What Krakatoa does

Krakatoa is a Scène de Musiques Actuelles (SMAC) — a publicly-oriented contemporary music venue located in Mérignac, in the Bordeaux metropolitan area of France. The venue is operated by Transrock, a non-profit association governed under French law (loi 1901), and was founded in 1993, with the current legal entity and operational footprint having run for approximately 33 years. The venue serves two principal customer groups: live-music audiences attending concerts and events, and emerging local artists receiving professional development support.

The venue runs two physical performance spaces — the Grande Salle (main concert hall) and, from the September 2026 reopening, a new Club venue for smaller-format shows. Core product offerings include live concert ticketing (via a dedicated billetterie.krakatoa.org platform), an annual subscription (L'Abonnement at 19€/year), food and beverage services during events, sponsorship/partnership arrangements, and venue rental for private events. The standout asset is La Pépinière, a two-year artist accompaniment program that has supported nearly 180 artists over 33 years, including acts such as Odezenne, J.C. Satàn, and Les Hurlements de Léo. The venue also operates Le Fil Sonore, an in-house audiovisual/video production service providing recording, editing, and equipment lending to accompanied artists. Technology stack is third-party ticketing plus in-house audiovisual production capabilities (cameras, lenses, stabilizers, post-production); no proprietary software platforms or AI components are disclosed.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across transactional streams: ticket sales with tiered pricing (children under 12 at a fixed 5€; 3€ door premium; subscriber discounts), recurring subscription revenue (19€/year), on-site F&B margin, and institutional sponsorship. The venue is currently mid-renovation with a reopening scheduled for September 10, 2026, and is publicly marketing a forward concert program through 2027 (Mezerg, Ibeyi, Fakear, Izïa, Born Bad Records 20-ans, Mac DeMarco, Carpenter Brut, etc.). Funding appears to be a mix of earned revenue plus municipal support from Ville de Mérignac, with no venture or private equity ownership indicated.

Name

Krakatoa

Legal name

Transrock (Association de type loi 1901 à but non lucratif)

Website

https://krakatoa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Krakatoa is a non-profit contemporary music venue (SMAC) in Mérignac near Bordeaux, France, operating two concert halls and running La Pépinière, a 33-year artist development program that has supported nearly 180 emerging local artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Venues & Venue Operators (Clubs, Theaters, Arenas) (MPAIAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL), Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB), Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)

Keywords

• Live music venue
• Concert programming
• Artist accompaniment
• Music venue rental
• Concert ticketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Mérignac

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue from concert and event tickets. Offers various pricing tiers including standard, reduced rates for subscribers (5 euro reduction on Krakatoa-produced shows), children under 12 (fixed 5 euro price), and door sales (3 euro premium).
2. Annual Subscription/Membership: Annual subscription at 19 euros providing 5 euro discount on all Krakatoa-produced shows, access to free concerts, free wardrobe access on concert nights, room visits, 5% reduction at foodtruck, and additional partner benefits.
3. Food and Beverage: On-site foodtruck and bar services during events. Subscribers receive 5% reduction at the foodtruck.
4. Sponsorships and Partnerships: Partnership arrangements with sponsors, mecènes, and institutional partners. Various partnership tiers available for becoming a partner or mecène.
5. Venue Rental and Private Events: The venue can accommodate private event requests and organizational visits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Krakatoa is a non-profit contemporary music venue (Scène de Musiques Actuelles) in Mérignac, France, operating the Grande Salle and Club performance spaces to host eclectic live music concerts across electro, pop, soul, rock, indie, and alternative genres. The venue sells tickets, an annual subscription membership, food and beverage, and runs La Pépinière, a 33-year artist accompaniment program supporting local musicians with residencies, rehearsals, video production (Fil Sonore), promotion, and professional development.

Product overview

Krakatoa is a Scène de Musiques Actuelles (contemporary music venue) operated by the non-profit association Transrock in Mérignac, France. The venue operates two main performance spaces: the Grande Salle (main hall) and the Club. Core services include La Pépinière (artist development program), ticketing services, and an annual subscription (L'Abonnement). The venue underwent major renovations with reopening scheduled for September 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Pépinière: Artist accompaniment program supporting local musicians with residency, rehearsals, promotion, and professional development over two-year periods
• Le Fil Sonore

