Zvezdara Theater

What Zvezdara Theater does

Zvezdara Theater (Pozorište Zvezdara teatar) is a public cultural institution (javna ustanova) founded on 8 October 1984 in a former textile warehouse at Milana Rakića 38 in the Zvezdara municipality of Belgrade, Serbia. Founded by Dušan Kovačević, who has served as director since 1998, the theater is operated under the jurisdiction of the City of Belgrade (Grad Beograd). It operates a distinctive project-based organizational model without a permanent artistic ensemble: each production assembles freelance actors and directors tailored to the role, with actor fees tied to box office performance.

The theater's core product is live theater — drama, comedy, monodramas, and duodramas — staged across two indoor venues: the main Scena Danilo Bata Stojković (343 seats, named in 2011 after the legendary Serbian actor) and Nova Scena (260 seats, opened 2001), supplemented by a seasonal summer open-air stage ('Teatar pod zvezdama'). The current repertoire comprises approximately 12 productions. Cumulative output over 40 years includes 96 premiere productions and nearly 8,000 performances, with several individual productions exceeding 250–400 performances. The theater sells tickets directly through its box office and a proprietary online platform (bilet.zvezdarateatar.rs) supporting major card networks via Banca Intesa.

Its business model is a hybrid of ticket sales (~70% of revenue) and municipal budget support from the City of Belgrade. Tickets are priced between RSD 1,500 and RSD 2,200 (approximately €13–€19) by seating area, with discounts for students and seniors. The theater also operates a regional and international touring program ('third stage') that has delivered nearly 1,500 guest performances across Serbia, the Balkans, Austria, the UK, and Canada, reaching more than 1.7 million visitors in total. The customer base is the broad Belgrade and regional theater-going public, with no enterprise or B2B customer concentration.

Name

Zvezdara Theater

Legal name

Pozorište Zvezdara teatar

Website

https://zvezdarateatar.rs

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Zvezdara Theater is a 40-year-old public cultural institution in Belgrade, Serbia, founded by Dušan Kovačević and operated by the City of Belgrade. It stages drama, comedy, monodramas, and duodramas across two intimate venues using a project-based freelance artist model, funded by ticket sales and municipal budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theater / Performing Arts

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB), Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Live theater performances
• Drama productions
• Ticket sales services
• Performing arts venue
• Guest theater tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Belgrade

HQ country

Serbia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket sales (box office and online): The primary revenue stream is ticket sales. The theater generates approximately 70% of its revenue from the box office, with no permanent ensemble and 18 staff members managing two indoor stages and touring productions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zvezdara Theater is a Belgrade-based cultural institution that produces and stages live theater performances, including dramas, comedies, monodramas, and duodramas, across two indoor stages (Scena Danilo Bata Stojković and Nova Scena) and a touring program. The theater operates on a distinctive project-based model without a permanent artistic ensemble, engaging freelance actors, directors, and writers for each production. It sells tickets directly to the public via a box office and online ticketing platform, and tours productions across Serbia and internationally.

