Volksbühne

What Volksbühne does

Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz is a non-legal public institution (nichtrechtsfähige Anstalt) of the State of Berlin, founded in 1914 as a cultural institution of the workers' movement, with co-founder Gustav Landauer among its originators. It operates a multi-venue performing arts program across the Große Bühne (main stage), Prater (Kastanienallee), Roter Salon, 3. Stock, and outdoor areas, presenting theatrical premieres, repertory performances, concerts, lectures, readings, and political-discussion series. Youth programming includes the P14 self-directed youth theater (operating 30+ years) and the newer Gegenfunk Wedding digital/performance project aimed at young residents of Wedding and Moabit.

The business model combines earned revenue from ticket sales (€3–€50 across social-pricing tiers, distributed via in-house box office and the CTS-Eventim webshop), Kantine/café food and beverage service, venue rental, and a newly launched recurring membership program (Friends of Rosa, founded February 2026), supplemented by institutional funding from the Berlin Senate, the BKM, the German Federal Cultural Foundation, and Creative Europe for project-based work such as The School of Self-Defense and the MEDUSA international partnership. Pricing is structured around accessibility with reduced rates for students, ALG 1/2 recipients, refugees, and Ehrenamtskarte holders.

The institution serves individual cultural audiences in Berlin — general theatergoers, concert and lecture attendees, young people in youth programs, and a community of supporters — alongside international co-production partners and artists. Go-to-market is event-driven, with advance ticket sales opening on the first working day of the previous month and marketing conducted through the institutional website, email newsletter, Facebook, Instagram, and press outreach. Technology footprint is modest: standard ticketing platform, web analytics (Matomo), and human-narrated audio description for accessibility; there are no AI-driven product features.

Name

Volksbühne

Legal name

Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz

Website

https://volksbuehne-berlin.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz is a State of Berlin public cultural institution, founded 1914, operating multiple theater venues with premieres, repertory, concerts, youth theater (P14), and civic-discussion programming for individual Berlin audiences, funded by ticket sales, membership (Friends of Rosa), and public grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Multipurpose Event Center Operations (Civic Centers, Community Event Complexes) (MPAGALAE)

Keywords

• Live theater
• Performing arts
• Cultural venue
• Youth theater
• Concert programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling tickets to theater performances, concerts, and events. Ticket prices range from 3 euros (reduced-rate for ALG 2 recipients) to 50 euros (standard repertory performances) with premiere surcharges. Tickets sold through box office (cash, debit, credit card) and online (credit card, PayPal).
2. Kantine/Café: The Kantine of Volksbühne is open Monday-Friday from 9:00 AM and weekends from 3:00 PM, serving affordable meals, snacks, and drinks before and after performances.
3. Friends of Rosa Membership: Supporters' group with membership fees payable upon joining and annually on January 1st. Members support the Volksbühne's artistic aspirations and participate in events and annual trips.
4. Venue Rental: Spaces available for rental including the Kantine and various performance venues.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz operates a multi-venue performing arts program in Berlin, presenting live theatrical productions, concerts, lectures, and cultural events across stages including Große Bühne, Prater, Roter Salon, and 3. Stock. The institution also runs the long-standing P14 youth theater program, political discussion series, and the Friends of Rosa supporters' group, with tickets sold via on-site box office and the CTS-Eventim-powered online webshop.

Product overview

Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz is a non-legal public institution of the State of Berlin offering a multi-venue performing arts program centered on live theatrical productions (Große Bühne, Prater, Roter Salon, 3. Stock), concerts, and youth theater (P14). The program includes various series and projects such as The School of Self-Defense, lecture performances, political discussions, and reading events. Ticketing services are provided via CTS-Eventim webshop. Accessibility services include audio description for blind and partially sighted visitors, hearing assistance devices, and wheelchair-accessible venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• P14: P14 is the youth theatre at the Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, providing a platform for young people to explore their own issues through theater-making. It has been in existence for over 30 years.
• Gegenfunk Wedding
• Friends of Rosa (Freundeskreis)
• Prater

Products and services

• Theater Performances
• Concerts
• P14 Youth Theatre
• The School of Self-Defense
• Series and Projects
• Friends of Rosa Membership
• Gegenfunk Wedding
• Kantine (Café/Bar)
• Venue Rental

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Das Kombinat e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerlin-based organization promoting inclusive and critical artistic practice, coordinating the MEDUSA festival in Berlin and curating the Grüner Salon.
• Drama Panorama: Forum für Übersetzung und Theater e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization working with Das Kombinat on the MEDUSA project.
• CTS-EventimcoreTechnology or IntegrationTicket distribution platform provider for online ticket sales. Handles web ticketing infrastructure.
• HIT (Studio)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisual identity and art direction services for the theater.
• Förderband e.V. – Kulturinitiative BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Berliner Spielplan Audiodeskription pilot project for accessibility for blind and visually impaired audiences.
• Allgemeiner Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverein Berlin gegr. 1874 e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting organization for the audio description accessibility project.
• TanzCard (Tanzbüro Berlin)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership program where TanzCard holders receive discounts on dance performance tickets at Volksbühne.
• Theater X (Moabit)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner in the Gegenfunk Wedding project, developing multimedia and performance-based formats.
• MÄDEA (Gesundbrunnen)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner in the Gegenfunk Wedding urban space project.
• Berlin Anti-War MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeeting location for Gegenfunk Wedding participants, one of Berlin's oldest anti-militarist institutions founded by Ernst Friedrich.
• CORRECTIVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia house whose journalist Jean Peters hosts the HIDDEN AGENDA discussion series at Volksbühne on democratic resistance and combating authoritarianism.
• Suhrkamp VerlagcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighboring publisher with ongoing collaboration 'The Drama is Present' series presenting new plays from Suhrkamp Theater Verlag as staged readings.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Münchner Kammerspiele: Munich-based theater renowned for experimental contemporary programming and international directors. Comparable as a major German publicly funded theater producing politically engaged contemporary work.
• Thalia Theater Hamburg: One of Germany's leading publicly funded theaters based in Hamburg, producing contemporary drama with international co-productions. Comparable as a major German state-subsidized theater with similar artistic ambition and scale.

Direct peers

• Berliner Ensemble: Major Berlin theater company operating at Theater am Bertolt-Brecht-Platz. Directly comparable as a Berlin-based German-language theater producing contemporary and classical repertoire for similar cultural audiences.
• HAU Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin): Berlin performing arts venue with three stages dedicated to contemporary dance, theater, and performance art. Comparable in scale and experimental, politically engaged programming to Volksbühne's multi-venue model.
• Deutsches Theater Berlin: Historic Berlin theater producing classical and contemporary drama across multiple stages. Comparable as a multi-venue Berlin theater with similar repertory programming and audience profile.
• Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin: Berlin theater with explicit focus on political engagement, diversity, and contemporary social discourse. Closely aligned with Volksbühne's radical-democratic ethos and political programming approach.
• Schaubühne Berlin: Renowned Berlin theater at Kurfürstendamm known for contemporary international repertoire and experimental staging. Closely comparable as a major Berlin producing theater with similar institutional scale and artistic ambition.

Emerging players

• Tanzbüro Berlin / TanzCard: Berlin dance network administering the TanzCard discount program that includes Volksbühne. Comparable as a Berlin dance/performance ecosystem partner addressing overlapping contemporary performance audiences.

Regional players

• Komische Oper Berlin: Berlin-based opera and musical theater house. Comparable as a Berlin state-subsidized performing arts institution, though focused on opera/musical theater rather than contemporary drama.

Others

• Radical Network (European festivals network): European networks for contemporary theater exchange (e.g., Eurodram, IETM). Comparable as ecosystem partners enabling international co-productions similar to Volksbühne's MEDUSA project with Italy and Bulgaria.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/volksbuehne
• Instagraminstagram.com/volksbuehne_berlin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/volksb%C3%BChne

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Volksbühne