Howard Theatre
Howard Theatre is a historic live entertainment venue in Washington DC's Shaw neighborhood, operated by Union Stage Presents, hosting concerts, comedy, private events, and cultural programming for general audiences across the DC metro area.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Howard Theatre does
Howard Theatre is a historic live music and entertainment venue located at 620 T Street NW in Washington DC's Shaw neighborhood, with roots extending back over a century and a documented history of hosting notable acts including Kendrick Lamar (2012), The Roots, Bad Brains, Kacey Musgraves, Miguel, and Action Bronson. The venue operates under the Union Stage Presents portfolio, which also runs at least six other DC-area venues including Union Stage, Jammin Java, Pearl Street Warehouse, Miracle Theatre, Capital Turnaround, and Nationals Park. Howard Theatre runs a calendar spanning concerts, comedy shows, dance/fitness classes, tribute shows, private events, and fan meetings, programming across genres such as hip-hop, R&B, EDM, Latin, and alternative.
The venue's core products are event hosting, ticketing, private event rental, and on-site food and beverage service. Tickets are sold through the venue's own website and via third-party platforms including TicketWeb, Universe, and FeverUp. Private event rentals target corporate and individual bookers seeking a distinctive venue space, while on-site F&B provides ancillary per-patron revenue during performances. The venue does not operate a mobile app and has no disclosed proprietary technology platform; demand generation is largely outsourced to recurring third-party promoters such as Goldcoast Entertainment, Bingo Loco, FEVER, and Loud and Live who book acts into the venue.
The business model is event-driven with three primary revenue streams: ticket sales (transaction fee), private events (transaction fee), and food and beverage (analogous to point-of-sale hardware sales). Pricing is per-event and varies materially, with some events offered free of charge (e.g., Freestyle DansFit, certain tribute shows) while headline concerts command paid ticketing through third-party platforms. The marketing mix is primarily direct digital (website, email newsletter) plus third-party ticketing aggregator exposure, and the customer base is predominantly individual concert-goers in the Washington DC metro area with a secondary segment of private event bookers.
Howard Theatre firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Howard Theatre
- Legal name
- Union Stage Presents
- Website
- https://thehowardtheatre.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Howard Theatre is a historic live entertainment venue in Washington DC's Shaw neighborhood, operated by Union Stage Presents, hosting concerts, comedy, private events, and cultural programming for general audiences across the DC metro area.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Howard Theatre industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Entertainment Venue Services
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM), Venue Food, Beverage & Hospitality Operations (Concessions, Catering, Premium Seating) (MPAGALAN), VIP Hospitality & Client Entertainment (Boxes, Suites, Hosted Experiences) (MPAGAHAG)
Keywords
Where Howard Theatre is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Howard Theatre business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from ticket sales for concerts, comedy shows, private events, and other performances. Tickets are sold through the venue's own website and third-party platforms including TicketWeb, Universe, and FeverUp.
- Private Events: Revenue from hosting private events including corporate events, parties, and special occasion rentals.
- Food and Beverage: Revenue from food and beverage sales during events, with a bar and drinks menu available to patrons.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free events |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Howard Theatre product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Howard Theatre operates a historic live entertainment venue in Washington, DC, hosting concerts, comedy shows, dance performances, tribute shows, and cultural events programmed through third-party promoters. Tickets are sold directly via the venue website and through third-party ticketing platforms (TicketWeb, Universe, FeverUp). The venue also rents its space for private events including corporate functions and parties, and provides on-site food and beverage service during events.
Product overview
Howard Theatre is a live music venue operated by Union Stage Presents, offering event hosting services for concerts, comedy shows, and special events. The venue operates through ticketing services (via TicketWeb, Universe, and Fever platforms), provides private event rental options, and offers food and beverage service. The venue is part of a multi-venue entertainment network including Union Stage, Jammin Java, Pearl Street Warehouse, Miracle Theatre, and Capital Turnaround.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Venue Event Hosting Live music performances, concerts, comedy shows, tribute shows, dance/fitness classes, and cultural events hosted at the Howard Theatre venue in Washington, DC. Programming is delivered in partnership with third-party promoters such as Goldcoast Entertainment, Bingo Loco, FEVER, and Loud and Live. Open to the general public with all-ages and 18+ events.
