Melkweg
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Melkweg firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Melkweg
- Legal name
- Melkweg Foundation
- Website
- https://melkweg.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Melkweg industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Entertainment Venue
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages) (MPAGALAF), DJ & Electronic Music Venues (MPAGAIAE), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Live Music Venues & Concert Bars (THAFAEAD)
Keywords
Where Melkweg is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Melkweg business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket sales: Melkweg generates primary revenue through ticket sales for concerts, club nights, films, and exhibitions. Tickets are sold via Melkweg.nl, Ticketmaster.nl, and at the box office. Most events require a membership purchase alongside the ticket.
- Membership subscriptions: Monthly membership at €4.50 per month or annual membership at €25 per year. Memberships are required for most events and provide repeat customer access.
- Food and beverage sales: The venue operates bars and Café MILK for food and beverage sales during events.
- Venue hire: Melkweg offers venue hire services for external events, generating additional revenue.
- Fan support programs: Fan support programs (Big Fans, Super Fans, Early Fans) at €4-12.50 per month provide recurring support revenue with exclusive benefits.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Membership |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Film tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Concert tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Club night tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Special event tickets |
| Subscription | Monthly | Fan support programs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Melkweg product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Melkweg is a multi-purpose cultural venue that hosts live concerts, club nights, film screenings, and visual art exhibitions across three concert halls (MAX, OZ, UP), a cinema, an exhibition space, and a café. The venue also runs the Young Creatives talent development program for emerging artists and offers membership subscriptions and venue hire services as auxiliary revenue streams.
Product overview
Melkweg is a multi-purpose cultural venue housed in a former milk factory in Amsterdam, offering a diverse portfolio of live entertainment and arts programming. The venue operates across three concert and club halls (MAX, OZ, UP), a cinema, an exhibition space, and a café. The core offerings include Concerts (live music performances), Club Nights (electronic music events), Film Screenings (cinema with Cineville partnership), and Expo (visual art exhibitions). Supporting programs include Young Creatives (talent development), membership subscriptions, and venue hire services. Special event series include Club Chrome (WorldPride multidisciplinary festival) and annual Amsterdam Dance Event programming. The venue welcomes over half a million visitors annually and emphasizes supporting emerging talent alongside established artists.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Concerts Live music performances featuring established and emerging artists across multiple genres including pop, rock, hip-hop, electronic, and indie, held in the venue's MAX, OZ, and UP halls. Targeted at general audiences seeking live music experiences.
- Club Nights Nightly club events featuring DJs and electronic music across multiple rooms within the venue, including programmed events like Hitster Bingo and themed club nights. Targeted at club-goers and electronic music fans.
- Film Screenings Cinema programming in the CINEMA hall featuring film screenings, documentaries, and special cinematic events. Cineville pass holders receive free or reduced entry. Targeted at film enthusiasts and general visitors.
- Expo (Visual Art Exhibitions) Visual art exhibitions and photography displays held in the EXPO exhibition space, featuring emerging and established artists such as the Beautiful Creatures solo exhibition by photographer The Sinful Son. Free to visit. Targeted at art enthusiasts and the general public.
- Young Creatives Talent development programs and internships for young creators to gain practical experience in music, film, photography, and event programming, providing a platform to develop their craft and share work with audiences. Targeted at young and emerging musicians, filmmakers, photographers, and program organizers.
- Venue Hire Rental of venue spaces including concert halls (MAX, OZ, UP), cinema, and exhibition areas for external events and private functions. Targeted at event organizers, corporations, and private clients seeking premium Amsterdam venue space.
- Membership Programs Monthly (€4.50/month) and annual (€25/year) membership programs providing ticket discounts, free access to various programs, and exclusive benefits for regular visitors. Required for most event ticket purchases. Targeted at regular visitors and cultural enthusiasts.
- Club Chrome Festival Multidisciplinary festival during WorldPride 2026 combining music, art, and activism, featuring concerts, club nights, film screenings, and exhibitions. Targeted at WorldPride attendees and LGBTQ+ cultural audiences.
- Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) Programming Annual five-day electronic music and culture participation across club nights, concerts, art, and film during the Amsterdam Dance Event, including the ADE Opening Concert with Metropole Orkest. Targeted at electronic music fans and ADE attendees.
- Fan Support Programs (Early Fans, Big Fans, Super Fans) Tiered monthly subscription support programs at €4 (Early Fans, under 35), €6 (Big Fans), and €12.50 (Super Fans) per month providing recurring revenue with exclusive benefits. Targeted at cultural supporters and engaged community members who want to support the venue's mission.
- Locker Rental Digital locker rental system via Keynius allowing visitors to store coats and belongings in medium (€4) or large (€7.50) sized lockers during visits. Targeted at event attendees needing temporary storage.
