Le Rocher de Palmer

What Le Rocher de Palmer does

Le Rocher de Palmer is a French cultural venue located at 1 rue Aristide Briand in Cenon, in the Bordeaux metropolitan area, operated by the non-profit association Musiques de Nuit under French loi 1901 status. The venue opened in 2011 as a Scène de Musiques Actuelles (SMAC) — an official French state classification for contemporary music venues — and spans 6,700m2 comprising three concert halls (Rocher 1200, Rocher 650, and Salon de Musiques), a Micro-Folie digital museum, a digital studio, coworking space, a cultural business incubator, and a documentary resource center focused on world music. Programming spans jazz, world music, blues, folk, chanson, funk, brass band, dance, theater, and exhibitions, with co-productions involving institutional partners such as TnBA and AEG Presents France.

The business model combines multiple revenue streams: transactional ticket sales (online and at the physical box office, open Wednesday to Friday), recurring subscriptions including the Pass Jazz'n'World season pass (September-December) and general season abonnements, gift cards redeemable across concerts and subscriptions, venue rental for corporate and private events via 'Louer le Rocher avec l'EPLC', and free outdoor programming including the 30+ year Festival des Hauts de Garonne across Bassens, Floirac, Lormont, and Cenon. Accessibility programming (La Tirelire solidarity ticketing) and Hors les Murs off-site events extend the venue's footprint across the metropolis.

The venue serves a heterogeneous customer base including general music audiences, festival-goers, families accessing affordable programming, cultural entrepreneurs using workspace and incubation facilities, and corporate clients for event rentals. Distribution is regional (Bordeaux metropolitan area and Nouvelle-Aquitaine), and public funding — implicit in SMAC status — supplements ticket and ancillary revenues. No AI/ML capabilities, funding rounds, or M&A activity are associated with the organization, which is structured as a stable, independent non-profit anchored on community programming and institutional partnerships.

Name

Le Rocher de Palmer

Legal name

Le Rocher de Palmer (opéré par l'association Musiques de Nuit)

Website

https://lerocherdepalmer.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Le Rocher de Palmer is a French SMAC-classified concert venue in Cenon (Bordeaux metro), operated by the non-profit Musiques de Nuit, offering live music, festivals, coworking, and cultural incubation across three concert halls serving regional audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Live music venue
• Concert hall
• Music festival
• Cultural venue
• Event ticketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Cenon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Concert ticket sales: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for concerts and events at the venue. Tickets are sold online and at the box office, with prices varying by event. Some events are free (Festival des Hauts de Garonne, Les Inédits de l'été).
2. Gift cards: Gift cards (cartes cadeaux) available for purchase online or at the venue box office. Can be redeemed for concerts, subscriptions, or other gift cards.
3. Subscriptions (Abonnements): Season subscriptions and passes offering discounted access to events, including the Jazz'n'World pass for the September-December season.
4. Venue rental: Venue rental services (Louer le Rocher avec l'EPLC) for private and corporate events, including the ROCHER 1200 hall with capacity for events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Le Rocher de Palmer operates a 6,700m2 multi-purpose cultural complex in Cenon (Bordeaux metropolitan area) classified as a SMAC (Scène de Musiques Actuelles), featuring three concert halls (Rocher 1200 standing, Rocher 650 seated, Salon de Musiques) that host live music performances, festivals, and cultural events across genres including jazz, world music, blues, folk, and chanson. The venue is complemented by ticketing, season subscriptions (Abonnements), gift cards, a Micro-Folie digital museum, coworking space, a digital studio, a documentary resource center on world music, and a cultural business incubator.

Product overview

Le Rocher de Palmer is a unified concert venue offering (a) live music performances across 3 halls (Rocher 1200, Rocher 650, Salon de Musiques), (b) ticketing and subscription services including La Tirelire solidarity ticketing and gift cards, (c) annual programming including the Festival des Hauts de Garonne and Les Inédits de l'été Métropolitain, and (d) cultural infrastructure including a Micro-Folie digital museum, coworking space, digital studio, documentary resource center, and a cultural business incubator (pépinière d'entreprises culturelles). The venue operates as a SMAC under the Musiques de Nuit association.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Festival des Hauts de Garonne: Annual free outdoor music festival held across municipalities on the right bank of the Garonne river (Bassens, Floirac, Lormont, Cenon), organized by Musiques de Nuit association.
• Les Inédits de l'été Métropolitain
• Micro-Folie du Rocher
• La Tirelire – Billetterie Solidaire

