Théâtre du Vieux Colombier

What Théâtre du Vieux Colombier does

Théâtre du Vieux Colombier is a French state-owned theater venue located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, near the Saint Sulpice and Sèvres Babylone metro stations. Founded in 1913, the venue has operated for nearly 100 years as a center of French theatrical activity. It operates a 300-seat auditorium and offers live theatrical performances alongside a cultural programming series called "Les samedis du Vieux Colombier," which features Saturday afternoon lectures, author portraits, and discussions with invited critics and cultural figures.

The venue was classified as a French historical monument (monument historique) in 1978 after a 1975 campaign in which actors mobilized against threatened closure. In 1986, the theater was purchased by the French state and is administered under the Comédie Française. A multi-phase renovation program spanning 1975 to 1993 culminated in the 1993 reopening under Jacques Lassalle, administrator of the Comédie Française, with two plays by Nathalie Sarraute ("Elle est là" and "Le silence") as the inaugural productions.

The business model is non-commercial in orientation: the institution is state-owned and state-funded, with distribution handled through direct box office sales via telephone (01 44 39 87 00 / 01 44 39 87 01) and in-person visits during operating hours (Tuesday-Saturday 11h-19h, Sunday-Monday 13h-19h). The customer base consists of general public audiences and cultural event attendees in Paris. The institution does not operate as a market-driven enterprise, and no commercial pricing, AI capabilities, or technology stack are disclosed. The legacy web presence (vieux.colombier.free.fr) appears to be a third-party informational site rather than an institutional platform.

Name

Théâtre du Vieux Colombier

Legal name

Théâtre du Vieux Colombier

Website

https://vieux.colombier.free.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Théâtre du Vieux Colombier is a 300-seat French state-owned theater in Paris's 6th arrondissement, founded in 1913 and administered by the Comédie Française since 1986, offering live theatrical performances and the Saturday cultural lecture series "Les samedis du Vieux Colombier."

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theater Venue

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Live theater performances
• Historic theater venue
• Cultural event programming
• Theatrical discussion series
• Performing arts venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Théâtre du Vieux Colombier is a 300-seat historic theater venue in the 6th arrondissement of Paris that stages live theatrical performances and cultural events. It also hosts the recurring "Les samedis du vieux colombier" Saturday afternoon series of lectures, portraits, and discussions on theater with invited authors, critics, and cultural figures. Tickets are sold directly through the box office by phone or in person.

Product overview

Théâtre du Vieux Colombier is a traditional French theater venue offering live theatrical performances and cultural events. The theater features a 300-seat main auditorium and hosts 'Les samedis du Vieux Colombier,' a series of Saturday afternoon cultural discussions and lectures featuring invited guests from the theatrical and literary world. The venue reopened in 1993 under Jacques Lassalle's administration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Les samedis du vieux colombier: A series of Saturday events featuring theatrical discussions, portraits, and cultural presentations.

Products and services

• Théâtre du Vieux Colombier Venue (Live Theatrical Performances) A 300-seat historic theater venue in the 6th arrondissement of Paris (near Saint Sulpice – Sèvres Babylone metro) offering live theatrical performances and cultural events to the general public; tickets sold via the box office by phone and in person.
• Les samedis du Vieux Colombier A series of Saturday afternoon (16h00) cultural encounters at the theater, consisting of theatrical discussions, portraits, and themed lectures featuring invited authors, critics, and cultural figures, for general theater and cultural audiences.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Théâtre du Châtelet: Large historic Parisian theater presenting musicals, opera, and concerts. Comparable as a heritage Parisian performance venue operating state-supported programming.
• Théâtre de la Ville: Historic Paris municipal theater presenting dance, theater, and contemporary performance. Comparable venue size, central Paris location, and mixed performing arts programming.
• Théâtre de l'Atelier: Intimate historic Parisian theater in the 18th arrondissement presenting contemporary French drama. Comparable small-capacity Parisian theater with similar programming profile.
• Théâtre National de la Colline: French national theater presenting contemporary repertoire in Paris. Comparable as a state-supported performing arts venue targeting literary and contemporary audiences.
• Théâtre de l'Odéon: State-funded Parisian national theater presenting dramatic and contemporary repertoire. Directly comparable in mission, scale, and historic Paris venue operations to the Vieux-Colombier.
• Théâtre Hébertot: Small historic Parisian theater presenting contemporary French plays. Closely comparable small-venue Parisian theater with similar repertoire and audience profile.

Regional players

• MC93 – Maison de la Culture de Seine-Saint-Denis: State-funded French national theater and cultural center presenting contemporary repertoire in the Paris region. Comparable as a publicly funded French theater presenting modern and contemporary work.
• Théâtre Marigny: Historic Parisian theater near the Champs-Élysées presenting theater and variety. Comparable heritage venue in central Paris hosting live performances.

Others

• Centre National du Théâtre: French national resource center for theater located in the Vieux-Colombier building itself. Directly co-located institutional peer supporting French theatrical heritage and programming.

Broad incumbents

• Comédie-Française: France's flagship national theater and the parent-administrator of the Vieux-Colombier venue. Comparable as a state-supported French theatrical institution presenting French repertoire in historic Paris venues.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/jacquesrenaud1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/th%C3%A9%C3%A2tre-du-vieux-colombier

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Théâtre du Vieux Colombier