Product overview

Zvezdara Theater operates as a theater company with two main venues: Scena Danilo Bata Stojković (343 seats) and Nova scena (260 seats). The theater produces and presents approximately 12 active productions including comedies, dramas, and monodramas. Core services include ticket sales through both box office and online systems, with an integrated reservation service. The theater's model emphasizes project-based productions without a permanent ensemble, engaging freelance artists for each production. Digital offerings include an online ticket purchase system and virtual tour capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Profesionalac Theater production by Dušan Kovačević, returned to the stage after 24 years. Performed by Igor Đorđević, Nenad Jezdić, Ana Franić, and Duško Ašković. Duration: 110 minutes. Sold to general theater-going audiences via box office and online ticketing.
• Una Theater production based on the novel by Momo Kapor, written by Stevan Koprivica and directed by Dejan Projkovski. Starring Nikola Ristanovski, Magdalena Mijatović, Sena Đorović, and Marko Gvero. Duration: 105 minutes. Age restriction: 16+. Sold to general audiences.
• Udovica živog čoveka (Widow of a Living Man) New play written and directed by Dušan Kovačević. Cast includes Jelena Đokić, Sunčica Milanović, Nela Mihailović, Miodrag Krstović, Anđelika Simić, and Dušan Tomić. Duration: 100 minutes. Sold to general audiences.
• Kuća (The House) Theater production by Nebojša Ilić, directed by Voja Brajović. Cast includes Branimir Brstina, Nebojša Ilić, and Ivana Zečević. Duration: 80 minutes. Sold to general audiences.
• Knjiga o Milutinu (The Book about Milutin) - Part One Monodrama based on a novel by Danko Popović, directed by Egon Savin. Starring Nenad Jezdić as Milutin. Duration: 120 minutes. Has been seen by more than 100,000 people (55,000+ at home stage, 50,000+ on tours). Sold to general audiences.
• Online Ticket Sales Self-service online ticket purchase platform at bilet.zvezdarateatar.rs. Supports Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, Dina, and American Express payments via Banca Intesa Beograd. Maximum 12 tickets per transaction. Available to individual consumers.
• Ticket Reservation Service Reservation system allowing audience members to reserve tickets for performances via online form. Reservations confirmed within 48 hours by the box office. Available to individual consumers.
• Guest Performances and Touring Theater's 'third stage' touring program bringing productions to venues across Serbia, the region (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia), and internationally (Canada, UK, Austria). Sold to audiences in host cities.
• Virtual Tour of Theater Facilities Virtual tour offering of Zvezdara Theater facilities and stages for remote visitors to explore the venue online.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1.7 million total visitors across 40 years
• +4 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Dom kulture 'Vuk Karadžić' (historical)minorOthersZvezdara Theater was originally established as a program activity of Dom kulture 'Vuk Karadžić' in the early 1980s, during that institution's restructuring. This historical connection is the origin of the theater but is not an active partnership.
• Japan Tobacco InternationalminorOthersJapan Tobacco International partnered with Zvezdara Theater on the 'Pozorište je i moja kuća' (Theater is also my home) initiative in 2018, providing free theater access for magazine vendors from the Лицеулице publication.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Atelje 212: Belgrade-based theater company producing contemporary Serbian drama and comedies with a similar mix of resident and freelance talent, operating comparable intimate venues and targeting the same Belgrade theater-going audience.
• Yugoslav Drama Theatre (Jugoslovensko dramsko pozorište): One of Belgrade's leading drama theaters producing contemporary Serbian and international plays with both permanent ensemble and project-based productions, sharing the same primary market and festival circuit as Zvezdara.
• Belgrade National Theatre (Narodno pozorište): Belgrade's flagship national theater producing drama, opera, and ballet — directly comparable as a Serbian public cultural institution producing live theater for the same metropolitan audience.
• Madlenianum Opera and Theatre: Belgrade-based theater and opera venue producing contemporary and classical productions — comparable as a Belgrade-located performing arts institution with similar audience demographics and operational model.

Regional players

• Serbian National Theatre (Srpsko narodno pozorište): Serbia's oldest national theater based in Novi Sad — comparable as a regional Serbian public theater institution with similar production model and audience profile, competing on the same regional festival circuit.
• Croatian National Theatre Zagreb (HNK): Major regional peer in Zagreb — comparable as a regional theater institution in former-Yugoslav markets with overlapping touring circuits and similar repertoire focus on national dramatic works.
• National Theatre Sarajevo: Leading theater institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina — comparable as a regional public theater serving the same language market and frequently appearing on the same festival circuit as Zvezdara.

Others

• BITEF (Belgrade International Theatre Festival): Belgrade's leading international theater festival — adjacent peer that frequently features Zvezdara's productions and operates in the same artistic ecosystem, useful as a distribution/promotion channel.

Broad incumbents

• West End Theatre Industry (London): Broad incumbent benchmark for commercial theater operations — useful as a comparable for venue-based ticketed live theater production model, though at vastly different scale and pricing.
• Broadway League theatres (New York): Broad incumbent benchmark for commercial theatrical productions — relevant as a reference point for production longevity economics (long-running hits, touring, content library) at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ZvezdaraTeatar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Zvezdara Theater