Market Hall Performing Arts Centre

What Market Hall Performing Arts Centre does

Market Hall Performing Arts Centre is a registered Canadian non-profit operating a 350-seat, fully accessible performing arts venue in a heritage building (opened 1890, converted to a theatre in 1984) located beneath an iconic clock tower in downtown Peterborough, Ontario. The venue hosts live music, theatre, dance, film screenings, conferences, lectures, corporate events, and community fundraisers, and is equipped with professional-grade production infrastructure including an ETC Ion 1000 lighting console, a D&B audiotechnik line array sound system, a Digico SD9 audio console, and Panasonic 4K projection. Its customer base spans individual patrons, presenting organizations (e.g., Peterborough Folk Festival, Shipyard Kitchen Party, Rocklands Entertainment), performing artists (Steven Page, Sarah Harmer, Serena Ryder, Joel Plaskett, Basia Bulat, among others), corporate/private event renters, and non-profit community groups.

The organization generates revenue through five primary streams: ticket sales and service fees processed via the TIXR ticketing platform (online, phone, and in-person box office); venue rentals at tiered 6-12 hour and weekly block pricing differentiated for commercial ($1,230-$4,599+HST) versus registered non-profit ($1,010-$3,950+HST) clients, plus lobby-only rentals at $105-$125/hour; lobby bar and concession sales with a 15% gratuity add-on; charitable donations processed through CanadaHelps alongside a tiered membership program offering early ticket access; and 50/50 raffle draws operated through Rafflebox. Add-on production services (lighting design, stage management, audio recording, videography, print services) extend monetization beyond pure space rental. Distribution combines a direct-to-consumer website/events calendar, social media (Facebook, Instagram), email newsletter, and a direct sales channel for B2B rental inquiries, with ticketing fulfilled by TIXR as the core platform integration. The venue is governed by a volunteer board (Chair Michael Hurcomb, Past Chair Joe Grant, Treasurer Ian MacPherson, Secretary Jennifer Cavanagh, and additional directors) and managed by CEO Chad Hogan alongside department heads for technical/production, box office/finance, and front-of-house operations.

Name

Market Hall Performing Arts Centre

Legal name

Market Hall Performing Arts Centre

Website

https://markethall.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Market Hall Performing Arts Centre is a registered Canadian non-profit operating a 350-seat heritage performing arts venue in downtown Peterborough, Ontario, hosting live music, theatre, dance, and community events through ticket sales, venue rentals, and donor support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC), Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL), Multipurpose Event Center Operations (Civic Centers, Community Event Complexes) (MPAGALAE)

Keywords

• Performing arts venue
• Live entertainment events
• Theatre venue rental
• Event ticketing services
• Community arts centre

Headquarters

HQ city

Peterborough

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Ticket sales for performances and events through TIXR platform. Revenue generated from service fees on ticket transactions. Box office handles in-person and phone sales.
2. Venue Rentals: Rental income from commercial and non-profit organizations renting the venue for live music, theatre, dance, film screenings, conferences, lectures, and private/corporate events. Pricing varies by rental block duration (6-12 hours or weekly) and client type (commercial vs non-profit).
3. Concessions and Bar Services: Lobby bar serves beverages before performances and during intermission. Revenue from alcohol sales with 15% charge bar gratuities.
4. Donations and Memberships: Registered charity accepting donations through CanadaHelps platform. Offers membership programs with benefits including early access to shows. Gift certificates available for purchase.
5. 50/50 Draws and Fundraisers: Operates 50/50 raffle draws and accepts fundraiser events from organizations like Camp Kerry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Market Hall Performing Arts Centre operates a 350-seat heritage venue in downtown Peterborough, Ontario, presenting live performing arts programming including music, comedy, theatre, dance, and film festivals. The Centre sells tickets to the general public through the TIXR platform and rents the fully equipped venue and lobby bar to commercial clients, non-profit organizations, and private event hosts. Ancillary offerings include gift certificates, a membership program, bar and concession service, technical production services, and 50/50 raffle draws.

Product overview

Market Hall Performing Arts Centre operates as a single-venue performing arts center offering venue rental for events, ticket sales, and supplementary services. The core offering is the 350-seat heritage theatre venue, complemented by ticketing services via TIXR, gift certificates, membership programs, 50-50 raffle draws via Rafflebox, and bar/concession services. Technical production services including lighting, sound, video, and staging are available as part of venue rentals or as add-on services for external productions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Venue Rental (Commercial)

Named customers16 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

Integration4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TIXRcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party ticketing platform used for all online ticket sales. Processes payments and issues digital tickets or will-call tickets. Privacy policy indicates payment data is stored by TIXR.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Massey Hall (Allied Music Centre): Toronto heritage concert hall operated by a charitable foundation; comparable as a heritage venue presenting touring Canadian and international artists, but at substantially greater scale and capacity.
• TO Live: City of Toronto-owned operator of multiple performance venues (Meridian Hall, St. Lawrence Centre, Sony Centre); comparable as a municipal/community PAC operator but with multi-venue scale and broader programming.
• National Arts Centre: Canada's largest performing arts presenting organization (Ottawa), with broader programming, larger halls, and a national mandate; overlaps with Market Hall in touring artist bookings and ticketed programming but operates at far greater scale.

Direct peers

• Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts: Queen's University-affiliated performing arts venue in Kingston, Ontario with comparable capacity (~560 seats) and a music/theatre programming focus targeting a mid-sized Ontario city audience.
• Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts: Heritage 1,100-seat performing arts venue in Brantford, Ontario; comparable as a community-owned PAC hosting touring concerts, rentals, and community programming in a mid-sized Ontario city.
• FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre: Four-venue performing arts centre in St. Catharines, Ontario offering similar programming (music, theatre, rentals, community events) at a comparable mid-sized Ontario city scale.
• The Grand Theatre: Heritage downtown Kingston theatre presenting professional music, comedy and theatre in a comparable mid-sized Ontario market with a similar community-anchor positioning.
• Regent Theatre: Heritage restored theatre in downtown Oshawa, Ontario hosting concerts, rentals, and community events at a comparable capacity and mid-sized-market scale.
• Showplace Performance Centre: Downtown Peterborough performing arts venue operating in the same ~300-seat range and competing for the same rental clients, presenting partners, and ticket-buying audiences in the Peterborough market.
• River Run Centre: Guelph, Ontario performing arts venue operated by the City, hosting concerts, theatre, and rentals with a similar mid-sized-market, community-mandate business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MarketHallPerformingArtsCentre
• Instagraminstagram.com/market_hall_pac
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/market-hall-performing-arts-centre

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Market Hall Performing Arts Centre