Lucernaire

What Lucernaire does

Le Lucernaire Forum (LE LUCERNAIRE FORUM, SIRET 306 292 764 00017, APE 9004Z) is a multi-disciplinary cultural venue housed in a ~1,300m² converted factory at 53 rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs in Paris's 6th arrondissement. Founded in 1969 by Christian Le Guillochet and Luce Berthomé with the support of Laurent Terzieff, it was designated Centre National d'Art et Essai in 1984 and has been owned by ADHEMA Group since 2024 (previously Éditions l'Harmattan from 2004). The venue combines three theater stages — Théâtre Noir (116 seats), Théâtre Rouge (116 seats), and Paradis (60 seats) — totaling 292 seats; three art-house cinema screens (54, 54, and 38 seats) totaling 146 seats; the Le Kawaa restaurant, café and bar; the Les Petits Pavés bookstore; an exhibition gallery; and the École d'Art Dramatique du Lucernaire directed by Philippe Person. An in-house production company (Lucernaire Production) and a distribution arm (Lucernaire Diffusion) feed touring shows into the national market, including an annual Avignon Off presence.

The business operates seven identifiable revenue streams: (1) theater and cinema ticket sales (€6–€32 per ticket), (2) restaurant and bar sales at Le Kawaa, (3) space privatization of theater, cinema, and restaurant spaces for corporate and private events, (4) gift coffrets (Goûter & Spectacle €36, Apéro & Spectacle €56, Dîner & Spectacle €110) and the €42/year annual subscription card, (5) bookstore sales, (6) drama-school tuition (€750–€840/year regular workshops; €200/month intensives), and (7) event-driven seasonal programming with festival partnerships (Passeport pour l'été with Telerama/AFCRAE, Lost in Frenchlation Summercamp). Distribution runs through the website (TickandLive for theater, Cotecine for cinema), an in-person and phone box office, a dedicated public-relations team for groups and corporate events, and a separate events team for venue privatization; institutional cinema support comes from CNC, Europa Cinemas, and the City of Paris.

The customer base is predominantly long-tail B2C (individual theatergoers, cinema audiences, families, students, restaurants) with a notable enterprise overlay from luxury and publishing brands (Chanel, Lancôme, MGEN, Flammarion, Fayard, Bayard, Boucheron, L'Esprit des sens) renting venues. Marketing is event-driven: seasonal PDF programs, press reviews in Le Parisien/Télérama/Le Monde/Le Figaro, the annual concours de nouvelles (315 entries in 2026), bookstore events, and festival attendance. The venue has a stable executive team led by Director Benoît Lavigne (since 2015) and President Maxence Gaillard, with about 80 artistic proposals reviewed per month and intermittent front-of-house and technical staffing.

Name

Lucernaire

Legal name

LE LUCERNAIRE FORUM

Website

https://www.lucernaire.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Le Lucernaire Forum is a Paris-based multi-disciplinary arts venue combining three theaters (292 seats), three art-house cinemas (146 seats), the Le Kawaa restaurant, a bookstore, gallery, and drama school, serving culturally engaged Parisian audiences, families, schools, and corporate event clients, and distributing shows nationally via Lucernaire Diffusion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Arts and Cultural Venue (Performing Arts)

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Live theater performances
• Art house cinema
• Performing arts venue
• Drama school education
• Corporate event 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, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Theater and cinema ticket sales: Core revenue from selling tickets to theater performances (3 stages, 292 seats total) and art-house cinema screenings (3 cinemas, 146 seats total). Ticket prices range from 6€ (under-15 cinema) to 32€ (theater full price). Seasonal subscription card (42€/year) offers discounted repeat attendance.
2. Restaurant and bar (Le Kawaa): Full-service café, restaurant, and bar operated by Le Kawaa team, generating revenue from food and beverage sales. Restaurant seats 68 (seated) or 100 (standing); café seats 40 (seated) or 50 (standing). Can be privatized for events.
3. Space privatization and venue rental: Rents out theater stages (Théâtre Noir/Rouge: 116 seats, Paradis: 60 seats), cinemas (54/54/38 seats), and restaurant/cafe spaces for private events (seminars, weddings, corporate events, birthdays). Pricing on enquiry. Clients include MGEN, Chanel, Lancôme, Flammarion, Fayard.
4. Gift boxes and subscription card: Annual subscription card (42€) offering 50% discount on second theater ticket and reduced cinema pricing. Gift coffrets (Goûter & Spectacle 36€, Apéro & Spectacle 56€, Dîner & Spectacle 110€) bundle restaurant and theater experiences.
5. Bookstore (Les Petits Pavés): On-site bookstore specializing in books related to the theater and cinema programming, youth literature, and used books. Also sells collected works from the concours de nouvelles (new story competition).
6. Drama school and amateur workshops: Drama school (directed by Philippe Person) and amateur theater workshops (October–June) charged annually (750€–840€/year) or monthly for intensive tracks (200€/month). Classes performed publicly in Lucernaire's stages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lucernaire is a multi-disciplinary cultural venue in Paris combining live theater programming across three stages (292 seats), art-house cinema across three screens (146 seats), an on-site restaurant and café (Le Kawaa), a curated bookstore (Les Petits Pavés), an art gallery, and a two-to-three year drama school. It also produces original shows via Lucernaire Diffusion and rents spaces for corporate and private events.