- Private Event Rental Rental of the Howard Theatre venue space for private functions including corporate events, parties, and special celebrations. Customers book the venue directly for private use distinct from public ticketed programming.
- Food and Beverage Service On-site food and beverage service available to patrons during events at the Howard Theatre, including a bar and drinks menu.
Companies that use Howard Theatre
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Howard Theatre technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Howard Theatre partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Howard Theatre competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Songbyrd Music House: DC live music venue combining café/bar with concerts, comparable to Howard's concert-plus-F&B positioning. Competes for emerging and mid-tier artists in the DC market.
- Black Cat: Long-running DC indie/alternative live music venue with similar capacity and genre emphasis. Direct competitor for alternative, punk, and indie touring acts in the DC market.
- 9:30 Club: Iconic Washington DC live music venue operating a comparable ~1,200-capacity general-admission concert model, hosting touring and emerging artists across genres. Most direct competitor to Howard Theatre in the mid-size DC live music tier.
- Lincoln Theatre: Historic DC live music and comedy venue on U Street with comparable capacity and programming mix. Direct competitor for similar artists and audiences, and like Howard, leverages historic venue character for premium positioning.
- Pearl Street Warehouse: DC live music and event venue also operated by Union Stage Presents. Direct sibling venue with shared operator economics and overlapping audience, primarily blues/roots-leaning programming.
- Jammin Java: Smaller-format DC live music venue also under Union Stage Presents. Same operator portfolio, focused on emerging artists and acoustic programming — represents a stepped-down sister venue within the network.
- The Hamilton Live: DC live music and dining venue combining concerts with full restaurant service, very similar to Howard's concert-plus-F&B model. Competes directly for the same mid-size DC audience and corporate/private events.
- Union Stage: Sibling venue under Union Stage Presents in DC's waterfront district. Same operator, comparable capacity, and overlapping programming — direct peer with shared back-office, marketing, and promoter relationships.
Broad incumbents
- The Anthem: Larger-format (~6,000 capacity) live music venue at The Wharf in DC operated by I.M.P. Overlaps with Howard on touring artist bookings but at a different scale, representing both competition and a stepped-up option for promoters.
Emerging players
- DC Improv: DC comedy club venue hosting national touring comedians in a club-style format. Competes with Howard for the comedy-show portion of its programming slate and for night-out audiences in the DC market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Howard Theatre social profiles
Digital presenceHoward Theatre financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Howard Theatre leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Howard Theatre funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Howard Theatre M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Howard Theatre
What does Howard Theatre do?
Howard Theatre operates a historic live entertainment venue in Washington, DC, hosting concerts, comedy shows, dance performances, tribute shows, and cultural events programmed through third-party promoters. Tickets are sold directly via the venue website and through third-party ticketing platforms (TicketWeb, Universe, FeverUp). The venue also rents its space for private events including corporate functions and parties, and provides on-site food and beverage service during events.
Is Howard Theatre a public or private company?
Howard Theatre is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Howard Theatre founded?
Howard Theatre was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Howard Theatre based?
Howard Theatre is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Howard Theatre make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are private Events and food and Beverage.
Who are Howard Theatre's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Songbyrd Music House, Black Cat, 9:30 Club, Lincoln Theatre, Pearl Street Warehouse, Jammin Java, The Hamilton Live and Union Stage. The Anthem is listed as a broad incumbent. DC Improv is listed as an emerging player.
Does Howard Theatre have an API?
No public API is recorded for Howard Theatre.
What industry is Howard Theatre in?
Howard Theatre's product category is Live Entertainment Venue Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGALAC, Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues), with a secondary code of MPAGAIAB, Live Music Clubs & Venues. Its NAICS code is 71131 and its SIC code is 7900.