La Cave aux Poètes

What La Cave aux Poètes does

Association L'Eclipse operates La Cave aux Poètes, a 200-capacity underground concert venue (2.03m ceiling height) located in Roubaix, France, founded in January 1994 by a collective of musicians, visual artists, and photographers. The venue programs approximately 40 concerts per year across electro, hip-hop, chanson, world music, and rock, with tiered pricing from €5 (afterworks, reduced/solidarity rates) to €20 (supportive 'engagé' rate), including reduced Pass Culture rates (€5-€16) for 15-18 year-olds. It serves three primary constituencies: general audiences in the Lille Metropolitan Area, emerging regional artists, and institutional partners including schools, social centers, healthcare facilities, ESATs, and EHPADs.

The portfolio extends well beyond the concert hall. Sub-brands include the We Loft Music Festival (an itinerant festival launched in 2019, staged in heritage venues across the Lille Metropolitan Area), Hello Music! (a metropolitan artist incubator co-run with L'Aéronef and Le Grand Mix, expanded to support 5 groups/year), Eclipse Tour / Label Eclipse (a production and booking bureau launched in June 2025), and the Actions Culturelles outreach program targeting vulnerable publics. The Doux It initiative offers 20-50% ticket discounts for attendees using sustainable transport, in partnership with Ilévia. No proprietary technology platform exists; digital operations rely on a website, online ticketing via So Ticket, a newsletter, and social media.

The association operates as a French loi 1901 nonprofit (Siret 402 029 557 00038) generating revenue through four streams: ticket sales, on-site bar and catering (using local/short-circuit suppliers such as Azade and L'Âne Hilare), venue rental and co-productions with touring producers, and substantial public subsidies from DRAC Hauts-de-France, Région Hauts-de-France, Ville de Roubaix, Métropole Européenne de Lille, Centre National de la Musique, and SACEM. The venue received the Scène Conventionnée d'Intérêt National – Art & Création designation in 2024, has publicly disclosed structural and cyclical deficits that produced a 'trimestre blanc' (concert-free quarter) from January to March 2024 and partial unemployment for the permanent team, and transitioned leadership in 2025 with Chloé Bonamour replacing Nicolas Lefèvre.

Name

La Cave aux Poètes

Legal name

Association L'Eclipse

Website

https://caveauxpoetes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Association L'Eclipse operates La Cave aux Poètes, a 200-capacity underground concert venue in Roubaix, France, founded in 1994. The nonprofit programs ~40 concerts annually and operates We Loft Music Festival, Hello Music! artist incubator, Eclipse Tour production bureau, and cultural outreach for local audiences, emerging artists, and partner institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Venue / Performing Arts Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB), Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC), Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

Keywords

• Live music venue
• Contemporary music programming
• Artist development
• Cultural outreach
• Urban concert hall

Headquarters

HQ city

Roubaix

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Concert ticket sales: Revenue from ticket sales at standard rates (€5–€20 depending on event type, with reduced rates for students, Roubaix residents, and Pass Culture users) and special pricing tiers (engagé, Doux It). Ticketing handled online via So Ticket and on-site at the venue box office.
2. Bar and catering revenue: On-site bar serving local beverages, operated during concerts and events. Catering uses local and short-circuit suppliers. Bar revenue supplements operational income.
3. Venue rental and co-productions: The venue is rented out for external events and co-produced with touring producers. For example, the Ulysse concert (October 2026) is produced by Clear Waters Productions in the context of a salle location (location de salle).
4. Public subsidies and institutional funding: As a non-profit association (loi 1901) and Scène Conventionnée d'Intérêt National – Art & Création, the Cave aux Poètes relies on ongoing public funding from DRAC Hauts-de-France, the Région Hauts-de-France, the Ville de Roubaix, and the MEL. The venue has publicly reported financial difficulties, including a structural deficit and a 'trimestre blanc' (concert-free quarter) in early 2024.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

La Cave aux Poètes runs an intimate 200-capacity underground concert hall in Roubaix, France, hosting approximately 40 concerts per year focused on emerging contemporary music artists (electro, rock, chanson, world, hip-hop). Beyond ticketed concerts, the association offers cultural outreach workshops and school programs (Actions Culturelles), an annual itinerant music festival (We Loft Music Festival), an artist incubator (Hello Music!), a production/booking bureau launched June 2025 (Eclipse Tour / Label Eclipse), an eco-mobility ticketing initiative (Doux It), and on-site bar/catering. [Inferred summary based on multiple sources — primary source supports the core concert venue mission.] La Cave aux Poètes runs an intimate 200-capacity underground concert hall in Roubaix, France, hosting approximately 40 concerts per year focused on emerging contemporary music artists (electro, rock, chanson, world, hip-hop). The association complements its ticketed programming with cultural outreach workshops and school programs (Actions Culturelles), an annual itinerant music festival (We Loft Music Festival), an artist incubator (Hello Music!), a production and booking bureau launched June 2025 (Eclipse Tour / Label Eclipse), an eco-mobility ticketing initiative (Doux It), and on-site bar/catering.

Product overview

La Cave aux Poètes operates as a unified venue-and-program portfolio centered on its underground concert hall (capacity 200) in Roubaix, France. The core offering consists of live music diffusion with approximately 40 concerts annually. The portfolio is structured around five interconnected offerings: the main concert venue, the annual We Loft Music Festival, the Hello Music! artist accelerator (in partnership with two other venues), the Eclipse Tour production/booking label launched in 2025, and an extensive cultural outreach program (Actions Culturelles) targeting diverse publics. A Doux It eco-mobility initiative and Kids Tempo Club young audience programming complement the core offer. The association L'Eclipse manages all activities as a non-profit, promoting emerging artists, cultural diversity, and sustainable practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eclipse Tour: Production and booking office launched in June 2025 for emerging artists, providing diffusion, professionalization support, and durable artistic project structuring.
• Label Eclipse
• We Loft Music Festival
• Hello Music!
• Doux It

Products and services

• La Cave aux Poètes (Concert Venue) An intimate underground 200-capacity concert hall in Roubaix, France, with a distinctive 2.03-meter ceiling height, hosting approximately 40 concerts per year focused on emerging contemporary music artists (electro, chanson, rock, world, hip-hop). Provides live music performance space for audiences and artists in the Hauts-de-France region.
• We Loft Music Festival An annual urban and itinerant music festival combining contemporary music and heritage, with concerts held in atypical venues across the Lille Metropolitan Area (e.g., La Piscine Musée Roubaix, Villa Cavrois, private lofts). Targeted at audiences seeking intimate and culturally distinctive festival experiences.
• Hello Music! An artist incubator/accelerator program (formerly PAM!) supporting 5 emerging music groups per year from across the Lille Metropolitan Area with professional development, visibility, and accompaniment. Co-created with L'Aéronef and Le Grand Mix. Targeted at emerging regional artists seeking professionalization.
• Eclipse Tour (Label Eclipse) A production and booking bureau focused on diffusing and booking emerging artists, providing professional development support, and structuring durable artistic projects grounded in values of parity, diversity, ethical touring, and respect for artistic rhythms. Targeted at emerging artists seeking sustainable touring infrastructure.
• Actions Culturelles (Cultural Activities) Cultural outreach programs including concerts for young audiences, artistic practice workshops, educational visits, and perennial heritage-linked projects. Targeted at local schools, social centers, mental health centers, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and vulnerable populations in the Roubaix and Lille Metropolitan Area.
• Accompagnement Artistique (Artist Support) Artist accompaniment and professional development services including residencies, technical and financial support, networking, opening slot programming (premières parties), and stage time for emerging regional artists. Targeted at emerging and developing musicians in the Hauts-de-France region.
• Doux It (Eco-Mobility Ticketing Program) An eco-mobility ticketing initiative offering 20-50% discounts on concert tickets for patrons using sustainable transport (public transit, bicycles, walking, carpooling). Implemented in partnership with Ilévia. Targeted at environmentally conscious concert-goers in the Lille Metropolitan Area.
• Kids Tempo Club Young-audience programming featuring kid-friendly concerts and performances at accessible prices (€3-€9), targeting children aged 6 and up.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~40 concerts per year plus the annual We Loft Music Festival, free N°16 events, and monthly afterworks
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Ilévia – Les Transports de la MELcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Ilévia is the public transport operator for the Lille Metropolitan Area. In partnership with La Cave aux Poètes, Ilévia supports the Doux It initiative, which rewards sustainable mobility (metro, tram, bus, train) with up to 50% off concert tickets. The collaboration enables the venue to verify validated transport passes at the door using Ilévia control equipment, and offers discounted/abundant bike parking.
• Association L'EclipsecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation L'Eclipse is the nonprofit (loi 1901) entity that owns, governs, and operates La Cave aux Poètes. It was founded in 1994 by a collective of artists seeking a venue in Roubaix. L'Eclipse holds the venue's operational licenses, employs the core staff, and executes the cultural project through its three pillars: live music diffusion, cultural actions, and artist professionalization support.
• L'Aéronef and Le Grand MixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlongside La Cave aux Poètes, L'Aéronef and Le Grand Mix are the three principal musiques actuelles venues of the Lille Metropolitan Area. Together they co-created the PAM! / Hello Music! artist incubator, now expanded to 5 supported groups per year, and the Inclusic accessibility initiative (shared sensory equipment, staff training, digital orientation tools).
