Klub Żak

What Klub Żak does

Klub Żak is a municipal cultural institution (samorzędowa instytucja kultury) located in Gdańsk, Poland, operating from a converted historical tram depot in the Wrzeszcz district since November 2001. The institution traces its origins to 1957 as Klub Studentów Wybrzeża Żak and was reorganized under the Gdańsk City Council in 1991. It operates as a multi-disciplinary arts venue housing four primary spaces: Kino Żak (art-house cinema), Sala Suwnicowa (concert and theater hall), Galeria Żak (visual arts gallery on the first floor), and Kawiarnia Żak (café with outdoor garden).

The institution's programming centers on flagship festivals including Festiwal Jazz Jantar (ranked Poland's best jazz festival by Jazz Forum readers in 2021 and 2024), the Gdański Festiwal Tańca (contemporary dance festival with an international Solo Dance Contest attracting 154–170+ applications from 40+ countries annually), PC Drama (over 130 contemporary drama readings since 2010, featuring works by Nobel laureate Jon Fosse and other internationally recognized playwrights), and Dyskusyjny Klub Filmowy Żak (one of Poland's oldest film discussion clubs, celebrating 70 years in 2026). The venue also runs the Nowe Horyzonty Edukacji Filmowej (NHEF) school film-education program, sensory-friendly screenings, and children's cinema programming. Notable infrastructure includes the ToTuPoint audio navigation system installed May 2026 for visually impaired visitors, funded under an EU-backed Universal Design of Culture grant (100,000 PLN from NCK; total EU program envelope 24,503,901 PLN).

Klub Żak generates revenue through a mix of direct-to-consumer ticket sales (via its own box office at ul. Braci Lewoniewskich and online store tickets.klubzak.com.pl), café food and beverage sales, venue rental, and public-sector funding. Ticket prices range from 9 PLN (discount categories, Ukrainian refugees) to 50–120 PLN (Jazz Jantar concerts), with cinema tickets at 14–20 PLN. Significant grant funding flows from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (393,948 PLN across multiple programs in 2025/2026), the National Center of Culture, the City of Gdańsk, and EU structural funds for accessibility. The institution draws approximately 100,000 visitors and hosts over 1,000 events annually, operating with a staff of 11 people. Distribution is direct: own box office, own e-commerce, and selected partner channels (Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre box office for festival events).

Name

Klub Żak

Legal name

Klub Żak

Website

https://klubzak.com.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Klub Żak is a municipal cultural institution in Gdańsk, Poland, operating a multi-venue arts complex (cinema, concert hall, gallery, café) that hosts jazz, contemporary dance, theater, and film-education programming for the Tricity public and visiting cultural tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts & Cultural Venue Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Arts and culture venue
• Jazz festival programming
• Contemporary dance festival
• Art-house cinema screenings
• Visual arts gallery

Headquarters

HQ city

Gdańsk

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket sales (admission to events): Revenue from sales of tickets to concerts, film screenings, theater performances, dance shows, and other events. Ticket categories include full-price, reduced (students, seniors), family discount, and special festival passes.
2. Café Żak food and beverage: Revenue from café operations serving lunches, snacks, beverages, cocktails, coffee, and tea. Café also serves as event space and generates rental/private event income.
3. Venue rental (wynajem): Spaces within Klub Żak, including the gallery, concert hall (Sala Suwnicowa), and café, are available for rental for private events, corporate functions, and performances.
4. Public cultural grants and subsidies: Funding from Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego), National Center for Culture (Narodowe Centrum Kultury), and City of Gdańsk (Gmina Miasta Gdańska). Specific grants include Jazz Jantar (173,948 zł), PC Drama (50,000 zł), 18th Gdańsk Dance Festival (120,000 zł), and cultural education grants (50,000 zł), plus Universal Design accessibility grant (100,000 zł).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Klub Żak is a municipal multi-venue cultural institution in Gdańsk operating a cinema (Kino Żak), concert/theater hall (Sala Suwnicowa), visual arts gallery (Galeria Żak), and café (Kawiarnia Żak). It programs and produces year-round cultural events including film screenings, jazz concerts, contemporary dance performances, theater readings, and visual arts exhibitions, anchored by flagship festivals Festiwal Jazz Jantar and Gdański Festiwal Tańca.