Quantifiable outcome
- 500,000+ annual visitors
Companies that use Melkweg
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Melkweg technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Melkweg partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- TicketmastercoreTicketmaster serves as the primary online ticketing partner for Melkweg, handling ticket sales, mobile-only tickets, and safe resale options. The partnership enables online ticket distribution globally for all venue events.
- Metropole OrkestcoreMetropole Orkest collaborates with Melkweg and ADE for the annual ADE Opening Concert. In 2026, the partnership celebrates its 10th edition, featuring KYBBA & Metropole Orkest conducted by Simon Dobson.
- Dekmantel FestivalminorDekmantel 'Into the City' initiative added Melkweg and Paradiso as festival locations in 2026, hosting performances by artists including DARKSIDE, Juan Atkins, and Headache.
- Rapido & FunHouseminorRapido Events and FunHouse co-present the WorldPride Opening Event at Melkweg, with Rapido having shaped Amsterdam's queer nightlife for over twenty years.
- Cenobite RecordsminorStrength of Unity event partners with Cenobite Records to celebrate 30 years of the label, featuring early rave and oldschool hardcore programming.
- CinevilleminorCineville pass holders receive free or reduced entry to most film screenings at Melkweg cinema, with tickets ordered through Ticketmaster.
- LiveuropeminorEuropean initiative supporting concert venues in promoting emerging European artists. Supported acts include Chris Kläfford performances.
Scale indicators3 records
Melkweg competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Paradiso: Amsterdam's other leading non-profit cultural venue, also hosting concerts and club nights across multiple halls in a converted church. Directly comparable multi-disciplinary programming, membership model, and target audience as the closest like-for-like peer to Melkweg in Amsterdam.
- 013 Poppodium: Tilburg live music venue with multiple halls and a strong focus on emerging and established acts. Directly comparable multi-room concert/club programming model and Dutch venue-operator profile.
- Tivoli Vredenburg: Major Utrecht music venue complex with multiple halls spanning genres from classical to pop and electronic. Comparable multi-hall, multi-genre programming model and similar venue-hire and ticketing structure, though newer facility.
- Effenaar: Eindhoven-based cultural venue with multi-room live music and club programming. Closely comparable format (multiple halls, club nights, emerging talent development), serving a similar Dutch urban audience as Melkweg.
- De Doelen: Rotterdam concert hall and cultural complex hosting concerts, classical, and events across multiple halls. Comparable multi-disciplinary Dutch venue with concert programming and event-hire revenue streams.
Regional players
- La Maroquinerie: Paris independent live music venue hosting emerging and established acts across multiple rooms. Comparable mid-sized European venue with club-night and concert programming, though serving a different metropolitan market.
- AFAS Live: Another large Amsterdam live venue operating in the same metropolitan market. Comparable Amsterdam location and overlap on pop/electronic touring acts, though at a different capacity and commercial profile.
- Ziggo Dome: Large Amsterdam arena operated by Live Nation hosting major international tours. Same city and overlapping artist pool as Melkweg, but capacities and ticketing economics are materially larger and more mainstream-oriented.
Broad incumbents
- Ancienne Belgique (AB): Brussels flagship concert hall with three halls running a comparable emerging-to-headliner programming strategy. Established European venue peer with similar size, multi-hall layout, and artist-development positioning.
- Roundhouse: London performing arts venue and creative development hub with a strong emerging-talent program. Comparable mission around young creatives and multi-disciplinary live programming, though operating at UK scale and cost base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Melkweg social profiles
Digital presenceMelkweg financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Melkweg leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Melkweg funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Melkweg M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Melkweg
What does Melkweg do?
Melkweg is a multi-purpose cultural venue that hosts live concerts, club nights, film screenings, and visual art exhibitions across three concert halls (MAX, OZ, UP), a cinema, an exhibition space, and a café. The venue also runs the Young Creatives talent development program for emerging artists and offers membership subscriptions and venue hire services as auxiliary revenue streams.
Is Melkweg a public or private company?
Melkweg is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Melkweg founded?
Melkweg was founded in 1970. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Melkweg based?
Melkweg is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Melkweg make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket sales are the primary driver. The others are membership subscriptions, food and beverage sales, venue hire and fan support programs.
Who are Melkweg's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Paradiso, 013 Poppodium, Tivoli Vredenburg, Effenaar and De Doelen. Regional players are La Maroquinerie, AFAS Live and Ziggo Dome. Broad incumbents are Ancienne Belgique (AB) and Roundhouse.
Does Melkweg have an API?
No public API is recorded for Melkweg.
What industry is Melkweg in?
Melkweg's product category is Live Entertainment Venue. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAIAB, Live Music Clubs & Venues, with a secondary code of MPAGALAF, Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages). Its NAICS code is 71131 and its SIC code is 7900.