Howard Theatre

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.

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

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

• Live music venue
• Concert hosting services
• Private event rental
• Ticketing services
• Food and beverage service

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Private Events: Revenue from hosting private events including corporate events, parties, and special occasion rentals.
3. Food and Beverage: Revenue from food and beverage sales during events, with a bar and drinks menu available to patrons.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core 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.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/howard-theatre

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 Howard Theatre