Products and services

• La Pépinière (Artist Accompaniment Program) A two-year artistic accompaniment program that selects 10 emerging local artists annually, providing creation assistance (residencies, rehearsals), promotion (communication, distribution), and professionalization (individualized follow-up, workshops).
• L'Abonnement du Krakatoa (Annual Subscription) An annual subscription service priced at 19 euros per year, providing a 5 euro discount on Krakatoa-produced concerts, access to free concerts, free cloakroom access, venue tours, and partner discounts at Rocher de Palmer, Manufacture CDCN, and tnba.
• Concert Ticketing (Billetterie) Online and on-site ticketing service for concerts and events, with reduced rates for children under 12 (5 euros fixed), partnerships with Pass Culture, Carte Jeune, and Culture du Cœur, and a secure ticket exchange via Reelax Tickets.
• Grande Salle Concert Venue The main concert hall with standing room layout at all levels (parterre and balcony), featuring a platform for wheelchair users and PMR-accessible seating for hosting headliner concerts and larger events.
• Club Concert Venue A new secondary venue space within the renovated building, opened in September 2026, hosting smaller-format concerts and events as part of the venue's diversified programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 180 artists supported over 33 years through the Pépinière program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Pass CultureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural partnership program allowing reduced ticket prices for eligible participants through the French national Pass Culture initiative.
• Carte JeuneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership program offering reduced ticket prices for young card holders.
• Culture du CœurminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership program providing reduced ticket prices for audiences through the Culture du Cœur initiative.
• Léon à VélominorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal cycling partner in Mérignac offering 5 euro reduction on membership for subscribers, promoting sustainable transportation to the venue.
• Pierre Wetzel (Maison Spectre)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial photographer offering free digitization of collodion shooting sessions at his studio for subscribers.
• Rocher de PalmerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural venue partner offering 'Infidèle' tariff benefits for subscribers, enabling cross-visits to other venues.
• Manufacture CDCNminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural partner offering 'Infidèle' tariff benefits for subscribers.
• tnba (Théâtre National de Bordeaux en Aquitaine)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural partner offering 'Infidèle' tariff benefits for subscribers.
• No[T]earsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBordeaux-based association collaborating on concert programming, specifically for the October 11 event with MAQUINA and GUU.
• Reelax TicketsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial and secure ticket exchange platform for reselling tickets for events.
• Mobibus (TBM)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMobility service partner recommended for accessibility transportation to the venue.
• Ville de MérignaccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Mérignac collaborating on event programming, particularly outdoor events and cultural initiatives in front of the construction site.
• Dune ConstructionscoreOthersConstruction company responsible for the renovation project, collaborating on events in front of the construction site.
• Compagnie ArchitecturecoreOthersArchitecture firm overseeing the renovation project, collaborating on events and site activities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Stereolux: Nantes-based SMAC operating two-stage format (Grande Salle and Club) with contemporary music programming and artist development programming. The two-room SmAC structure, mission-driven nonprofit status, and emerging-artist support logic closely mirror Krakatoa's rebuilt model.
• Le Fil: Saint-Étienne SMAC with main hall plus a smaller Club venue, programming contemporary music with strong emerging-artist focus. Comparable to Krakatoa as a French nonprofit SmAC operating a two-room format oriented toward emerging and mid-tier touring artists.
• Le Bikini: SMAC concert venue in Toulouse/Ramonville with a main hall and Club-style second room, focused on emerging and established French/international contemporary music acts. Comparable in nonprofit cultural-venue positioning, two-stage configuration, and Pépinière-adjacent emerging artist support work.
• Le Confort Moderne: Poitiers-based SMAC combining a concert venue with artist-in-residence and production studios, with eclectic contemporary music and emerging-talent development similar to Krakatoa's Pépinière accompaniment focus. The artist-development-first mission places it in the same niche as Krakatoa.
• L'Aéronef: Lille-area SMAC operating a large concert hall plus an adjacent Club venue with contemporary music (electro, rock, hip-hop) focus. It is widely treated as a sector benchmark for French SmACs and a strong operating analog for Krakatoa's post-renovation two-room model.
• Rocher de Palmer: Scène de Musiques Actuelles (SMAC) in Cenon, adjacent to the Bordeaux metro, operated as a non-profit. It is Krakatoa's closest direct peer - similar SmAC mission, comparable contemporary music programming, and explicitly cross-promoted via the 'Infidèle' subscription tariff, indicating operational mirroring and audience overlap in the Bordeaux market.
• Le Transbordeur: Mid-sized French SMAC/rock venue in Lyon (Villeurbanne) running a Grande Salle plus Club-style second room. Comparable in capacity tier, eclectic programming (rock, electro, hip-hop), nonprofit SmAC model, and Pépinière-style artist development logic that maps directly onto Krakatoa's post-renovation two-room operating model.

Broad incumbents

• La Cigale: Iconic historic Parisian concert hall (Montmartre) offering comparable concert-venue operations but with a much larger commercial scale, broader genre mix, and longer legacy brand. A useful reference for programming economics at a more established venue tier than Krakatoa's.
• L'Olympia: Historic Paris music hall operating as a much larger commercial concert venue. Comparable as a venue operator/host of live contemporary music programming, but at a far larger scale and more commercial ownership model, serving as the upper bound of what a successful French concert venue can become.

Regional players

• Le Noumatrouff: SmAC in Mulhouse (Alsace) running contemporary music programming plus a companion Club-sized venue. A regional French SmAC with a two-room model, useful as a regional operating analog with similar nonprofit venue economics to Krakatoa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LeKrakatoa
• Facebookfacebook.com/krakatoamerignac
• Instagraminstagram.com/krakatoamerignac
• TikToktiktok.com/@krakatoamerignac
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/krakatoa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Krakatoa