conferences, and private performances. Includes branding, technical support, catering, and afterparty services.
3. Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers sold in denominations from 300 Kč to 2000 Kč, valid for one year and applicable to all performances except rentals.
4. Venue and Stage Rental: Rental of theatre spaces including the Small Stage for conferences, lectures, and training (from 250 Kč/hour), and full theatre rental for producers and event organizers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hudební divadlo Karlín produces and stages musical theatre productions across its 919-seat Main Stage (Velká scéna) and 150-seat Small Stage (Malá scéna), offering a repertoire that combines original Czech musicals with internationally licensed Broadway and West End productions, family musicals, and concert performances. Beyond ticket sales, the theatre provides full-service corporate event hosting (venue rental, catering, branding, technical support), educational school matinee programs, the children's Muzikálové studio Múzy training program, and gift voucher sales.

Product overview

Hudební divadlo Karlín is a traditional Czech musical theater offering a diverse portfolio of theatrical productions across two venues: the Main Stage (Velká scéna) with 919 seats for large-scale productions, and the Small Stage (Malá scéna) with 150 seats for intimate performances and educational productions. The theater produces both original Czech musicals (Dracula, Anděl Páně, Rebelové) and international productions (Beetlejuice, The Bodyguard, Frozen, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sopranistky), along with family musicals (Edudant a Francimor, Močál Story, Zlatovláska) and concert performances (Le Magnifique). The venue also operates corporate event services, school performance programs, and the Muzikálové studio Múzy children's training program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Malá scéna: Small stage venue within the theatre complex with capacity of 150 seats, opened in 2023/2024 season for intimate performances and productions for children.

Products and services

• Beetlejuice (musical production) Broadway musical adaptation of Tim Burton's cult film about ghostly comedy between Beetlejuice and the Deetz family. Performed on the Main Stage with tickets from 390 Kč.
• Rebelové (musical production) Romantic Czech musical with 1960s hits based on the 2000 film by Filip Renč and Zdeněk Zelenka, featuring songs like 'Š-š-š', 'Oliver Twist', and 'Gina'. Tickets from 390 Kč.
• The Bodyguard (Osobní strážce) musical production Romantic musical based on the 1992 film starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston, featuring hits like 'I Will Always Love You'. Tickets from 390 Kč.
• Anděl Páně (musical production) Musical adaptation of the 2005 Czech film fairy tale about angel Petronel and devil Uriáš, with music by Ondřej G. Brzobohatý. Tickets from 390 Kč.
• Ledové království (Frozen) musical production Disney's Frozen musical featuring sisters Elsa and Anna, with songs by Academy Award-winning composers Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Family-friendly production accessible from age 0. Tickets from 390 Kč.
• Dracula (musical production) Classic Czech musical by composer Karel Svobody, lyricist Zdeněk Borovec, and librettist Richard Hes. Revitalized 2026 production with modern lighting, immersive sound, and dynamic choreography. Tickets from 390 Kč.
• Edudant a Francimor (musical production) Family magical musical based on Karel Poláček's 1933 fairy tale about two adult-looking first-graders on a school trip to a ruined castle, performed on Malá scéna. Tickets from 490 Kč.
• Močál Story (musical production) Musical comedy featuring Ivan Mládek's songs including 'Jožin z bažin', about two bumbling detectives searching for a missing classmate. Tickets from 690 Kč.
• Zlatovláska (musical production) Musical fairy tale based on K. J. Erben's classic, featuring iconic songs by Angelo Michajlov from the 1973 film. Tickets from 590 Kč.
• Le Magnifique 1 & 2 (French film music concerts) Concert performances of French film music featuring Ondřej Brzobohatý as performer and conductor with Epoque Symphonic Orchestra, supplemented by film clips on large-screen projection. Tickets from 390 Kč.
• Jesus Christ Superstar (rock opera production) Rock opera by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber (1969) depicting the final days of Jesus Christ. Has exceeded 300 performances since 2010 premiere. Tickets from 390 Kč.
• Sopranistky (musical production) Czech premiere of Laurence Olivier Award-winning British musical comedy by Lee Hall, based on Alan Warner's novel about girls preparing for a choir competition. Features Electric Light Orchestra songs. Tickets from 690 Kč.
• Corporate Events and Venue Rental Full-service corporate event hosting including the 919-seat Main Stage with VIP lounges (up to 88 persons), 150-seat Small Stage for conferences and training, branding opportunities, catering (rauts, welcome drinks), afterparty facilities (club up to 200 persons), and guided backstage tours. Small Stage rental from 250 Kč/hour.
• School Performances Program Special daytime matinee performances for school groups on both stages at reduced prices (249 Kč), including educational productions about Czech composers (Dvořák, Smetana, Janáček) and Božena Němcová. Booked through dedicated contact Linda Matoušková.
• Muzikálové studio Múzy (Children's Musical Studio) Musical studio for children aged 6-14 offering acting, dance, and singing training with nearly 110 young artists. Top talent may appear in professional HDK productions.
• Gift Vouchers Gift vouchers sold in denominations from 300 Kč to 2000 Kč, valid for 365 days from purchase and applicable to all performances except rentals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Jesus Christ Superstar surpassed 300 performances
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hlavní město Praha (Prague City)coreOthersThe founder and main supporter of Hudební divadlo Karlín. Prague City is the owner and zřizovatel (establishing entity) of the theatre, providing institutional support and funding.
• TV PrimaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTelevision partner, part of the theatre's partner network.
• AquaraminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in the theatre's sponsor network.
• Kudy z nudyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTravel and experience platform partner.
• SodaStreamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in the theatre's sponsor network.
• GANTminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFashion brand partner in the theatre's sponsor network.
• DermacolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCosmetics brand partner.
• BleskminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner, tabloid newspaper.
• Rádio BLANÍKminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRadio station partner.
• Městská část Praha 8minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrague 8 municipal district partner.
• Vinařství VajbarminorOthersWine producer partner in the theatre's sponsor network.
• Libeřské lahůdkyminorOthersGourmet food partner.
• Kdykde.czminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEntertainment listings platform partner.
• ZAJÍCI ZE ZAJEČÍminorOthersPartner in the theatre's sponsor network.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Theater am Gärtnerplatz München: Munich's municipal musical theatre producing a mix of original German-language musicals and licensed international productions for a comparable-size German-speaking audience. Operates a similar ~900-seat main stage model focused on popular musicals, and is structurally analogous to HDK as a publicly-funded European musical theatre.
• Slovenské národné divadlo: Slovakia's national theatre in Bratislava — a state-funded performing arts institution in a neighboring Central European market. Comparable in publicly-funded cultural institution structure and Central European audience characteristics, though broader in programming scope than HDK.

Broad incumbents

• Stage Entertainment: Europe's largest live entertainment company producing musicals across Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and beyond (e.g., Stage Theater im Hafen Hamburg, Theater am Gärtnerplatz München). Comparable as a major continental musical theatre operator, though at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint than HDK.
• Really Useful Group: Andrew Lloyd Webber's theatrical producing/licensing company owning the rights to Jesus Christ Superstar (one of HDK's longest-running productions) and other major musicals. Highly relevant as HDK's principal licensor for several marquee titles and a benchmark for European musical theatre operations.
• Státní opera Praha: Prague's largest theatrical venue and HDK's direct geographic competitor for cultural audiences and municipal arts funding. Comparable as another state-funded Prague performance institution, though focused on opera and classical rather than commercial musical theatre.
• Národní divadlo: Czech National Theatre — Prague's premier public theatrical institution competing for the same cultural audience and municipal arts budget as HDK. Comparable as a large, publicly-funded performing arts venue in the same city, though with broader classical and dramatic programming rather than musicals.

Direct peers

• Městské divadlo Brno: The second-largest musical theatre in the Czech Republic located in Brno, producing original Czech musicals and licensed international productions. Directly comparable business model, scale, and repertoire mix to Hudební divadlo Karlín, serving the Czech regional market.
• Vereinigte Bühnen Wien: Vienna's municipal musical theatre operator running the Raimund Theater and Ronacher; the closest European structural analog to HDK — municipally supported, producing both original-language musicals and licensed Broadway/West End titles for a Central European capital city audience.
• Divadlo Broadway Praha: The leading commercial musical theatre venue in Prague producing both original Czech musicals and international hits. Directly competes with Hudební divadlo Karlín for the same audiences, similar ticketed musical product, and overlapping international licensing pipeline (Rebelové previously ran here).

Others

• Cameron Mackintosh Ltd. World's largest independent theatrical producer (Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Hamilton). Relevant as a benchmark licensor and producer of international musicals, and a counterparty HDK could engage for future title licensing deals as it expands its international repertoire.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKN-CpmtgAYAsUtxXT6EZvA
• Facebookfacebook.com/hudebnidivadlokarlin
• Instagraminstagram.com/hudebnidivadlokarlin
• TikToktiktok.com/@hudebnidivadlokarlin

Compliance1 record

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 Hudební Divadlo Karlín