What Le Forum does

Le Forum is a public concert venue and cultural center located in Vauréal, Val-d'Oise, in the Île-de-France region of France. Founded in 1994, it has been governed since 2018 as an EPIC (Établissement Public à caractère Industriel et Commercial) under the Communauté d'Agglomération de Cergy-Pontoise, with structural public funding from the French Ministry of Culture, the Région Île-de-France, the Département du Val-d'Oise, SACEM, and the Centre National de la Musique (CNM). The venue reopened in June 2023 as a newly built facility comprising a main hall (Grande Salle, 800+ capacity), a secondary performance space (Le Club, up to 150), a bar (La Bamboche, 200-300 capacity), three recording/rehearsal studios, and private VIP loges — a near-doubling of capacity from the previous 420-person venue.

The core offering is live music programming across rock, metal, rap, reggae, chanson, world music, pop, punk, jazz, blues, and electronic genres, complemented by artist residencies, studio rentals, and a structured cultural action program (Actions Culturelles) delivered in schools, social centers, and healthcare institutions across the Cergy-Pontoise basin. The venue sells tickets through its own platform (lowest price), third-party distributors (Fnac, Seetickets, Ticketmaster), and the national Pass Culture platform, with tiered pricing including full, advance, reduced, under-18, and Pass Campus rates. Ancillary revenue streams include Carte FOFO loyalty memberships (€10-€25/year), bar and catering, studio rental, and private corporate event hire. Artist development is supported through the KICK program and Ladies On Stage gender-focused programming.

The business model is hybrid: commercial revenue from ticket sales, bar/catering, studio rental, and corporate hire is supplemented by multi-level public subsidies, which are the structural backbone of operations. The go-to-market is event-driven, leveraging an own digital presence (website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, WhatsApp, newsletter) plus third-party ticketing and press/media partnerships. The venue has hosted 800+ artists over its history and currently programs roughly 60 on-site and 40 off-site events per year, supported by a 27-person team and a long-tenured volunteer network.

Name

Le Forum

Legal name

LE FORUM - EPIC SMAACP

Website

https://leforum.cergypontoise.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Le Forum is a public concert venue and cultural center in Vauréal, France, operating as an EPIC under the Cergy-Pontoise agglomeration. It programs 800+ capacity live concerts, artist residencies, studio rentals, and community cultural actions, serving regional audiences, schools, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Venue & Cultural Center

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL), VIP Hospitality & Client Entertainment (Boxes, Suites, Hosted Experiences) (MPAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Live music venue
• Concert hall
• Cultural center
• Artist residencies
• Recording studios

Headquarters

HQ city

Vauréal

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Concert ticket sales: Tickets sold for concerts and live events via the Forum's own online ticketing platform, with pricing tiers including plein (full), prévente (advance), and réduit (reduced), plus special rates for under-18s, Pass Campus holders, and Carte FOFO holders. Third-party distributors (Fnac, Seetickets, Ticketmaster) also sell tickets with additional service fees charged by those platforms.
2. Studio rental (Three Studios): Three studios available for rental by artists and musicians for rehearsal, creation, recording, mixing, and podcast production. Contact via Bill (studios manager) at 0134419320 or by email.
3. Bar and catering services: La Bamboche bar (capacity 200-300) serves beverages and food during events. Food trucks are invited on most evenings to provide catering before and during concerts. Jimmy Quinette is responsible for bar & catering operations.
4. Venue and space rental: The venue can be hired by associations, collectives, student unions (BDE), and enterprises for events, team-building, and private gatherings. Private loges (hospitality suites) are also available for private hire for companies and groups.
5. Carte FOFO membership cards: Annual loyalty cards sold in three tiers (FOFO SOLO €15, FOFO POTO €25, FOFO P'TIT TARO €10) offering €5 discount on advance ticket prices and other advantages, valid for one year from purchase date.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Le Forum operates a public concert venue and cultural center offering live music programming across all genres in its 800+ capacity Grande Salle and a smaller 150-capacity Club venue. Beyond concerts, it rents three professional recording/rehearsal studios, hosts artist residencies for tour preparation, runs cultural outreach programs in schools and social settings, and offers private loges and venue hire for corporate events. The venue also operates La Bamboche bar and food-truck catering during events and sells an annual Carte FOFO loyalty membership.

Product overview

Le Forum is a concert venue and cultural center located in Vauréal, Val-d'Oise, France, operating as an EPIC (Établissement Public à caractère Industriel et Commercial) under the Community of Cergy-Pontoise. The venue's core offering is its physical concert spaces — the Grande Salle (800+ capacity main hall) and Le Club (up to 150 standing) — complemented by La Bamboche bar and three recording studios available for rental. Le Forum sells tickets for its own programming and a wide range of artist performances. Beyond live music, the venue offers artist residencies for touring preparation, cultural outreach programs (Actions Culturelles) in schools and social settings, and artist development through its KICK and Ladies On Stage programs. Additional services include private VIP loges for corporate and private hire, and the Carte FOFO membership card offering discounted tickets. The venue also coordinates off-site events ('hors les murs') across the Cergy-Pontoise conurbation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Concert Programming & Ticket Sales Live music concerts across rock, metal, rap, reggae, chanson, world music, pop, punk, jazz, blues, and electronic genres, presented to general audiences in the Grande Salle and Club venues. Tickets are sold directly through the venue's website with tiered pricing (full, advance, reduced) and also distributed via Fnac, Seetickets, Ticketmaster, and the Pass Culture platform.
• Grande Salle Venue The main concert hall with capacity for 800+ attendees (600 standing pit, 162 seated, 38 standing balconies), used for hosting major national and international touring artists and available for artist residencies to prepare tours.
• Le Club Venue

Named customers27 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Communauté d'Agglomération de Cergy-Pontoise (CACP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018CACP is the governing authority of Le Forum, which became a community facility (Établissement Public à caractère Industriel et Commercial, EPIC) in 2018. CACP oversees the Forum's operations, funding, and strategic direction as part of its public cultural infrastructure.
• Ministère de la CulturecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFrench Ministry of Culture is a key institutional funder and supporter of the Forum as a public cultural venue. Listed as a partner on the Forum's website alongside other institutional backers.
• Région Île-de-FrancecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerÎle-de-France regional council provides institutional funding and support for the Forum as a cultural venue. Listed as a partner alongside the Ministry of Culture and CACP.
• Département du Val d'OisecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVal-d'Oise departmental council is an institutional partner and funder of the Forum, supporting the venue's cultural programming and operations.
• Centre National de la Musique (CNM)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCNM is France's national music center, providing institutional recognition and support for the Forum as a dedicated music venue. Listed as a partner on the Forum's website.
• SACEMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSACEM supports the Forum's cultural action programs, notably the Fabrique à Chanson and Fabrique Rap projects, providing funding and artistic direction for music education initiatives in schools.
• Radio RGB 99.2minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional radio station partner covering Cergy-Pontoise, listed on the Forum's partners page. Provides media coverage and promotion for Forum events and artists.
• Combo 95minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal cultural network in Val-d'Oise that the Forum collaborates with as part of its community integration and territorial outreach efforts.
• La RucheminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation that partners with the Forum to produce Scène Ouverte (open stage) events, supporting emerging artists and community cultural engagement.
• Art OsonsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal cultural association collaborating with the Forum on artistic projects and cultural initiatives within the Cergy-Pontoise territory.
• A qui le Tour 95minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation that ran a hip-hop cultural project 'Terre de hip-hop: Terrain de jeux' at the Forum in partnership with Jazz au Fil de l'Oise festival and Baroque festival. Produces AIRs 2 Cours show blending baroque music with hip-hop dance.
• Festival PassworldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual festival that the Forum collaborates with as part of its broader cultural programming and cross-festival audience development.
• Jazz au Fil de l'OiseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJazz festival partnering with the Forum on the 'Terre de hip-hop: Terrain de jeux' project, combining baroque music with hip-hop culture, involving the Forum, Festival Baroque de Pontoise, and A qui le Tour.
• MAVO (Maison d'Arrêt d'Osny)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner of the Forum — the prison in Osny has collaborated with the venue on cultural projects over many years.
• Ferme du ChâteauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing cultural partner of the Forum. The venue 'De la Ferme du Château à l'Afrique de l'Ouest' event showcases their ongoing collaboration on cross-cultural programming.
• Le DouzeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLe Douze (cultural venue in Cergy) co-produces events with the Forum, including Gnawa Diffusion concert and Bertrand Belin performance. Represents venue-to-venue programming collaboration.
• Points CommunsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural venue co-producing events with the Forum, including Bate Fado at Théâtre des Louvrais, Pontoise. Venue-to-venue partnership for expanded programming reach.
• Adone ProductionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConcert promoter that works in agreement with the Forum to co-produce certain concerts, such as Les Fatals Picards shows. Brings external programming and production expertise.
• Base ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConcert production company that co-created Badfest with the Forum and Bad Situation. Signed Venue artist Vestige. Major festival co-production partner.
• Bad SituationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRock/metal duo (Aziz Bentot and Lucas Pelletier) who co-created Badfest with the Forum and Base Productions. A flagship emerging artist relationship that has been elevated into a festival partnership.
• Bad Situation / Opéra LibreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic production entity behind Bad Situation, signed with Base Productions, which is a key production partner for Badfest and other Forum events.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• La Coopérative de Mai: Publicly-funded concert venue in Clermont-Ferrand operating a main hall (~2,000 capacity) plus smaller venues, studios, and cultural action programs. Highly comparable mission as a community-rooted music venue with diversified revenue streams (tickets, studios, bar) and strong institutional backing.
• Le Grand Mix: Tourcoing-based concert venue with ~1,200 capacity and a long history of presenting emerging and established artists. Comparable in scale and mission as a regional concert venue with strong artist development focus in northern France.
• L'Aéronef: Concert venue in Lille with main hall (~1,500 capacity) and Club, focused on contemporary music across genres. Comparable in offering a mid-sized hall plus smaller discovery space, multi-genre programming, and regional rather than central-Paris positioning.
• Le Rocher de Palmer: Public cultural venue in Cenon (near Bordeaux) with two performance halls, studios, and outreach programming. Directly comparable as a publicly-supported multi-space venue combining concert programming, artist residencies, and cultural action in a non-central metropolitan area.
• La Maroquinerie: Paris concert venue in the 20th arrondissement with two performance spaces (main hall and smaller club). Comparable as a multi-space community-rooted venue focused on emerging and mid-tier artists, though located within Paris rather than the suburbs.

Broad incumbents

• L'Olympia: Legendary Paris music hall (~2,000 capacity) hosting top-tier French and international artists. Comparable as a French concert hall but operates at much higher prestige and ticket-price tier in central Paris.
• Le Bataclan: Iconic Paris concert venue (~1,500 capacity) hosting major national and international artists across all genres. Comparable as a mid-capacity French concert hall but located centrally in Paris with stronger historical draw and broader programming portfolio.
• La Cigale: Historic Paris concert venue (~1,400 capacity) on Montmartre, presenting established and emerging artists. Comparable tier of mid-capacity French concert venue with stronger historic brand and central Paris location.
• Le Zénith de Paris: Large-capacity (~6,000) concert arena in Paris operated by Vivendi. Comparable as a French concert venue but at materially larger scale, focused on top-tier touring acts, and run by a major commercial operator rather than a public entity.

Regional players

• Le Douze: Cergy-based cultural venue that co-produces events with Le Forum (e.g., Gnawa Diffusion, Bertrand Belin). Comparable as a local cultural venue in the same Cergy-Pontoise geography, operating at smaller scale and representing both a peer and an active programming partner.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCezkpSmuEufsnFAM0IIxfOQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/leforum.cergypontoise
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/le-forum-cergy-pontoise
• Instagraminstagram.com/leforum.cergypontoise

Compliance1 record

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 Le Forum