Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias

What Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias does

Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (CAC) is a large cultural, scientific, and entertainment complex operated by Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, S.A. (CACSA), a public company (Sociedad Anónima) wholly owned by the Generalitat Valenciana regional government of Spain. The complex spans 350,000 square meters along a two-kilometer axis in the former bed of the River Turia in Valencia and consists of six signature buildings designed by architects Santiago Calatrava (Hemisfèric, Museu de les Ciències, Palau de les Arts, Umbracle, Àgora) and Félix Candela (Oceanogràfic). It accommodates roughly 4 million visitors annually and serves individual families, school groups, tourism intermediaries, and corporate clients.

The complex functions as an integrated cultural-educational destination whose offerings span ticketed admissions to the Hemisfèric IMAX dome cinema and planetarium, the interactive Museu de les Ciències science museum, and Oceanogràfic (Europe's largest aquarium, housing over 500 marine species and 45,000 animals), plus the Palau de les Arts opera house, Umbracle outdoor garden, and Àgora convention center. Core technology centers on large-format IMAX Dome projection, full-dome digital planetarium systems, interactive science exhibits, and a virtual reality tour platform for remote exploration. A 2026 content pipeline includes new exhibitions (¡Bailar!, Metamorfosis), film productions (RECOMBINATION), and special programming tied to Eclipse 2026 and the AstroCiutat astrophotography contest.

The business model combines consumer ticketing (unit-priced admission, €10.90-€40.40+), three tiers of recurring annual subscription passes (Ciutat Friends, Science Friends, Oceanogràfic Friends), gift cards, and on-site retail and F&B (including a Submarine Restaurant). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through the official website (cac.es, tickets.cac.es), physical box offices, and phone reservations; channel partnerships via the Canaltur program for tourism intermediaries and hotels; and a dedicated enterprise sales function for corporate events, MICE venue rentals, image rights licensing, and corporate sponsorship. CACSA holds registered industrial property rights over the building imagery and operates under ENS (Esquema Nacional de Seguridad) certification and Quality Tourism certification.

Name

Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias

Legal name

Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, S.A. (CAC, S.A.)

Website

https://cac.es

Company type

Public

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias is a state-owned cultural and scientific complex in Valencia, Spain, operating six landmark buildings — including Europe's largest aquarium, an IMAX dome cinema, and an interactive science museum — serving nearly 4 million annual visitors across families, schools, tourists, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural and scientific entertainment complex

NAICS

Museums (712110), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Museums (71211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Historic Venues (Landmarks, Estates) (THAHAAAK)

Keywords

• Cultural complex operations
• Aquarium and marine exhibits
• Interactive science museum
• IMAX dome cinema shows
• Corporate event venue rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Valencia

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Individual admission tickets to Hemisfèric (cinema/planetarium), Museu de les Ciències (science museum), and Oceanogràfic (aquarium). Tickets available for single or combined venues, with options for 1, 2, or 3 consecutive days.
2. Annual Pass Memberships: Three tiers: Ciutat Friends (access to all three venues), Science Friends (Museu + Hemisfèric), and Oceanogràfic Friends (aquarium only). Prices vary by age category (child, adult, senior) and family/large family status.
3. Gift Cards and Vouchers: Prepaid gift cards valid for admission tickets, available in combinations (O+M+H or M+H) with pricing from €40.40 for combined tickets to €101 for annual pass gifts
4. Corporate Events and Venue Rental: Revenue from renting spaces (Museu de les Ciències, Hemisfèric, Umbracle, Assut de l'Or esplanade) for conferences, conventions, product launches, galas, and corporate events. Includes catering services coordination.
5. Image Rights Licensing: Commercial licensing fees for use of Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències building imagery in advertising, films, catalogs, music videos, and corporate presentations. Rates based on image used, purpose, and distribution scope.
6. Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship of exhibitions, projections, activities and content across venues. Multiple sponsorship tiers targeting different audience segments including families, children, and professional groups.
7. Retail and Food Service: On-site shops offering merchandise with 10% discount for club members, and restaurants including the Submarine Restaurant at Oceanogràfic

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias operates a six-building cultural and scientific complex in Valencia, Spain, offering ticketed admission to an IMAX dome cinema and digital planetarium (Hemisfèric), an interactive science museum (Museu de les Ciències), Europe's largest aquarium with over 500 marine species (Oceanogràfic), an opera house (Palau de les Arts), a garden/viewpoint (Umbracle), and a convention center (Àgora). Revenue is generated from individual and combined venue tickets, tiered annual membership passes, school group educational programs, corporate event venue rentals, sponsorship, image rights licensing, gift cards, and on-site retail and food services.

Product overview

Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (CAC) is a large cultural and scientific complex operated by CACSA, a public company of the Generalitat Valenciana. The complex consists of six main buildings designed by architects Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela: Hemisfèric (IMAX dome cinema and planetarium), Museu de les Ciències (interactive science museum), Oceanogràfic (Europe's largest aquarium), Palau de les Arts (opera house), Umbracle (garden and viewpoint), and Àgora (convention center). The offering includes ticketed admissions to individual venues or combined packages, annual membership passes (Club Amig@s) providing unlimited access, educational programs for schools, corporate event rentals, virtual visits, and gift cards. The complex serves approximately 4 million annual visitors and is one of Valencia's most visited tourist destinations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 4 million annual visitors to the complex
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Expert Committee (Comité de Expertos)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormed by experts from scientific institutions in the Valencian Autonomous Community, providing guidance and contributing ideas for scientific content of the complex. Meets periodically at Museu de les Ciències to supervise and advise on exhibitions and informative events.
• Childhood Council (Consejo de Infancia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInspired by Francesco Tonucci's 'La città dei bambini' project, this forum allows children and students to advise on proposals developed at the Museu de les Ciències, promoting child participation in science education.
• Canaltur Tourism PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecial program for tourism sector including intermediaries and accommodations. Partners receive direct communication with team, access to marketing materials, discounted tickets for resale, and complimentary passes according to program norms.
• Theme Park Partners (PortAventura, Dinópolis, Isla Mágica, Terra Mítica, Terra Natura)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerClub Ciutat members receive discounts (25-35%) on admission tickets to partner theme parks throughout Spain as part of membership benefits package.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CACiencies
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ciudadartesyciencias
• Facebookfacebook.com/CIUDADDELASARTESYLASCIENCIAS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ciudad-de-las-artes-y-las-ciencias
• Instagraminstagram.com/ciudadartesciencias
• Pinterestpinterest.es/CACiencies

Compliance1 record

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 Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias