KBB

Name

KBB

Legal name

Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin GmbH

Website

https://kbb.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Institution Management

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trade Shows & Industry Expos (B2B) (MPAGAHAB), Industry-Specific B2B Trade Show Organizers (THAHABAB)

Keywords

• Cultural institution management
• Arts festival programming
• Film festival organization
• Federal cultural funding
• Contemporary arts exhibitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Federal Cultural Funding: KBB is funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media as a society of the Federal Government. This constitutes the primary institutional funding.
2. Ticket Sales and Event Revenue: Revenue generated through ticket sales for festivals, exhibitions, performances, and events across all four venues. Tickets are sold through dedicated webshops and physical box offices.
3. Own Revenue and Sponsoring: Self-generated revenue including ticket sales, merchandise, publications, as well as corporate sponsorships.
4. Third-Party Funding: Additional funding acquired through third-party grant applications and project-based cultural funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KBB is Germany's federal cultural institution management company that operates four artistically independent cultural houses in Berlin: the Berlinale (Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin) film festival, Berliner Festspiele hosting festivals such as Maerz-Musik, Theatertreffen, Musikfest Berlin, jazzFest Berlin, and Treffen junge Szene, the Gropius Bau contemporary art exhibition house, and Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) for intercultural dialogue. It produces and hosts approximately 3,000 cultural events per year spanning film, music, theater, dance, and visual arts, reaching about one million visitors, alongside integrated online ticket sales via dedicated webshops and talent development programs such as Berlinale Talents.

Product overview

KBB (Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin GmbH) is a federal cultural institution management organization that operates as a unified platform managing four artistically independent cultural houses: the Berlinale (International Film Festival Berlin), Berliner Festspiele with Gropius Bau, Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), and supporting infrastructure. The organization delivers approximately 3,000 events annually, attracting one million visitors. The core offerings include the Berlinale film festival with its European Film Market (EFM) and Berlinale Talents program; Berliner Festspiele hosting festivals such as Maerz-Musik, Theatertreffen, Musikfest Berlin, and jazzFest Berlin; the Gropius Bau exhibition house; and HKW for intercultural dialogue. Supporting services include integrated online ticket web shops, a job recruitment portal, and comprehensive digital presence across all venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Berlinale: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin - one of the world's largest public film festivals, attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually
• Berliner Festspiele
• Gropius Bau
• Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW)

Products and services

• Berlinale (Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin) One of the world's largest public film festivals, attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually; international film screenings, competitions, and accompanying industry and talent programs.
• European Film Market (EFM) The official industry market of the Berlinale; trading hub for the international film and media industry with platform for sales of film and series productions.
• Berlinale Talents Talent development initiative of the Berlinale with nearly 10,000 alumni worldwide, offering workshops, script labs, and networking events for emerging filmmakers.
• Berliner Festspiele Year-round festival and event venue hosting exhibitions, concerts, theater, dance, and literature programs across multiple venues including the Haus der Berliner Festspiele.
• Maerz-Musik Annual music festival featuring contemporary classical and modern music performances, stage art, and discussion panels.
• Theatertreffen Annual festival showcasing ten outstanding German-language theater productions selected from approximately 450 submissions, accompanied by the Treffen junge Szene youth program.
• Musikfest Berlin Concert festival featuring large orchestras and ensembles performing classical and modern music, presented in cooperation with the Berlin Philharmonic Foundation.
• jazzFest Berlin Established jazz music festival founded in 1964, featuring international jazz performances and discussions.
• Treffen junge Szene Youth arts meeting program featuring competitions in dance, music, theater, and writing for young artists aged 11–21.
• Gropius Bau Internationally renowned exhibition house hosting group and solo exhibitions of contemporary art, performances, educational programs, and film series.
• Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) International cultural center for interdisciplinary exchange, hosting exhibitions, performances, discussions, and artistic research programs with global partners.
• KBB Webshops Online ticket sales platforms for all KBB venues including Berliner Festspiele, Gropius Bau, HKW, and Berlinale, offering tickets, merchandise, and publications.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and major.

• Antidiskriminierungsstelle des Bundes (Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Co-organized the first German Anti-Discrimination Days (Deutsche Antidiskriminierungstage) in Berlin in 2019 at Haus der Kulturen der Welt.
• Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Collaborated on the 'Über Lebenskunst' project (2010-2012) at Haus der Kulturen der Welt, addressing climate change and sustainable living through artistic practice. This partnership initiated KBB's engagement with ecological sustainability.
• Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker (Berlin Philharmonic Foundation)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for Musikfest Berlin, which presents innovative classical and modern music programming and opens the Berlin concert season.
• Centre Pompidou (Paris)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Cultures d'Avenir program alongside HKW and Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), supporting young artists in developing future-oriented cultural practices.
• Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Cultures d'Avenir program alongside HKW and Centre Pompidou, supporting young artists in developing future-oriented cultural practices.
• BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in LGBTQIA+ mentorship program developed during Tricia Tuttle's tenure at BFI Flare, supporting filmmakers on their path into the international film industry.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Southbank Centre: The UK's largest arts center, operating multiple venues (Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, etc.) under a publicly supported charitable structure. Directly comparable to KBB's Haus der Berliner Festspiele and Gropius Bau in operating multiple venues of music, dance, and visual arts programming.
• Centre Pompidou: France's national museum and cultural center combining modern art museum, library, and live performance programming. Directly comparable as a state-supported multidisciplinary cultural institution operating exhibition, performance, and educational programming across multiple venues in a single city.
• Sundance Institute: US nonprofit that runs the Sundance Film Festival and year-round artist development labs. Directly comparable to Berlinale Talents as a publicly supported film festival with a robust talent development pipeline; comparable in scale of industry attendance and prestige.
• Edinburgh International Festival: Scotland's flagship annual international festival running concurrently with the Edinburgh Fringe, presenting opera, theater, dance, and music. Comparable to Berliner Festspiele in scope, public funding model, and multi-genre classical/contemporary programming.
• British Film Institute (BFI): UK national body for film that operates the BFI London Film Festival and BFI Flare. Directly comparable to the Berlinale as a publicly funded film festival operator; KBB's current Berlinale Intendant Tricia Tuttle previously led BFI festivals.
• documenta: Germany's quinquennial contemporary art exhibition in Kassel, internationally regarded as one of the most important exhibitions of contemporary art. Comparable to Gropius Bau and HKW's programming as a publicly supported, internationally recognized contemporary art platform; documenta 14 was curated by KBB's current HKW Intendant.
• Salzburger Festspiele: One of the world's most prestigious annual summer festivals for opera, drama, and concerts in Salzburg, Austria. Directly comparable as a flagship European classical and performing arts festival with comparable international prestige, audience scale, and public funding dynamics.
• Wiener Festwochen: Vienna's annual international festival for theater, music, and dance, publicly funded by the City of Vienna. KBB Berliner Festspiele Intendant Matthias Pees was previously Lead Dramaturg at Wiener Festwochen, and the two organizations operate analogous festival programming models.
• La Biennale di Venezia: Venice Biennale runs the Venice Film Festival, Art Biennale, Architecture Biennale, Music Biennale, and Dance Biennale. Comparable as a publicly supported multi-disciplinary arts institution hosting flagship international festivals with a comparable scale of visitor and industry engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Institution: The largest museum, education, and research complex in the world, federally funded by the US government. Comparable to KBB as a federally funded cultural institution operating multiple world-class venues, but on a substantially broader scope (19 museums plus the National Zoo) and with much larger absolute funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@berlinale
• Facebookfacebook.com/berlinale
• Instagraminstagram.com/berlinale

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 records

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 KBB