SOMA San Diego

What SOMA San Diego does

SOMA San Diego is an independently owned live music venue headquartered at 3350 Sports Arena Blvd in San Diego, California, founded in 1986 as an all-ages dance club and now in its third physical location after moves from downtown San Diego and Morena Blvd. The venue operates two distinct performance configurations within an over 20,000 sq ft footprint: a Mainstage with capacity for 2,300 (or 1,150 reduced) guests featuring a 42ft x 24ft x 4ft stage, a 15ft ceiling clearance, and an L-Acoustics Sound System with a 60-channel Allen and Heath Monitor console installed in September 2021; and a Sidestage with 500-person capacity on a 30ft x 15ft x 3ft stage with a built-in drum riser and a MIDAS M32 Digital Console. The venue's technology stack is grounded in professional audio production infrastructure rather than software or AI platforms, and the product surface is physical event space, professional sound reinforcement, and event production services.

The business model is transaction-fee based and centered on ticket sales for concerts and live music events, supplemented by on-site food and beverage (craft beer at all 21+ events, plus a soda bar), a Premium Viewing upsell (skip-the-line VIP boxes at Mainstage events), and venue rental for private, corporate, charity, filming, fashion, and tradeshow events with corporate/charity artist budgets starting at $50K. Tickets are distributed through the in-person Box Office, the TicketWeb online platform, and Live Nation presales for national touring acts, with additional presale channels via Spotify, Citi, Insomniac, and Knotfest/Blabbermouth. Customer segments are primarily concert-goers ages 13-40, with secondary segments of corporate/private event organizers and local/regional bands (the latter eligible to graduate to Mainstage opening slots). The company has hosted an extensive roster of notable artists including Eddie Vedder, Stone Temple Pilots, Radiohead, Green Day, Tool, No Doubt, Nine Inch Nails, Blink 182, and Billie Eilish, and the venue is privately held with no disclosed parent company, funding rounds, or institutional investors.

Name

SOMA San Diego

Legal name

SOMA San Diego

Website

https://somasandiego.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SOMA San Diego is an independently owned live music venue in San Diego, California, operating two stages (2,300-cap Mainstage and 500-cap Sidestage) across over 20,000 sq ft. It serves concert-goers ages 13-40, corporate/private event clients, and local bands via ticketed events, premium viewing, food and beverage, and venue rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAIAFAB

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

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Live Music & Touring (Promoters, Venues, Ticketing)

SECONDARYMPAIAFAL

Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Live Music & Touring (Promoters, Venues, Ticketing)

SECONDARYMPAIAFAK

VIP, Hospitality & Premium Experiences (Packages, Clubs, Suites)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Live Music & Touring (Promoters, Venues, Ticketing)

SECONDARYCRANACAH

Live Music Bars & Venues

Consumer Products & Retail/Tobacco, Alcohol & Cannabis Retail/On-Premise Alcohol Retail (Bars, Pubs & Taprooms)

SECONDARYBPAKACAA

Concerts & Live Music Venue Security

Business & Public Services/Security & Investigations Services/Event & Venue Security Services

Keywords

• Live music venue
• Concert hosting
• Event rentals
• Premium viewing
• Private event space

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue from ticket sales for concerts and events at Mainstage and Sidestage venues. Tickets sold through TicketWeb, Live Nation, and in-person box office.
2. Food & Beverage: Revenue from craft beer sales at all events (21+), soda bar in main lobby featuring soft drinks, water and snacks.
3. Premium Viewing: Premium viewing upgrade sales at Mainstage events only. Includes skip-the-line entry and exclusive elevated viewing areas.
4. Venue Rental & Private Events: Revenue from renting venue for concert rentals, community events, special events, filming rentals, fashion events, tradeshows, private parties, corporate and charity events. Artist budgets of $50K and up for corporate/charity bookings.
5. Gift Certificates: Gift certificates sold at venue starting at $30.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SOMA San Diego is an independently owned live music venue in San Diego operating two concert configurations: a Mainstage with 2,300/1,150 capacity and a Sidestage with 500 capacity. The venue sells tickets to concerts and live music events through its box office, TicketWeb, and Live Nation presales, and rents its space for private, corporate, charity, fashion, filming, and tradeshow events. Ancillary revenue comes from on-site craft beer and soda bar sales and Premium Viewing VIP upgrades at Mainstage events.

Product overview

SOMA San Diego is an independently owned music venue founded in 1986, currently located at 3350 Sports Arena Blvd in San Diego, California. The venue operates two distinct stage configurations: the Mainstage (2,300/1,150 capacity) and Sidestage (500 capacity), spanning over 20,000 square feet for up to 2,300 people. The venue offers premium viewing upgrades at Mainstage events, comprehensive food and beverage services, and extensive rental options for private and corporate events. The venue has hosted legendary artists including Eddie Vedder, Stone Temple Pilots, Radiohead, Green Day, Tool, and Billie Eilish. The venue underwent an extensive remodel in 2019 and features all-new L-Acoustics sound systems as of September 2021.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mainstage Concert Hall

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TicketWebcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTicketWeb is the primary online ticketing platform for SOMA San Diego events. Tickets can be purchased online through TicketWeb. The venue box office cannot accept phone or email orders and only sells tickets in person.
• Live NationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLive Nation presales are a key channel for ticket distribution for national touring acts performing at SOMA. Live Nation presales are typically available 1-2 days before public on-sale dates.
• SpotifyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpotify presales available for select events, allowing Spotify users early access to purchase tickets before public on-sale.
• CitiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCiti cardmember presales available for select events including 6LACK and UNDERØATH tours. Provides exclusive early access for Citi cardholders.
• Knotfest.com / BlabbermouthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresale partner for Saosin 20 Years of Self-Titled event.
• InsomniacminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsomniac presales available for select events like Restricted.
• PLUS1minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlayyyter has partnered with PLUS1 so that $1 from every ticket sold will go to local organizations in each tour city working to support the health, wellbeing, and empowerment of LGBTQI+ communities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AEG Presents: Larger venue and promoter operator running clubs, theaters, and arenas across California and nationwide. Competes for artist routing and corporate event bookings, but with materially broader scale than SOMA.
• House of Blues: Multi-location Live Nation-owned chain of mid-size music venues with restaurant/bar service. Competes for the same touring content and audiences but with chain-level scale, marketing, and corporate event capabilities.
• Live Nation: Global concert promoter and venue operator that controls SOMA's distribution partnership for major touring acts. Both a partner and competitive incumbent operating large venue portfolios that vie for the same artist routing.
• Hollywood Bowl: Iconic large-capacity (~17,500) outdoor amphitheater in Los Angeles operated by LA Phil. Targets many of the same headline touring artists but at a much higher price and capacity tier than SOMA.

Direct peers

• The Wiltern: Historic Los Angeles concert venue with ~1,850 capacity operated by Live Nation, hosting a comparable mix of national touring acts. Mirrors SOMA's Midtier club-theater positioning.
• The Observatory (Santa Ana): Southern California mid-size concert venue operated within a larger promoter-affiliated group, hosting national touring acts at similar capacity tiers to SOMA's Mainstage configuration.
• Belly Up Tavern: Independently owned live music venue in Solana Beach (San Diego metro) with comparable capacity (600 main room + 350 Side Stage) and similar genre mix of national touring and local acts. Closest geographic and operational peer to SOMA.
• 9:30 Club: Iconic independently owned mid-size concert venue in Washington, D.C. with comparable capacity (~1,200-2,300) and similar model of hosting established and emerging touring artists across genres.
• Music Box (San Diego): Independently owned San Diego concert venue with smaller capacity, hosting touring and local acts in similar genre mix. Direct local competitor for San Diego live music audiences.

Regional players

• The Irenic: Smaller San Diego-area live music venue operating under different ownership, competing for mid-tier and emerging touring acts in the same metro region as SOMA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soma-san-diego

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 SOMA San Diego