Products and services

• Le Rocher de Palmer Concert Venue A 6,700m2 SMAC (Scène de Musiques Actuelles) venue in Cenon comprising 3 concert halls (Rocher 1200, Rocher 650, Salon de Musiques), coworking space, digital studio, cultural business incubator, and Micro-Folie digital museum, hosting concerts across jazz, world music, blues, folk, chanson, brass band, and theater.
• La Tirelire – Billetterie Solidaire (Solidarity Ticketing) Solidarity ticketing initiative offering subsidized or free tickets for economically disadvantaged audiences to enable live music access for everyone.
• Festival des Hauts de Garonne Annual free outdoor music festival spanning multiple municipalities (Bassens, Floirac, Lormont, Cenon) featuring free concerts in public parks, organized by Musiques de Nuit association for over 30 years.
• Les Inédits de l'été Métropolitain Summer series of privileged musical encounters programmed in unusual locations across the Bordeaux metropolitan area, featuring concerts, musical readings, projections, and exhibitions.
• Cartes Cadeaux (Gift Cards) Gift cards available for purchase online or at the venue box office, redeemable for concerts (at Rocher or Hors les Murs), subscriptions, or other gift cards.
• Pass Jazz'n'World (Abonnement Season Subscription) A pass/subscription program for the Jazz and World music season (September-December), offering eligibility for specially designated concerts and priority booking.
• Venue Rental (Louer le Rocher avec l'EPLC) Venue rental service for private and corporate events, including the ROCHER 1200 hall with capacity for events; available through the EPLC service.
• Micro-Folie (Digital Museum) A labeled digital museum within the venue, part of the national Micro-Folie network, featuring interactive cultural exhibitions and artistic installations.
• Coworking Space Shared workspace available within the venue, supporting freelancers and cultural professionals.
• Digital Studio Professional recording and production studio facilities for musicians and artists.
• Sunset à Palmer Pre-concert outdoor bar and dining experience with DJ sets in Palmer Park, available before evening performances starting at 18:00.
• Centre de Ressources Documentaires (Documentary Resource Center) Documentary resource center specializing in world music research and documentation.
• FARE (Formation, Accompagnement, Repérage, Entrepreneurship) Support program for training, accompaniment, talent scouting, and entrepreneurship in the cultural sector.

Named customers7 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, moderate and minor.

• Musiques de NuitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe primary operating association behind Le Rocher de Palmer. Musiques de Nuit has been organizing cultural events for over 30 years, including the Festival des Hauts de Garonne and various concert programming at the venue.
• AEG Presents FrancemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-presenter of John Butler concert on July 19, 2026. AEG Presents is a major international live entertainment company.
• TnBA (Théâtre National de Bordeaux en Aquitaine)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of 'Transformé' (based on Lou Reed's 'Transformer'), September 17-18, 2026, a major theater/music production.
• FIP (Radio France)moderateGTM or Marketing PartnerRadio France's FIP station partnership for live broadcasts (FIP en direct) and radio coverage of events at the venue.
• Micro-FoliemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabeled digital museum within the venue, part of a national network of Micro-Folie digital culture spaces bringing museum-quality experiences to local venues.
• Cornolti ProductionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExternal producer organizing the Georges-Alain concert on December 11, 2026 at the venue as an 'Organisateur Extérieur'.
• Festival des Hauts de Garonne village partnersminorOthersVarious associations and food vendors at the festival including SOS Méditerranée, Jeune & Rose, Secours Populaire, and local food entrepreneurs in Bassens, Floirac, Lormont, and Cenon.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Le Bataclan: Major Parisian concert hall (~1,500 capacity) with broad contemporary programming. Comparable as a mid-to-large format French live venue with similar artist tier, ticketing model, and venue-rental offering to Le Rocher de Palmer's headline space.
• La Cigale: Historic Parisian live music venue (~1,400 capacity) with similar multi-genre programming and venue rental business. Broader incumbent with national audience reach; comparable unit economics profile and ticketing infrastructure to Le Rocher de Palmer's Rocher 1200 hall.
• L'Olympia: Iconic Paris concert hall (~2,000 capacity) operated by Vivendi subsidiary, a broad incumbent in French live music with a national touring artist roster. Useful benchmark for premium tier programming, ticket pricing, and venue-rental strategy even though it sits in a different scale and market tier than Le Rocher de Palmer.

Direct peers

• Le Trianon: Paris concert venue (~1,200 capacity) operated under the same AEG Presents France ecosystem that co-presents events at Le Rocher de Palmer. Directly comparable in capacity, format, programming tier, and partnership network to Rocher 1200.
• Le Transbordeur: Major SMAC concert venue in Villeurbanne/Lyon with comparable capacity (~1,200–2,000), multi-genre programming, and venue rental model. Operates under a similar French cultural-policy framework with state recognition and a comparable live-music + ancillary-services offering.
• Antipode: SMAC venue in Rennes featuring two performance halls (around 700 and 200 capacity) with contemporary music and supporting cultural programming. Directly comparable French regional SMAC venue with similar multi-hall, multi-genre programming mandate and public-subsidy funding model.
• Krakatoa: SMAC-labelled contemporary music venue in Bordeaux (Bordeaux Métropole, right bank of the Garonne), directly comparable to Le Rocher de Palmer as a fellow state-recognized live music venue operating in the same catchment area with similar multi-genre programming and capacity tier.
• La Coopérative de Mai: SMAC venue in Clermont-Ferrand with two halls (~250 and ~1,200 capacity), strong rock/electronic/world programming, and venue rental services. Closely comparable in operating model (multi-hall, mixed-genre, regional anchor) to Le Rocher de Palmer.
• Le Confort Moderne: SMAC-classified contemporary music venue in Poitiers with multi-room layout, exhibition space, and cultural mission extending beyond ticket sales. Comparable as a French regional SMAC with similar mixed-arts/community programming ethos to Le Rocher de Palmer.

Regional players

• La Sirène: SMAC venue in La Rochelle (Nouvelle-Aquitaine region) operating a 900-capacity hall with contemporary music programming. Same administrative region and cultural-policy ecosystem as Le Rocher de Palmer, making it a strong regional peer for benchmarking ticketing, subsidy mix, and programming strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC85GzTdRsFJr-sVuyv1pk9A
• Facebookfacebook.com/RocherdePalmer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/le-rocher-de-palmer
• Instagraminstagram.com/lerocherdepalmer

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 Le Rocher de Palmer