Kabarett-Theater DISTEL

What Kabarett-Theater DISTEL does

Kabarett-Theater DISTEL is a single-venue political cabaret theater operating in Berlin, Germany since 1953, registered as DISTEL Kabarett-Theater GmbH (Amtsgericht Charlottenburg, HRB 38578 B). The company presents live satirical and political cabaret performances, guest shows, and a talk format called "MISSVERSTEHEN SIE MICH RICHTIG," and positions itself as "DasHauptstadtKabarett" (The Capital City Cabaret). It is run by Managing Director Sophia Michailidis with a lean team of 6 employees, and the physical venue sits at Friedrichstraße 101 in Berlin-Mitte, directly at the Friedrichstraße train station, with box office operations housed in the Admiralspalast-Foyer.

The revenue model is built around three core product lines: ensemble cabaret performances, guest performances ("Gastspiele"), and the MISSVERSTEHEN SIE MICH RICHTIG talk series, sold through a tiered seat pricing structure (€28-€42 per ticket) plus a recurring summer flat-rate special at €28 across all seats. Ancillary revenue is generated via the DISTEL-Card annual membership, gift vouchers valid for 3 years, and branded merchandise (memo games, etc.). The guest performance slate is itself a growth-driving asset, drawing external names like Martin Sonneborn, Max Goldt, and Wladimir Kaminer.

Go-to-market is event-driven and direct-to-consumer. Distribution flows through the company's own EVENTIM.Inhouse-powered web shop, a physical box office, phone/email reservations, and the wider EVENTIM marketplace, supported by partnerships with Visit Berlin, Berlin Bühnen, Rausgegangen, Spreeradio, and der Freitag for marketing visibility. The theater appears to draw institutional support from the Berlin Senate's Department for Culture and Social Cohesion, suggesting public funding contribution. The website and POS infrastructure are run on third-party platforms (sign.Berlin design, hosting.de hosting), with no proprietary technology layer.

Name

Kabarett-Theater DISTEL

Legal name

DISTEL Kabarett-Theater GmbH

Website

https://distel-berlin.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kabarett-Theater DISTEL operates a single-venue political cabaret theater in Berlin, presenting ensemble satirical shows, guest performances, and a talk series to culturally engaged adult audiences. The 70-year-old venue sells tiered tickets, an annual membership card, gift vouchers, and merchandise via its own webshop and EVENTIM.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Cabarets & Variety Nightlife (MPAGAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Theater & Performing Arts Ticketing (HSACALAC), Venue Guest Services & Front-of-House Operations (Ushers, Box Office, Accessibility) (MPAGALAK)

Keywords

• Political cabaret theater
• Live entertainment
• Performing arts
• Theater productions
• Cabaret performances

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: One-time ticket purchases for individual performances. Standard tickets range from €28-42 depending on seat category and event. Summer special offers all seats for €28 during June-August.
2. DISTEL-Card: Annual membership card valid for 12 months from purchase date. Covers all performances except premieres, Christmas, New Year's Eve, and special events.
3. Gift Vouchers (Gutscheine): Available in any denomination, valid for 3 years from purchase date, redeemable for all DISTEL events.
4. Souvenirs & Merchandise: Memo games and other branded merchandise items sold through the web shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kabarett-Theater DISTEL is a political cabaret theater based in Berlin that produces and stages live ensemble performances, guest performances, and a talk-show format ("Missverstehen Sie mich richtig"). The company operates from its venue at Friedrichstraße 101 and supplements stage productions with complementary offerings such as ticket sales, gift vouchers, a membership card (DISTEL-Card), and souvenir merchandise.

Product overview

Kabarett-Theater DISTEL operates as a single-venue cabaret theater offering three main product lines: (1) DISTEL-Ensemble performances featuring the theater's own satirical cabaret programs, (2) Gastspiele featuring guest performances by external artists, and (3) MISSVERSTEHEN SIE MICH RICHTIG, an interview/talk format. Supporting services include an online ticket webshop, gift vouchers (Gutscheine), a membership DISTEL-Card, and souvenir merchandise. The venue is located in Berlin near Friedrichstraße station.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments1 record

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 minor and core.

• Visit BerlinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDISTEL is listed on Visit Berlin's platform, Berlin's official tourism website, providing visibility to international and domestic visitors seeking cultural events.
• Berlin BühnenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed on Berlin Bühnen (Berlin Stages) website, a consortium of Berlin's theater venues promoting cultural events across the city.
• Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Gesellschaftlichen ZusammenhaltcoreOthersThe Berlin Senate's Department for Culture and Social Cohesion appears as a partner, indicating possible public funding or institutional support for the theater.
• RausgegangenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBerlin-based cultural event platform featuring DISTEL performances.
• StröerminorOthersAdvertising partner, likely providing outdoor or digital advertising services.
• Berliner PilsnerminorOthersBeverage sponsor providing drinks for the venue, with promotional partnership during events.
• SpreeradiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerBerlin radio station partnership for cross-promotion.
• der FreitagminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with the German weekly newspaper 'der Freitag' for cultural coverage.
• Luftschloss Tempelhofer FeldminorOthersPartnership with the Berlin cultural venue/organization Luftschloss Tempelhofer Feld.
• EVENTIM (CTS EVENTIM AG & Co. KGaA)coreTechnology or IntegrationTicketing system provider powering the DISTEL web shop. EVENTIM.Inhouse provides the ticket booking platform, customer management, and payment processing infrastructure.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Komische Oper Berlin: Berlin opera house presenting musical theater and operetta programming. Comparable as a Berlin performing arts venue with subscription ticketing and rotating programming, though with a different core repertoire than DISTEL's cabaret focus.
• Berliner Ensemble: One of Germany's most renowned theater companies, founded by Bertolt Brecht, operating a major Berlin venue. Comparable as a high-profile Berlin theater institution though with classical dramatic rather than cabaret programming.
• Volksbühne Berlin: Major Berlin theater institution presenting a wide range of performing arts including political and contemporary works. Comparable as a Berlin venue with political/cultural programming, though broader in scope than DISTEL's cabaret focus.
• Deutsches Theater Berlin: Established Berlin theater institution presenting classical and contemporary dramatic works. Comparable as a Berlin venue operating in the live performing arts market with subscription-style ticket programs.

Others

• Rausgegangen: Berlin-based cultural event discovery and ticketing platform listed as a DISTEL marketing partner. Comparable as an ecosystem participant in Berlin's live entertainment distribution and discovery layer.

Direct peers

• Schmidt Theater / Schmidts Tivoli: Hamburg-based theater complex combining variety shows, comedy, and cabaret programming in a single venue. Comparable as a German variety/cabaret theater operator with multi-format live programming.
• Wintergarten Berlin: Berlin variety theater presenting revue, cabaret, and variety shows in a historic venue. Closely comparable to DISTEL in format (variety/cabaret), target market, and Berlin-centric venue operations.
• Die Münchner Lach- und Schießgesellschaft: Munich's leading political cabaret theater, founded 1956, operating as a venue presenting political satire and cabaret programming — directly comparable niche and format to DISTEL.
• Bar jeder Vernunft: Berlin-based cabaret and variety theater operating since the 1990s, presenting political cabaret, chanson, and revue programming — directly comparable to DISTEL's cabaret format and Berlin venue model.
• Quatsch Comedy Club: Berlin-based comedy club presenting stand-up and live comedy programming. Operates in the same Berlin live-entertainment market targeting overlapping audience demographics seeking intelligent humor and satire.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/distel-kabarett-theater-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Kabarett-Theater DISTEL