The Rogue Folk Club

What The Rogue Folk Club does

The Rogue Folk Club is a Vancouver, British Columbia-based nonprofit organization that produces live folk, roots, Celtic, bluegrass, blues, gypsy jazz, and world music concerts and operates supporting media properties. Founded in 1985 by Artistic Director Steve Edge, the club runs its primary concert series at Mel Lehan Hall — a 200-seat, wood-paneled venue inside St. James Community Square in the Kitsilano neighborhood — which was recognized by CBC as one of Canada's "50 Magical Canadian Concert Venues." The organization operates with a paid staff of six, supplemented by a coordinated volunteer base, and is supported by annual members, donors, raffle participants, and concert-goers.

The club's core technology footprint consists of a weekly FM radio show ("The Edge on Folk" on CiTR FM 101.9, Saturdays 8am-noon, on-air since June 1, 1985), a 24/7 internet streaming station (Radio Rogue), a MailChimp newsletter infrastructure, and a website-based ticketing system. The club also publishes a bi-monthly PDF newsletter, "Rogue Folk Reviews," and maintains an archival library of concert posters, radio playlists dating to 2005, and CD reviews.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of one-time concert ticket sales, recurring annual memberships with tiered benefits, voluntary donations, semi-annual 5050 raffles (jackpots over $7,500), gift certificate sales, and merchandise/CD sales at concerts. Distribution is primarily regional and direct-to-consumer through the venue, online ticketing, and the annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival. Key partnerships include CiTR FM 101.9 (core radio partner), Hubcast Media (live streaming), the Vancouver Folk Music Festival (annual festival presence), Sing Out! Magazine (radio partner designation), and earned media recognition from CBC Music.

Name

The Rogue Folk Club

Legal name

Rogue Folk Club

Website

https://roguefolk.bc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Rogue Folk Club is a Vancouver, BC-based nonprofit that produces live folk, roots, and Celtic music concerts at Mel Lehan Hall, operates a weekly CiTR FM radio show and 24/7 internet stream, and serves a community of folk music enthusiasts, members, and donors in the Kitsilano neighborhood.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from concert tickets sold for live performances at Mel Lehan Hall. Tickets available through online system and at the door.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership program offering benefits including discounted concert tickets and special member-only access to events.
3. Donations: Voluntary contributions from supporters to sustain club operations and programming.
4. Raffle Revenue: Semi-annual 5050 raffles generating supplemental revenue. Spring raffle mentioned with jackpot over $7,500, with approximately half going to winner.
5. Gift Certificates: Sale of gift certificates for concerts and memberships as gift items.
6. CD/Album Sales: Sales of CD reviews and merchandise at concerts, featuring reviewed artists.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Rogue Folk Club is a nonprofit organization that presents live folk, roots, Celtic, bluegrass, blues, gypsy jazz, and world music concerts at Mel Lehan Hall in Vancouver's Kitsilano neighborhood. In addition to ticketed concerts, it operates the long-running weekly radio show The Edge on Folk on CiTR FM 101.9 and a 24/7 internet streaming service, Radio Rogue. Revenue is also generated through annual memberships, donations, semi-annual 5050 raffles, and gift certificates.

Product overview

The Rogue Folk Club is a live music venue and folk music advocacy organization offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services. The core offering consists of live concert events featuring folk, roots, Celtic, bluegrass, blues, gypsy jazz, world music, and singer-songwriters at venues including Mel Lehan Hall. Complementary digital products include Radio Rogue (24/7 internet streaming), The Edge on Folk weekly radio show on CiTR FM 101.9, and Rogue Folk Reviews publication. The organization also offers membership programs, fundraising raffles, and community resources including a concert calendar, performer links, and radio playlists archive spanning 2005-present.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Edge On Folk: Radio show hosted by Steve Edge on CiTR FM 101.9, Saturdays 8am-noon Pacific Time
• Radio Rogue
• Rogue Folk Reviews

Products and services

• Concert Events Live folk, roots, Celtic, bluegrass, blues, gypsy jazz, world music, and singer-songwriter concerts featuring local and touring musicians at Mel Lehan Hall in Vancouver's Kitsilano neighborhood. Open to individual ticket buyers.
• Radio Rogue 24/7 commercial-free internet streaming service featuring folk, roots, and world music with hundreds of songs periodically updated with concert previews and new releases. Free to listeners.
• The Edge on Folk Weekly four-hour radio show on CiTR FM 101.9 featuring folk, roots, and world music playlists, artist interviews, and concert previews, with podcast archives available online back to 2008. Free broadcast programming for general audiences.
• Rogue Folk Reviews Local news and views publication about folk, roots, and world music events in and around Vancouver, distributed as a bi-monthly PDF newsletter via the organization's website.
• Membership Program Annual subscription offering members benefits including access to member-exclusive concerts, discounts on tickets, and special deals with partner organizations.
• Spring 5050 Raffle Semi-annual 5050 raffle fundraiser offering cash prizes with jackpots typically over $7,500; half the proceeds support club operations. Open to the general public.
• Gift Certificates Gift certificates redeemable for concert tickets and memberships, marketed as gift items for supporters.

Quantifiable outcome

• 41 years of continuous radio programming since June 1, 1985
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CiTR FM 101.9coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRadio partner broadcasting 'The Edge on Folk' show Saturdays 8am-noon. Provides studio facilities and streaming audio platform. Podcasts available on CiTR website.
• Vancouver Folk Music FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual partnership where Rogue Folk Club has a tent in the Community Village at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival in Jericho Beach Park (July 17-19). Offers special deals on advance tickets for Rogue members.
• Sing Out! MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRadio partner designation by Sing Out! Magazine, a prominent folk music publication. Show listed as 'Sing Out! Radio Partner'.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Ark: Ann Arbor, Michigan nonprofit folk music club presenting live concerts in an intimate venue. Directly comparable mission, nonprofit structure, membership program, and folk/roots programming model.
• The Birchmere: Alexandria, Virginia live music venue presenting folk, roots, Americana, and bluegrass acts. Comparable intimate listening-room concert model with similar genre span.
• Celtic Connections: Glasgow-based annual folk, roots, and world music festival with year-round programming. Comparable folk/roots/Celtic genre focus and presenting organization model.
• Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse: Berkeley, California nonprofit folk and roots music venue presenting live concerts with a membership-supported model. Comparable intimate venue, folk programming focus, and community-driven nonprofit structure.
• Hugh's Room Live: Toronto-based live music venue focused on roots, folk, blues, and country. Closest Canadian geographic peer with similar intimate venue model and folk/roots programming.
• Old Town School of Folk Music: Chicago-based nonprofit folk music organization combining live concerts, classes, and community programming. Comparable mission, nonprofit structure, and multi-channel folk music delivery (classes + concerts + radio).
• The Iron Horse: Northampton, Massachusetts intimate live music venue with strong folk, roots, and acoustic programming. Comparable small-capacity presenting model with similar genre focus and ticketed concert format.

Emerging players

• Vancouver Folk Music Festival: Annual Vancouver folk music festival at Jericho Beach Park where Rogue has an annual Community Village tent. Comparable genre focus and Vancouver market, but operates as a festival rather than year-round venue; partnership and audience overlap.

Regional players

• Bluebird Theatre: Intimate Bloomington, Indiana listening room presenting singer-songwriters and folk-adjacent acts. Similar small-capacity presenting model with comparable artist-development focus, though US Midwest rather than Canadian market.

Broad incumbents

• Sage Gateshead: UK music venue presenting folk, world, jazz, and contemporary music with strong folk programming. Comparable mission as a music presenting organization with broader genre portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RogueFolk
• Facebookfacebook.com/RogueFolkClub
• Instagraminstagram.com/roguefolkclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-rogue-folk-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 The Rogue Folk Club