What Circus Krone does

Circus Krone is a German family-owned live entertainment company operating the largest traveling circus in the world. Established in its current form in 1905 (with roots to a Carl Krone sen. menagerie in 1870) and structured as Circus Krone GmbH & Co. Betriebs-KG, the company has been led since June 20, 2017 by Jana Mandana Lacey-Krone in the fourth generation of family control. Its core offering is multi-format circus programming: a summer tournee ('Farbenspiel – Gold Edition') that visits six or more German cities annually, three dedicated Christmas circus venues (Würzburg, Rosenheim, Ingolstadt) running December through January, a permanent winter-season program at Circus Krone-Bau in Munich, and the Krone-Farm animal attraction in Wessling. Ancillary products include children's circus-skills workshops (€350 per participant), the Krone-Zoo, an on-site café-bar, a €500 handcrafted collector emblem, and venue rental of Circus Krone-Bau for concerts, comedy, galas, and corporate events.

The company's technical infrastructure centers on the world's largest traveling circus tent — a 2024-vintage, custom-manufactured chapiteau costing over €3 million, measuring 84m × 57m with a 17m dome, 10,000 m² of canvas, and 2,000 spectator capacity, supported by 24 electric winches (48,000+ watts total) and 300 hydraulic ground anchors. Production infrastructure includes a computer-controlled lighting system (170,000W, 140 spotlights, 9 scanners) operated by a 27-year-tenured designer, a live orchestra, on-staff team of four veterinarians, an animal protection officer, a saddlery and two tailoring shops, and a state-certified traveling school for employees' children. The company holds the 2018 European Parliament BigTopLabel certification.

Circus Krone monetizes primarily through ticket sales (€10 child / €15 adult base prices, distributed via Eventim and München-Ticket plus the on-site Circuskasse in Munich) and secondary revenue from workshops, café-bar concessions, souvenir sales, venue rental, group bookings (20+ persons), and zoo group tours. Pricing is uniformly transactional / unit-based with volume discounts for groups, seniors, and people with disabilities. Tickets sell through official channels only — the company actively warns consumers about unauthorized reseller platforms. The customer base is the general public with a primary skew toward families; named enterprise/cultural relationships (e.g., 46 broadcast charity galas with over 500 VIPs including Pope Benedict XVI and Edmund Stoiber) sit in heritage-marketing rather than recurring revenue.

Name

Circus Krone

Legal name

Circus Krone GmbH & Co. Betriebs-KG

Website

https://circus-krone.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Circus Krone is a German family-owned live entertainment company that operates the world's largest traveling circus, touring German cities seasonally with year-round programming at its permanent Munich venue, three Christmas circus venues, and a farm attraction. It monetizes ticket sales, workshops, and venue rentals primarily to families and the general public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Circus Entertainment

NAICS

Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Circus, Magic & Variety Shows (THAJAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Circus & Physical Theatre (MPAGABAL), Seasonal & Holiday Events (Ticketed) (THAJAFAJ)

Keywords

• Live circus performances
• Traveling circus entertainment
• Animal shows
• Venue rental events
• Children circus workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from circus performances. Tickets sold for summer tournee, Christmas circuses, winter season at Circus Krone Bau, and Krone-Farm. Prices vary by show and include discounts for children under 12, disabled persons, seniors, and free admission for children under 3.
2. Food & Beverage (Café-Bar): On-site sales of popcorn, roasted almonds, drinks, snacks, sweets, ice cream, sausages. Also corporate and group catering services.
3. Children's Workshops: Summer holiday workshop programs for children aged 8+. Includes circus skills training (acrobatic, trapeze, juggling, dance, clownery, trampoline, magic, pyramid acrobatics, ball balancing, unicycle, rope skipping). Fee: 350 EUR per participant.
4. Venue Rental & Private Events: Circus Krone Bau in Munich hosts concerts, comedy, shows, musicals, sports events, and assemblies. Available for corporate events and private hire with catering options.
5. Souvenir & Collectible Sales: Sale of Circus Krone Original Emblems (handcrafted, 33cm height, 30cm width, Kunststoff material, priced at 500 EUR). Souvenirs sold at café-bar and merchandise stands.
6. Krone-Zoo Group Tours: Guided tours through the Krone-Zoo for groups of 30 or more persons, available by prior email arrangement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Circus Krone operates live traditional circus entertainment under the world's largest traveling circus tent, touring German cities annually and running seasonal Christmas circuses and a permanent Munich venue. Offerings include animal and artist performances, on-site food and beverage, children's circus-skills workshops, souvenir sales, animal farm visits (Krone-Farm, Wessling), and venue rental at Circus Krone-Bau for concerts, comedy, galas, and corporate events.

Product overview

Circus Krone is a traditional circus and live entertainment company operating the largest traveling circus in the world. Its product portfolio centers on live circus show programs — the Sommer-Tournee (Farbenspiel – Gold Edition) touring across German cities each summer, and seasonal Christmas circus events (Würzburger, Rosenheimer, and Ingolstädter Weihnachtscircusse). The company also operates its permanent venue, the Circus Krone-Bau in Munich (Winterspielzeit), and the Krone-Farm animal attraction in Wessling. Ancillary offerings include children's workshops, a café-bar, the Krone-Zoo, a merchandise emblem, and a newsletter. The company also runs the Circus Krone-Bau as a rental event venue for concerts, comedy, shows, and sports. The overall offering is a single integrated circus/entertainment brand with multiple event types and visitor experiences, rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FARBENSPIEL Gold Edition: The 2026 summer tour program/show of Circus Krone
• Winterspielzeit München
• Würzburger Weihnachtscircus
• Rosenheimer Weihnachtscircus
• Ingolstädter Weihnachtscircus
• Krone-Zoo
• Kids Workshops

Products and services

• Sommer-Tournee (Farbenspiel – Gold Edition) Annual touring live circus show staged under the world's largest traveling circus tent, visiting 7+ German cities each summer with animal and artist performances. Aimed at families and the general public.
• Winterspielzeit München Annual Christmas/winter season circus performances held at the company's permanent Circus Krone-Bau venue in Munich, featuring animal and artist acts. Aimed at families and the general public.
• Würzburger Weihnachtscircus Annual Christmas circus event at the Würzburger Talavera venue (5th edition: 2026/2027). Aimed at families and the regional general public.
• Rosenheimer Weihnachtscircus Annual Christmas circus event at the Loretowiese venue in Rosenheim (3rd edition: 2026/2027). Aimed at families and the regional general public.
• Ingolstädter Weihnachtscircus Annual Christmas circus event at the Volksfestplatz in Ingolstadt (2nd edition: 2026/2027). Aimed at families and the regional general public.
• Krone-Farm Wessling Animal attraction in Wessling where visitors encounter circus animals including donkey, dogs, ponies, and a macaw. Tickets sold via München-Ticket. Aimed at families and the general public.
• Kinder-Workshops (Kids Workshops) Summer holiday workshops for children aged 8 and up, featuring 5 hours of daily training (Mon-Fri) in acrobatic disciplines including trampoline, juggling, acrobatics, dance, clowning, magic, pyramid acrobatics, ball balancing, unicycle, and rope skipping, with snacks and a Saturday showcase performance. Fee: 350 EUR per participant.
• Event Venue Rental at Circus Krone-Bau Rental of the Circus Krone-Bau permanent venue in Munich for concerts, comedy, shows, musicals, sports events, assemblies, corporate events, and private hire with catering options and backstage tours for groups. Aimed at corporate clients, event organizers, and promoters.
• Circus Krone Café-Bar & Group Catering On-site food and beverage service offering popcorn, roasted almonds, drinks, snacks, sweets, ice cream, sausages, and Bockwurst during performances. Corporate and group catering services for groups of 20 or more, with backstage tour options.
• Krone-Zoo Group Tours Guided tours through the on-site Krone-Zoo for groups of 30 or more persons, available by prior email arrangement.
• Circus Krone Original-Emblem (Collectible) Handcrafted collectible emblem featuring the Circus Krone initials enclosed in a ring-curtain motif and crowned, sold as a limited collector's item at 500 EUR per unit.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000 spectators accommodated per touring show
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• EventimcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEventim is the primary online ticket sales partner for Circus Krone performances. Provides both online booking and telephone ordering services (0421-20315511). Circus Krone receives affiliate links on Eventim platform (affiliate code: CKR). Handles ticket sales for all major performances including summer tournee and Christmas circuses.
• München-TicketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional ticket distribution partner covering Munich and surrounding areas. Handles sales for Krone-Farm visits, Ingolstadt Christmas Circus, and Rosenheim Christmas Circus through dedicated category pages.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Apassionata (entertainment GmbH): German-language touring live entertainment show featuring horses, although framed more as 'equestrian theater' than traditional circus. Comparable touring live-entertainment operator with family audiences in the same DACH region.
• Blackpool Tower Circus: Iconic UK-based traditional circus operating inside a permanent venue (Blackpool Tower) with a long heritage brand, animal acts, and family programming. Closely comparable permanent-venue traditional circus, and third co-recipient of the EU BigTopLabel alongside Circus Krone.
• Zirkus Roncalli: Bonn-based German traveling circus founded by Bernhard Paul, well-known for replacing live animal acts with holograms. Comparable German-market circus brand with touring shows and Christmas residencies, positioned as a direct competitor for the same audiences but with a contrasting modern, animal-free format.
• Zirkus Flic Flac: German touring circus operating in the same touring-plus-residency format, known for action-style programming with and without animals. Direct competitor for German tournee dates and similar family/young-adult audience segment.
• Zirkus Charles Knie: Austrian-rooted traditional traveling circus touring the German-speaking market with animal acts and a multi-generational family ownership. Direct head-to-head competitor for summer tournee dates and Christmas circus slots in Germany/Austria/Switzerland.
• Cirque Arlette Gruss: Long-established French traditional circus touring across Europe with animal acts, a permanent winter venue, and a comparable multi-generational family ownership model. Directly comparable to Circus Krone in format, scale and animal-acts positioning; notably also a co-recipient of the EU BigTopLabel award in 2018.

Broad incumbents

• Cirque du Soleil: Globally dominant modern circus operator with residencies in major cities (Las Vegas, etc.). Directly comparable as a large-scale live circus brand, but Cirque du Soleil operates the modern, animal-free format versus Circus Krone's traditional animal-acts tour, so it competes for the same discretionary entertainment wallet rather than the same niche audience.
• Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus: Historic American 'Greatest Show on Earth' brand recently relaunched (2023) without animal acts. Comparable as a globally recognized legacy circus brand, though US-focused and now animal-free after the 2016 elephant retirement; competes for international touring audiences and broader brand awareness.

Regional players

• Circus Krone Bau (event-rental venue competitors): Listed as Eventim, Germany's leading ticketing platform and venue operator that also competes as a rented-event venue through partners. Relevant as Circus Krone's primary ticketing and distribution partner and indirect competitor for concert/comedy/sports event nights in Munich.

Others

• Stage Entertainment (live shows/ musicals): Europe's largest musical producer with multiple German theaters (Stage Palladium Theater, Theater im Hafen, etc.). Indirectly competes with Krone-Bau for family/corporate event bookings in Munich; relevant for benchmarking venue-rental economics and live-entertainment unit economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• TikToktiktok.com/@circuskrone
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/circus-krone

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries8 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 Circus Krone