• Collectif ECHO (ÉcoCulture Durable Hauts-de-France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Cave aux Poètes is a founding member of the ECHO collective, which unites Hauts-de-France performing arts venues committed to sustainable and socially responsible cultural practices. ECHO provides a shared platform for advocacy, communication, and the exchange of best practices in eco-responsibility, diversity, and inclusion.
• Le Pass CulturemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe French Pass Culture program (app for 15–18 year olds) distributes La Cave aux Poètes event tickets at reduced rates (€5–€16), serving as a direct sales channel to young audiences and facilitating cultural discovery among a demographic that may not otherwise attend live concerts.
• So Ticket (billetterie.caveauxpoetes.com)coreTechnology or IntegrationSo Ticket provides the ticketing infrastructure for La Cave aux Poètes' online sales portal, handling ticket issuance, mobile display, and integration with the venue's event calendar. The platform also supports Doux It discount verification, carpooling, and copiétonnage features.
• Reelax TicketsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial secondary ticket market for La Cave aux Poètes, enabling secure resale and purchase of pre-owned tickets for sold-out or relocated events. The venue explicitly directs customers to Reelax Tickets as the only legitimate resale channel, warning against third-party unofficial resellers.
• Azade (distributeur engagé)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAzade is a committed beverage distributor supplying the Cave aux Poètes bar with local juices, bottled beers, and coffee. This sourcing reflects the venue's commitment to short supply chains and responsible consumption as part of its broader sustainability policy.
• L'Âne Hilare & Restaurant MiélineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal catering suppliers providing artist and staff catering under a short-circuit and reasoned sourcing specification. Both are part of the venue's eco-responsible catering policy (100% vegetarian, local products, per ADEME estimates equivalent to 14 vegetarian meals vs. 1 beef meal in CO2 emissions).
• Social centers, schools, and healthcare institutions (Centre Social du Nautilus, Centre Social du Pile, D.A.M.E Le Roitelet, ESAT du Vélodrome, EHPAD de la Potennerie, various schools)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA broad network of local Roubaix and MEL-area social, educational, and healthcare institutions collaborates with La Cave aux Poètes on cultural action projects. These partnerships are the delivery mechanism for the venue's cultural outreach — workshops, performances, heritage projects, and inclusive access programs targeting diverse and often vulnerable publics.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• L'Aéronef: Major musiques actuelles venue in Lille, co-founder with La Cave aux Poètes of the Hello Music! artist incubator and the Inclusic accessibility initiative. Same regional ecosystem, same target audiences, complementary programming in the Lille metropolitan area.
• Le Grand Mix: Scène de Musiques Actuelles in Tourcoing, part of the same Lille metropolitan ecosystem. Co-founder of Hello Music! and Inclusic alongside La Cave aux Poètes; directly comparable in scale, mission and target emerging-music audience.
• Le Sucre: Lyon-based SMAC venue combining live music, cultural events and bar/restaurant operations in a former industrial space. Comparable hybrid venue + cultural outreach + emerging artist development model, at larger scale.
• La Maroquinerie: Intimate Parisian concert venue (capacity ~500) with comparable emerging-artist programming, similar ticketing tiers and bar/concession revenue model. Most analogous urban concert-venue business model in France at slightly larger scale.
• Dynamo: SMAC venue in the Lille metropolitan area (Pérenchies), part of the Hello Music! incubator network with La Cave aux Poètes, Le Grand Mix and L'Aéronef. Direct regional peer in emerging-artist support and cultural outreach.
• L'Autre Canal: SMAC venue in Nancy with comparable non-profit operation, live music programming, cultural action mission and emerging-artist development. Similar scale and Scène de Musiques Actuelles designation model.
• Le Rockstore: SMAC in Montpellier combining concerts, club nights and bar/restaurant revenue, similar to La Cave's mixed ticket + concessions model. Comparable emerging and established artist programming.
• Le Confort Moderne: Scène de Musiques Actuelles (SMAC) in Poitiers with a similar non-profit operating model, cultural outreach mission and emerging-artist focus. Comparable in combining venue programming with cultural action and artist support.
• La Fileuse: Scène Culturelle in Loos (Lille metropolitan area) hosting Tiger Rodeo as part of La Cave's touring program. Same regional territory, comparable capacity and emerging/young-audience programming.

Others

• Le FAIR: National artist-accompaniment scheme (now directed by La Cave's former director Nicolas Lefèvre). Not a competing venue but a sectoral infrastructure player supporting the same artist pipeline that La Cave develops via Eclipse Tour and Hello Music!.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/caveauxpoetes
• Instagraminstagram.com/caveauxpoetes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-cave-aux-po%C3%A8tes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 La Cave aux Poètes