Jugend- und Kulturzentrum Gaskessel

What Jugend- und Kulturzentrum Gaskessel does

Jugend- und Kulturzentrum Gaskessel is a non-profit youth and cultural center (Verein) founded in 1971 in Bern, Switzerland, during the Bernese youth unrest movements. It operates as one of the oldest continuously running youth and cultural centers in Europe, hosting concerts, parties, theater performances, exhibitions, discussions, and film nights in a distinctive venue composed of two spherical hemispheres converted from the city's former gas reservoirs on the Gaswerkareal along the Aare river. The organization serves young people from the Bern region, with up to 200 engaged association members running the operation alongside approximately 14 paid staff covering booking, production, bar and F&B, accounting, event technology, and cleaning.

The center's core offering is event programming, supported by operational services (bar, gastronomy, event technology, production management) and artist booking. Revenue is generated transactionally through event admissions, bar and F&B sales during events, and venue rental. Digital products complement the physical venue: the GK Podcast on SoundCloud, the GK Playlist on Spotify, the Plakat-Archiv poster archive documenting events from 2017 to 2026, and the Hall of Fame cataloguing past performers including international acts such as Bahamadia, Masta Ace, Young Gods, Robin Schulz, Boris Brejcha, and Foreign Beggars. Marketing is conducted through Facebook, Instagram, the podcast, the playlist, and the poster archive.

The business model is event-driven and community-operated. The association structure with a deliberately low membership threshold ensures a continuously renewing pipeline of volunteer participants who staff bar, entrance, culture, technology, and gastronomy functions. No external investors, funding rounds, or parent entities are involved. The organization celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021 and has scheduled its 55th anniversary for 2026, and continues ongoing architectural adaptations of its hemispherical venue to meet evolving visitor needs.

Name

Jugend- und Kulturzentrum Gaskessel

Legal name

Gaskessel

Website

https://gaskessel.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gaskessel is a non-profit youth and cultural center in Bern, Switzerland, founded in 1971. It hosts concerts, theater, exhibitions, and film nights in converted gas reservoirs, operated by approximately 14 paid staff and up to 200 volunteer association members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Event Venue Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

akta.pro primary industry

Pubs & Gastropubs (THAFAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dance Floor, Staging & Platform Rentals (HSACAFAD)

Keywords

• Youth cultural center
• Live event venue
• Concert programming
• Community association
• Event bar services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event admissions and venue operations: Revenue is generated through event admissions, bar and food & beverage sales during events, and venue rental for concerts, parties, and other cultural events. The venue operates as a youth and cultural center with regular programming including concerts, parties, theater performances, exhibitions, discussions, and film nights.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gaskessel Bern is a youth and cultural center that fundamentally operates as a physical event venue, hosting a regular program of concerts, parties, theater performances, exhibitions, discussions, and film nights. The venue is supported by on-site bar and food & beverage services, event technology (sound and lighting), production management, and artist booking — all operated by an association of up to 200 engaged young people. The offering is centered on providing cultural participation space and event experiences in the historic former gas reservoirs of Bern.

Product overview

Gaskessel Bern is a youth and cultural center operating as an association, offering a unified portfolio of venue-based cultural services. The core offering centers on event programming (concerts, parties, theater, exhibitions, film nights) held in the historic former gas reservoirs, complemented by digital products including the GK Podcast on SoundCloud, GK Playlist on Spotify, an extensive Poster Archive (Plakat-Archiv) documenting event visuals from 2017-2026, and a Hall of Fame featuring past performers. Operational services include bar/gastronomy, event technology, production management, and artist booking. The digital and physical offerings work together to serve the youth cultural community in Bern.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Event Programming (Programm)

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Arena Wien: Music and cultural venue complex in Vienna hosting concerts, club nights, and events across multiple stages. Comparable as a Central European cultural venue combining live music programming with nightlife/bar operations.
• SO36: Iconic alternative cultural venue in Berlin-Kreuzberg hosting concerts, parties, and cultural events with a punk/diy ethos. Comparable as a long-running alternative venue combining live programming with bar operations and community engagement.
• Rote Fabrik: Alternative cultural center in Zürich operating as a Verein with concerts, theater, and bar operations in a historic industrial venue. Directly comparable as a Swiss alternative cultural center with mixed cultural programming and community-driven ethos.
• Kaserne Basel: Cultural venue in Basel hosting concerts, theater, and club events with associated bar/F&B operations. Comparable as a Swiss regional cultural venue offering multi-format programming in an industrial/converted setting.
• WUK: Cultural center in Vienna organized as a Verein hosting concerts, theater, exhibitions, and workshops in a converted factory building. Comparable as an Austrian alternative cultural center offering multi-format programming with community/association governance.
• Festsaal Kreuzberg: Event venue in Berlin-Kreuzberg hosting concerts, parties, and cultural events with associated bar service. Comparable as an alternative cultural and event venue serving a similar youth-oriented audience with mixed-format programming.
• Muffatwerk: Cultural center in Munich operating in a former power station, hosting concerts, club nights, and cultural events. Comparable as a European cultural venue in a repurposed industrial building with mixed programming and bar/F&B operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gaskessel.bern
• Instagraminstagram.com/gaskesselbern
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jugend--und-kulturzentrum-gaskessel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Jugend- und Kulturzentrum Gaskessel