Product overview

Klub Żak is a multi-venue cultural institution offering a unified platform of cultural experiences across cinema, live music, theater, dance, and visual arts. The portfolio includes Kino Żak (cinema), Sala Suwnicowa (concert/theater hall), Galeria Żak (art gallery), and Kawiarnia Żak (café), supported by major festivals: Festiwal Jazz Jantar (jazz), Gdański Festiwal Tańca (contemporary dance), PC Drama (dramatic readings), and regular film programs including Dyskusyjny Klub Filmowy, Nowe Horyzonty Edukacji Filmowej, and themed national cinema reviews. Additional offerings include Solo Dance Contest, Dyskusyjny Klub Bajkowy, and sensory-friendly screenings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kino Żak Art-house cinema screening European, French, German, Spanish and repertory films, including themed series, discussion-led screenings (Dyskusjny Klub Filmowy), sensory-friendly screenings, and the children's animated film series Dyskusyjny Klub Bajkowy. Open to the general public in Gdańsk and the Tricity region.
• Sala Suwnicowa Multi-purpose concert and theater hall hosting jazz concerts, contemporary dance performances, theater readings, and festival events. Available for private and corporate rental.
• Galeria Żak Visual arts gallery on the first floor showcasing works by emerging and established artists, primarily from the Gdańsk region and the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk.
• Kawiarnia Żak

Quantifiable outcome

• Jazz Jantar ranked best jazz festival in Poland 2021 (Jazz Forum readers' poll; Poland has over 100 jazz festivals)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Teatr Wybrzeże (Gdańsk Drama Theater)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration with Gdańsk's principal drama theater, whose actors frequently appear in PC Drama readings at Klub Żak. Artists from Teatr Wybrzeże have participated in dozens of performative drama readings, including Krzysztof Matuszewski, Piotr Biedroń, Anna Kociarz, and Halina Rasiakówna.
• Nowe Horyzonty Edukacji Filmowej (NHEF) / Nowe HoryzontycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKlub Żak serves as a local partner venue for the nationwide New Horizons Film Education program, providing monthly curated film screenings for schools (kindergarten through secondary) aligned with Polish national curriculum, with accompanying teaching materials, post-screening discussions, and hybrid online/offline options.
• Gdański Teatr Szekspirowski (Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSelected Shakespeare Festival performances held at Klub Żak are ticketed through Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre's box office and online store (bilety.teatrszekspirowski.pl), extending festival reach to Klub Żak audiences.
• Akademia Sztuk Pięknych w Gdańsku (Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASP Gdańsk graduates and students regularly exhibit in Galeria Żak, which serves as a launchpad for emerging visual artists from the city's principal art academy. Numerous exhibitions feature ASP alumni including Justyna Rudzińska, Karol Lewalski, Julia Grzywacz, and Patrycja Podkościelny.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kino Muranów: Warsaw's flagship art-house cinema chain screening European independent film with themed festivals and repertory programming. Directly comparable to Kino Żak on independent/European cinema operations and audience development.
• Teatr Wybrzeże: Gdańsk's principal drama theater and a long-standing artistic partner of Klub Żak for PC Drama readings (actors including Krzysztof Matuszewski and Anna Kociarz have appeared dozens of times). Directly comparable as a regional drama/theater institution co-existing with Klub Żak in the Tricity cultural ecosystem.
• Gdański Teatr Szekspirowski: Gdańsk's Shakespeare Theatre, an active ticketing partner for Klub Żak (channel reseller for selected Shakespeare Festival performances). Comparable as a performing-arts venue in the same Tricity geography with overlapping festival programming.
• Nowe Horyzonty (New Horizons): Wrocław-based Polish art-house cinema and film festival operator that runs the NHEF education program in which Klub Żak is a regional school-partner venue. Directly comparable on art-cinema programming and education delivery.
• Kinoteka: Warsaw art-house cinema operated by the Polish Filmmakers Association, focused on European auteur film and themed retrospectives. Closely comparable to Kino Żak's European/art-house cinema programming model.
• Klub Stodoła: One of Warsaw's best-known live music clubs hosting concerts across rock, jazz, and world music for several decades. Directly comparable as a multi-genre Polish live-music club anchored on a venue identity built around year-round programming.

Broad incumbents

• Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej Zamek Ujazdowski: Warsaw's largest contemporary art center combining exhibition, film, and performance programming across multiple spaces. Broad incumbent comparable to Klub Żak's mix of gallery, cinema, and performance, though at much larger scale and broader remit.

Emerging players

• Cricoteka: Cracow-based center for the documentation of the art of Tadeusz Kantor, presenting contemporary dance, performance art, and theater in addition to its archive role. Comparable as a regional Polish venue focusing on contemporary dance and performance—overlapping with the Gdański Festiwal Tańca mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/klubzak
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/klub-%C5%BCak

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Klub Żak