Historic Lincoln Theatre

What Historic Lincoln Theatre does

The Historic Lincoln Theatre is a single live entertainment venue located at 1215 U Street NW in Washington, DC, in the U Street corridor near the U Street-Cardozo Metro station. It is operated by I.M.P. Venues as part of a portfolio that also includes 9:30 Club, The Anthem, Merriweather Post Pavilion, and The Atlantis. The venue's core offering is hosting concerts, comedy shows, speaking engagements (e.g., Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant), film screenings with live accompaniment (e.g., Labyrinth, Rocky Horror Picture Show), and private events for a mix of DC-metro live-entertainment consumers and event organizers.

The venue's product surface extends beyond ticketed performances to include venue rental for private events and community gatherings, an on-site coffee bar and food/beverage service, gift cards valid across the I.M.P. venue network, official merchandise sold through the integrated merch.930.com storefront, and the "Friends with Benefits" membership program. Technology and integration footprint is limited to industry-standard tools: Ticketmaster as the official ticketing platform, Hive.co for SMS marketing, SpotHero for parking reservations, and WMATA for transit information. The venue distributes via digital channels (email newsletter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and an on-site box office.

Lincoln Theatre makes money primarily through transaction-fee ticket sales (via Ticketmaster), one-time venue rental fees, on-site food and beverage sales, merchandise transactions, and membership fees from the "Friends with Benefits" program. Pricing is set on a per-event basis by artists and promoters. The venue operates with a core staff of approximately 9 people, supplemented by shared services and resources from the parent I.M.P. network. It is privately held, with no public ticker, no disclosed funding rounds, and no disclosed revenue.

Name

Historic Lincoln Theatre

Legal name

Lincoln Theatre

Website

https://thelincolndc.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Historic Lincoln Theatre is a single live entertainment venue in Washington, DC's U Street corridor, operated by I.M.P. Venues, hosting concerts, comedy shows, speaking events, film screenings, and private rentals for DC-metro audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Entertainment Venue

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB), Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Live music venue
• Concert ticketing
• Comedy shows
• Event venue rental
• Live entertainment

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, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream through ticket sales for concerts, comedy shows, and special events sold via Ticketmaster. The venue partners with various promoters including Icon Concerts, Outback Presents, Mammoth, All Good Presents, and I.M.P. itself.
2. Venue Rental: The venue offers space for rental applications for private events and community gatherings, generating rental income.
3. Food and Beverage: On-site coffee bar and food/beverage sales during events.
4. Merchandise Sales: Merchandise sales through integrated merch store (merch.930.com).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Historic Lincoln Theatre is a live performance venue at 1215 U Street NW in Washington, DC that hosts concerts, comedy shows, film screenings, and speaking engagements. Revenue is generated through ticket sales (processed via Ticketmaster), venue rental for private events, on-site food and beverage at the coffee bar, merchandise sales, and a Friends with Benefits membership program. The venue operates as part of the I.M.P. Venues network alongside 9:30 Club, The Anthem, Merriweather Post Pavilion, and The Atlantis.

Product overview

The Lincoln Theatre is a historic performance venue in Washington DC operated by I.M.P. Venues. The core offering is hosting live events including concerts, comedy shows, film screenings, and speaking engagements. Supporting services include ticketing (via Ticketmaster), venue rental for private events, gift cards, merchandise, an on-site coffee bar, and a Friends with Benefits membership program. The venue is part of a network including 9:30 Club, The Anthem, Merriweather Post Pavilion, and The Atlantis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lincoln Theatre Venue & Live Performances
• Event Ticketing
• Venue Rental
• Gift Cards
• Merchandise
• Coffee Bar (Food & Beverage)
• Friends with Benefits Membership Program
• Community Events

Named customers15 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• I.M.P. (Immediate Management Procedures)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerI.M.P. is the parent company and operator of Lincoln Theatre, along with other acclaimed venues including 9:30 Club, The Anthem, Merriweather Post Pavilion, and The Atlantis. The partnership provides cross-promotional opportunities, shared ticketing infrastructure, and access to a broader network of touring artists and events.
• TicketmastercoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial ticketing partner for all Lincoln Theatre events. Provides the digital platform for online ticket sales, event management, and ticket verification.
• Icon ConcertsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConcert promoter presenting shows at the venue, including Becky Robinson - The Beasts in Me Tour.
• Outback PresentsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConcert promoter presenting shows at the venue, including Amber Autry: Happy Holler Tour.
• MammothminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConcert promoter presenting Shaun Cassidy - UNWRAPPED: Songs & Stories For The Holidays.
• All Good PresentsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConcert promoter presenting Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country shows.
• Politics and ProseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashington DC-based independent bookstore partnering with I.M.P. to present Ke Huy Quan | Never Say Die event.
• SpotHerominorGTM or Marketing PartnerParking reservation partner providing pre-bookable parking near the venue for event attendees.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Anthem: Larger I.M.P.-operated live music venue on DC's Southwest Waterfront. Direct competitor for the same touring-act pipeline in the same market.
• The Hamilton: DC live music and dining venue near the White House, hosting concerts and comedy. Comparable capacity, urban location, and mixed-genre programming.
• The Atlantis: Recently opened I.M.P. venue in DC's U Street corridor, smaller capacity and historic character. Competes for the same neighborhood audience and adjacent smaller-scale programming.
• Merriweather Post Pavilion: I.M.P.-operated historic outdoor amphitheater in Columbia, MD. Direct portfolio peer operating in the same DC-metro live music ecosystem.
• 9:30 Club: Sister venue within I.M.P.'s portfolio, also a historic live music venue in Washington, DC, comparable capacity and programming mix. The closest direct comparable in size, market, and operational model.
• Howard Theatre: Historic DC live entertainment venue hosting concerts, comedy, and cultural events in a similar intimate capacity range. Closest non-I.M.P. comparable in the DC market.

Regional players

• Sixth & I Historic Synagogue: Historic DC venue hosting author talks, comedy, and music in an intimate setting. Directly comparable format for Lincoln's speaking-event and comedy programming.

Broad incumbents

• City Winery: National chain of intimate music venues combining live performance with on-site dining and wine. Operates at similar capacity and programming model across multiple US cities.
• Brooklyn Bowl: Multi-city music venue operator combining live concerts with bowling and F&B. Comparable intimate-capacity music programming and venue-amenities model.
• House of Blues: National live music venue operator (Live Nation) hosting concerts and comedy at comparable capacities. Represents the scaled, multi-market incumbent benchmark.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheLincolnDC
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheLincolnDC
• Instagraminstagram.com/thelincolndc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/historic-lincoln-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 Historic Lincoln Theatre