Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus

What Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus does

Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus (branded "D'haus") is one of Germany's largest spoken-word theaters, founded in 1802 and operating under the legal entity Neue Schauspiel GmbH. It serves a broad public audience across Düsseldorf and the surrounding NRW region through three programmatic strands: a main Schauspiel repertoire, a Junges Schauspiel (youth) program that operates education outreach into schools and kindergartens, and a Stadt:Kollektiv community engagement strand.

The theater's product is live theatrical performance delivered across three physical venues — the Großes Haus, the Kleines Haus, and the Central on Worringer Straße — totaling roughly 850 performances and events in Spielzeit 2025/26 that drew 265,400 attendees at 86% capacity utilization. Distribution runs through EVENTIM.Inhouse for ticketing and through subscription products (Premierenabonnement, Wochentagsabonnement, Wahlabonnement, PlusCard-Abo), with single-ticket prices ranging from approximately €8 to €36 and ancillary revenue from merchandise and gift vouchers.

The revenue model is hybrid and public-funding-led. Ticket and subscription sales form a minority share of operating income; the majority is provided by public subsidies, principally from the Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft des Landes NRW, supplemented by EU/Interreg funds, Deutsche Postcode Lotterie, Stiftung Kunststiftung NRW, and a stack of regional foundations and corporate sponsors (Stadtsparkasse Düsseldorf, Stiftung Van Meeteren, Stiftung Insel Hombroich). The Intendant role, currently held by Wilfried Schulz (departing after the 2025/26 season) and passing to Andreas Karlaganis in 2026/27, sets artistic direction, while cross-institutional partnerships — including Deutsche Oper am Rhein (co-production "The Drop"), BAM New York, Hamburger Theaterfestival, and Hochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig — extend reach beyond the home market.

Name

Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus

Legal name

Neue Schauspiel GmbH

Website

https://dhaus.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1802

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus is one of Germany's largest spoken-word theaters, operating three venues in Düsseldorf under Neue Schauspiel GmbH and serving broad public audiences through main, youth, and community programming strands, with the majority of operating income derived from public NRW state subsidies and ticket sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Theater Services

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC)

Keywords

• Live theater performances
• Spoken theater productions
• Youth theater programs
• Community theater projects
• Theater subscription series

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Individual performance tickets sold through web shop, box office, telephone, and advance booking outlets. Multiple price categories with discounts for students, unemployed, and disabled visitors.
2. Subscriptions/Abonnements: Season ticket packages including premiere subscriptions (Premierenabonnement), weekday subscriptions (Wochentagsabonnement), and choice subscriptions (Wahlabonnement) with 30-45% discounts for young audience members under 30.
3. Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including T-shirts, hoodies, caps, and bags featuring theater productions.
4. Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers available for purchase in the web shop, delivered as high-quality print-outs by post.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus produces and stages theatrical performances across three venues for diverse audiences. It sells individual tickets, season subscriptions, merchandise, and gift vouchers through an EVENTIM-powered web shop, physical box offices, and telephone booking. Programming is organized into three strands: main-stage Schauspiel, Junges Schauspiel for children and youth, and Stadt:Kollektiv participatory community theater.

Product overview

Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus (D'haus) is a major German speaking theater with three main program divisions: Schauspiel (main stage drama), Junges Schauspiel (young audience productions), and Stadt:Kollektiv (participatory community theater). The theater operates multiple venues including the Schauspielhaus with Großes Haus and Kleines Haus, and the Central venue for young audiences. The institution offers a comprehensive digital ecosystem including an online ticketing web shop powered by EVENTIM.Inhouse, various subscription packages, and merchandise sales. Theater programming includes classical and contemporary plays, with productions like 'Tyll', 'Die Tür', 'Blindekuh mit dem Tod', 'Samurai X', and 'Das grüne Königreich' representing the diverse repertoire. Additional services encompass theater pedagogy, accessibility features, and educational outreach programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus (D'haus) - Main Theater Program (Schauspiel) The main theater program featuring dramatic productions in the Großes Haus (large house) and Kleines Haus (small house), spanning classical and contemporary repertoire with works by playwrights such as Heinrich von Kleist, Ingmar Bergman, Alice Birch, and William Shakespeare performed by an ensemble.
• Junges Schauspiel (Youth Theater) Theater productions specifically designed for children and youth audiences, offering age-appropriate content and educational programming at the Central venue, including in-house and world-premiere productions such as 'Samurai X'.
• Stadt:Kollektiv (Community Theater) Participatory theater projects engaging the local Düsseldorf community in collaborative artistic productions and socially engaged initiatives, such as 'Verbrennungen' (Wajdi Mouawad, directed by Bassam Ghazi).
• Season Subscriptions (Abonnements) Subscription packages including Premierenabonnement (10 premieres from 130€), Wochentagsabonnement (10 performances from 88.50€, 45% discount), and Kleines/Großes Wahlabonnement (5 or 10 freely selectable performances from 55€/110€, 30% discount), with additional young-audience pricing for under-30 patrons.
• Theaterpädagogik (Theater Pedagogy) Educational theater programs including workshops, post-show discussions, backstage tours, and outreach activities for schools, kindergartens, and other educational institutions, with dedicated programs coordinated by Lina Addy.
• Barrierefreiheit (Accessibility Services) Accessibility services for audiences including wheelchair spaces, audio description, relaxed performances, assisted listening systems, and accessible venue information, with foreign-language supertitles developed in partnership with Panthea.
• Gift Vouchers (Gutscheine) Gift vouchers for theater tickets and merchandise sold through the web shop, delivered as high-quality print-outs by post.
• Merchandise and Publications Theater-branded merchandise including clothing, bags, CDs, and books reflecting theater productions and history, sold through the EVENTIM web shop.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Deutsche Oper am RheincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusical-theatrical cooperation for 'The Drop' production featuring opera singers alongside Junges Schauspiel actors, combining classical music with club culture. Co-production bringing together two major Düsseldorf performing arts institutions.
• Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), New YorkflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational guest performance of Robert Wilson's 'Moby Dick' production at BAM, one of the most important international centers for contemporary performing arts in the USA (April 29 - May 3).
• Hochschule für Musik und Theater 'Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy' LeipzigcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation for Düsseldorfer Schauspielstudio providing second-year students practical experience at one of Germany's largest spoken theaters. Joint leadership with André Kaczmarczyk for the 2025/26 season.
• Hamburger Theater FestivalflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwo productions selected for guest performance: 'Der Schneesturm' after Vladimir Sorokin (directed by Kirill Serebrennikov) and 'Richard III.' by William Shakespeare (directed by Evgeny Titov).
• Theater:Fieber (Kooperation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership coordinated by Lina Addy for theater engagement programs.
• Verein zur Förderung der Städtepartnerschaft Düsseldorf-Czernowitz e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting the 'Blindekuh mit dem Tod' production exploring Holocaust survivor memories from Czernowitz. Includes cooperation for performances and educational outreach.
• Holocaust-Gedenkstätte Yad VashemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecognized the graphic novel 'Blindekuh mit dem Tod' as a lighthouse project for educational remembrance work at schools (2023 recommendation).
• Panthea (Berlin)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for developing regular foreign-language supertitle offerings as part of barrier-reduced programming, coordinated by Stijn Reinhold.
• Assitej International / Assitej DeutschlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStefan Fischer-Fels served on both boards for over 20 years; both organizations named him honorary member. Global network for theater for young audiences.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Burgtheater Wien: Austria's flagship spoken-word theater with a national-stage role and international guest performances; comparable prestige, subsidy model, and multi-venue operation to D'haus.
• Thalia Theater Hamburg: One of Germany's three leading publicly funded spoken-word theaters (Sprechtheater), operating multiple stages in Hamburg with classical/contemporary repertoire and international guest performances — directly comparable scale, programming model, and audience base to D'haus.
• Münchner Kammerspiele: Munich's leading Sprechtheater, known for director-driven contemporary programming and international recognition; comparable in artistic ambition, public funding mix, and multi-venue operations.
• Berliner Ensemble: Berlin-based theater at the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm, with a comparable spoken-word focus, classical/contemporary repertoire, and international festival presence — a structural peer in scale and programming.
• GRIPS Theater Berlin: Germany's leading dedicated youth theater (Junges Schauspiel), where Stefan Fischer-Fels (D'haus Junges Schauspiel head) previously served as Artistic Director; directly comparable in youth-theater programming model and educational outreach.
• Schaubühne Berlin: Berlin's flagship Sprechtheater with three venues, an international reputation, and a director-led programming model; comparable in scale, repertoire depth, and international touring cadence to Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus.
• Schauspiel Stuttgart: Major state-funded German Sprechtheater with multiple venues and a strong classical/contemporary repertoire; directly comparable in scale, ensemble structure, and international co-production activity.
• Deutsches Theater Berlin: Major German municipal theater with multiple stages and a strong classical/contemporary repertoire; directly comparable venue structure, funding model, and subscription economics to D'haus.
• Volksbühne Berlin: Berlin's iconic public theater with subscription-based model and provocative programming; D'haus hosts Volksbühne as guest productions, and they share the German municipal Sprechtheater model with comparable scale.

Regional players

• Schauspiel Köln: Cologne's municipal Sprechtheater, the closest geographic peer to D'haus within the Rhineland region; comparable venue structure, public funding profile, and audience catchment overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@DuesseldorferSchausp
• Facebookfacebook.com/DuesseldorferSchauspielhaus
• Instagraminstagram.com/duesseldorfer.schauspielhaus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/d%C3%BCsseldorfer-schauspielhaus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus