Le Confort Moderne

What Le Confort Moderne does

Le Confort Moderne is a non-profit cultural association (Association loi 1901) operating a multidisciplinary arts complex in Poitiers, France. Founded in 1985 and managed by L'Oreille est Hardie, it occupies a fully rehabilitated 8,500 m² former industrial site containing a main concert hall (capacity up to 850), a club, exhibition spaces (Entrepôt + Galerie Jardin), artist residency accommodations (10 rooms and 2 studios), two soundproofed rehearsal rooms, a restaurant, a bar, the Transat independent record shop, and La Fanzinothèque — Europe's largest fanzine library. The venue's programming spans contemporary music concerts, visual arts exhibitions, festivals (Grand Mess, Festival À Corps), and community cultural initiatives, serving the general public of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, school groups, independent musicians, visual artists, and low-income residents via the Le Joker subsidized access program (€3.50 tickets).

The business model is a hybrid of transaction-based revenue (concert tickets €8–€30, rehearsal space rentals €3–€7.50/h, Transat retail, restaurant/bar, WooCommerce-powered online boutique) and recurring annual memberships (€10 to one of three resident associations: OH/Le Confort Moderne, La Fanzinothèque, Jazz à Poitiers). Pricing is tiered across plein tarif, reduced rates for students, job seekers, Carte Culture holders, and FEDELIMA members, and subsidized Joker rates. Distribution combines the SO TICKET online platform, on-site box office, a reseller network of four independent record shops across Poitiers, Bordeaux, Limoges, and Nantes, and direct on-site retail. Operating capital is significantly underwritten by institutional public funding from the Ville de Poitiers, the Ministère de la Culture (DRAC Nouvelle-Aquitaine), the Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and the Département de la Vienne, with Crédit Mutuel as a minor financial partner. The venue holds the CACIN (Centre d'art contemporain d'intérêt national) label and is governed by an in-house team of 25 staff covering curation, communication, technical production, hospitality, and administration.

Name

Le Confort Moderne

Legal name

Association l'Oreille est Hardie / le Confort Moderne

Website

https://confort-moderne.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Le Confort Moderne is a non-profit cultural association in Poitiers, France, operating a 8,500 m² multidisciplinary arts complex with a concert hall, exhibitions, artist residencies, rehearsal spaces, record shop, and Europe's largest fanzine library, serving the Nouvelle-Aquitaine public and independent artists through ticketed events, memberships, and institutional public funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts and Contemporary Cultural Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Live music concerts
• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Artist residencies
• Cultural venue programming
• Rehearsal space rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Poitiers

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket sales: The primary revenue stream is concert and event ticket sales. Tickets are sold online via SO TICKET, at the door, and through independent record shops (disquaires). Ticket prices range from €8 (Festival À Corps) to €30 (Rise of the Northstar). Reduced rates are available for members, Carte Culture holders, unemployed individuals, students, and those with the Joker card (€3.50).
2. Restaurant and bar: On-site restaurant and bar services. The restaurant is temporarily closed as of April 2026 for reinvention. Bar services operate during events.
3. Transat Record Shop: Independent record shop (disquaire) operating within the venue since 2001, selling vinyls, CDs, cassettes, and music merchandise. Also serves as a ticket sales point.
4. Boutique (Book Room): Online and on-site shop selling publications, multiples, merchandise (T-shirts, hoodies, jeans), micro-editions, and artist editions. Operates via WooCommerce at boutique.confort-moderne.fr.
5. Rehearsal space rentals: Two fully soundproofed, air-conditioned rehearsal rooms (box) are rented out to musicians and bands. Pricing: €3–4/h solo/duo daytime, €6–7.50/h group daytime; €4–7.50/h evenings; €20/3h group on Sundays. Membership adhesion (10€) required.
6. Membership subscriptions: Annual membership (10€) to one of three loi 1901 associations (OH/Le Confort Moderne, La Fanzinothèque, Jazz à Poitiers). Benefits include ticket discounts, fanzine loans, home delivery of programs, and invitations to general assemblies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Le Confort Moderne is a non-profit multidisciplinary cultural venue and friche artistique (industrial arts complex) in Poitiers, France, operating within an 8,500 m² rehabilitated industrial site. It offers live music concerts, contemporary art exhibitions, artist residencies, rehearsal space rentals, a fanzine library (La Fanzinothèque), an independent record shop (Transat), a restaurant and bar, and a merchandise boutique, all under the management of Association l'Oreille est Hardie.

Product overview

Le Confort Moderne is an industrial arts franche (cultural center) located in Poitiers, France, operating as a multi-venue complex within an 8,500m² rehabilitated space. The venue offers a unified platform of cultural services centered around its main concert hall (Salle de concerts) and club venue for live music, complemented by exhibition spaces (Entrepôt + Galerie Jardin) for visual arts. Supporting services include artist residency facilities (10 rooms + 2 studios), two rehearsal studios for musicians, the online Boutique du Confort Moderne for merchandise and publications, the Transat independent record shop, and La Fanzinothèque (fanzine library). The venue also operates a restaurant (currently paused) and bar, with additional programming through radio/Confort TV content. The complex is managed by l'Oreille est Hardie association and houses resident organizations including Jazz à Poitiers, Nage Libre (experimental music), and La Fanzinothèque.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Fanzinothèque: Fanzine library dedicated to conserving, classifying, and promoting a collection of fanzines - the largest collection in Europe.
• Transat
• Nage Libre

Products and services

• Salle de concerts (Concert Hall) Main concert hall hosting live music performances and events, accommodating audiences for contemporary, independent, and experimental music programming.
• Club Intimate club venue within the cultural complex for smaller scale performances and events.
• Espace d'exposition (Entrepôt + Galerie Jardin) Exhibition spaces including the Entrepôt warehouse and Galerie Jardin for contemporary art installations and visual arts exhibitions (free entry).
• Locaux de répétition (Rehearsal Rooms) Two soundproofed, air-conditioned rehearsal rooms equipped with PA systems, amplifiers, instruments, and internet access, rentable to musicians and bands (€3–7.50/h, Sunday €20/3h, 10€ annual membership required).
• Espaces de résidence (Artist Residencies) Artist residency program offering 10 rooms and 2 studios with accommodation, rehearsal spaces, creation studios, and technical support for musicians and visual artists during creation periods.
• Transat Record Shop Independent record shop operating within the venue, selling vinyls, CDs, cassettes, imports, and secondhand items; also serves as a ticket outlet. Stocks 5,000 vinyls and 2,000 CDs.
• La Fanzinothèque (Fanzine Library) Largest fanzine collection in Europe, providing conservation, classification, exhibitions, workshops, and a dépôt-vente (consignment) service. Also serves as an independent member association.
• Boutique du Confort Moderne (Book Room) Online and on-site merchandise shop selling publications, multiples, prints, clothing (T-shirts, hoodies, jeans), and accessories, powered by WooCommerce.
• Restaurant du Confort Moderne On-site restaurant offering seasonal homemade menus with local produce. Currently paused/closed since April 2026.
• Bar On-site bar serving concert-goers and event attendees.
• Le Joker Subsidized Access Program Subsidized cultural access program offering tickets at €3.50 to low-income Poitiers residents, coordinated with 10 neighborhood community centers (maisons de quartier). Free to register.
• Annual Membership (Adhésion) Annual membership at €10 to one of three loi 1901 associations (OH/Le Confort Moderne, La Fanzinothèque, Jazz à Poitiers). Benefits include ticket discounts, fanzine loans, program home delivery, and AGM invitations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free admission to all exhibitions (entrée libre), removing financial barriers to contemporary art access.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TAP – Théâtre Auditorium de PoitierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production and co-realization (coréalisation) partner for Festival À Corps - Errances Nocturnes (2027), a dance/performance event blending the two institutions' programming.
• La FanzinothèquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResident association housed within Le Confort Moderne, dedicated to preserving the largest fanzine collection in Europe and organizing exhibitions, workshops, and publications. Co-organizes Grand Mess festival.
• Nage Libre / Jazz à PoitierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResident association focused on improvised and experimental music, operating within Le Confort Moderne and co-organizing events like the À Corps festival and Grand Mess.
• ÉESI – École européenne supérieure de l'image Poitiers/AngoulêmecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner art school running joint post-diploma residency programs with Le Confort Moderne. The venue hosts resident artists from ÉESI through programs like Supercanon (co-funded with DRAC).
• ÉSAM – École supérieure d'arts & médias de Caen/CherbourgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner art school collaborating on the post-diploma residency program with Le Confort Moderne, hosting graduates of ÉSAM in Poitiers.
• Villa KujoyamaminorOthersPrestigious Japanese residency program for artists. Louise Mutrel (artist featured in 'Custom Bliss' exhibition) is a 2024 laureate, demonstrating institutional recognition for the venue's featured artists.
• Villa BlochminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution co-developing the artistic project of María José Suárez (roman graphique exhibition at La Fanzinothèque), as part of the Grand Mess festival program.
• Centre International d'Art et du Paysage de VassivièreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution co-running the post-diploma residency program with Le Confort Moderne and ÉESI, hosting young graduates from the art school.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• L'Olympia: Historic Paris concert hall (~2,000 capacity) presenting major contemporary artists. Comparable music venue but operates at much larger commercial scale with broader artist roster.
• Le Bataclan: Iconic Paris concert hall with ~1,200 capacity, hosting a broad range of contemporary and indie artists. Comparable as a French concert venue operator but at larger scale and with broader commercial programming.

Regional players

• Le Libert\u00e9: Toulon-based Sc\u00e8ne Nationale offering live performance and visual arts programming. Comparable as a publicly funded French regional cultural venue, but operates under a different governance model.

Direct peers

• Le Sucre: Lyon-based club and live music venue in a rehabilitated industrial building (La Sucrerie), focusing on electronic and contemporary music. Comparable as a French regional music venue operating in a converted industrial site.
• La Maroquinerie: Paris-based independent live music venue (SME/SMAC) hosting indie and alternative concerts in a mid-sized room. Directly comparable as a French concert venue operator with similar programming scale and ticket pricing tier.
• La Friche la Belle de Mai: Marseille-based friche artistique combining concerts, exhibitions, residencies, and community programming in a former tobacco factory. The most direct analog to Le Confort Moderne's industrial-arts complex model in France.
• Les SUBS - L'Usine de spectacles: Lyon-based cultural complex housed in former industrial buildings, offering live music, contemporary art, and residencies under one roof. Closely comparable multidisciplinary arts complex model in a regional French city.
• Centquatre / Le 104: Paris-based multidisciplinary cultural center in a rehabilitated municipal building, combining concerts, exhibitions, residencies, and artist support. Comparable to Le Confort Moderne as a large-scale friche culturelle model mixing performing arts and visual arts programming.
• Le Bikini: Toulouse-based concert and club venue offering contemporary and indie music programming with associated cultural programming. Comparable as a regional French live music venue operator in a mid-size city.
• Le Channel - Sc\u00e8ne Nationale de Calais: Calais-based multidisciplinary arts venue combining live performance, exhibitions, and artist residencies in a redeveloped industrial site. Directly comparable as a French regional arts complex with public funding support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ConfortModerne
• Facebookfacebook.com/339960042526
• Instagraminstagram.com/ConfortModerne
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/le-confort-moderne

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Le Confort Moderne