Product overview

Lucernaire is a multi-disciplinary cultural center in Paris (6th arrondissement) occupying a former factory. It offers a unified venue combining three theater spaces (Théâtre Noir, Théâtre Rouge, Paradis with 292 total seats), three art house cinema screens (146 total seats), the Kawaa restaurant and café, Les Petits Pavés bookstore, an art gallery, a drama school, and event privatization services. The venue also operates Lucernaire Diffusion for touring productions. Additional offerings include an annual subscription card and gift boxes pairing theater experiences with dining.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Théâtre du Lucernaire Live theater programming across three venues (Théâtre Noir 116 seats, Théâtre Rouge 116 seats, Paradis 60 seats) featuring classical, contemporary, comedy, musical, and young-audience performances. Productions include in-house creations and touring productions. Tickets range from 10€ (under-26) to 32€ (full price).
• Cinéma du Lucernaire Art-house cinema program across three screens (Salle 1: 54 seats, Salle 2: 54 seats, Salle 3: 38 seats). Screens drama, documentaries, festival films and special events. Tickets range from 6€ (under-15) to 11€ (full price). Third-party cinema cards accepted (UGC Illimitée, CIP, Cinépass Pathé, CCU, Cinéchéque, OZZAK).
• Le Kawaa du Lucernaire On-site full-service café, restaurant and bar operated by Le Kawaa team. Serves specialty coffee, seasonal cuisine, and bar drinks; restaurant seats 68 (seated) or 100 (standing), café seats 40 (seated) or 50 (standing). Reservations via ZenChef; can be privatized for events.
• Les Petits Pavés (Librairie) On-site bookstore specializing in books related to theater and cinema programming, youth literature, used books, and books from the annual concours de nouvelles. Hosts author signings, readings and literary evenings with authors including Laurent Gaudé, Hervé Tullet and Corinne Zarzavatdjian.
• École d'Art Dramatique du Lucernaire Two-to-three year drama school directed by Philippe Person, offering interpretation courses, thematic workshops (singing, dance, mime, improvisation) and preparation classes for national drama school competitions. Regular workshops 750€–840€/year, intensive tracks 200€/month (Oct–June). Students perform publicly in Lucernaire stages.
• Lucernaire Diffusion Touring production company that distributes Lucernaire's original and co-produced theater shows to festivals and partner theaters across France. Includes Avignon Festival presence and national touring productions such as L'Odyssée, Oliver Twist, Le Garçon Nuage, and Dom Juan.
• Privatisation et Locations Venue rental for full or partial privatization of theater stages (Théâtre Noir: 116 seats, Théâtre Rouge: 116 seats, Paradis: 60 seats), cinema rooms (54, 54, 38 seats), and restaurant/café spaces. Used for corporate events, seminars, weddings, and brand activations. Quote-based pricing (contact: 01 42 22 59 39 / [email protected]). Clients include MGEN, Chanel, Lancôme, Flammarion, Fayard, Bayard, Boucheron.
• Carte d'Abonnement Lucernaire Annual subscription card at 42€/year offering 50% off second theater ticket (16€ instead of 32€), cinema companion at 9€ instead of 11€, 5% off bookstore purchases and 10% off restaurant/bar. Valid 12 months from purchase; cancelled upon no renewal.
• Coffrets Cadeaux (Gift boxes) Bundled gift experiences combining theater tickets with Le Kawaa dining: Goûter & Spectacle (36€, child show + drinks + cake), Apéro & Spectacle (56€, theater tickets + wine + charcuterie/cheese board), Dîner & Spectacle (110€, champagne + 2-course dinner). Valid 1 year from purchase; excludes Dec 24 and 31.
• Galerie d'Exposition Art gallery and exhibition spaces throughout the venue, displaying contemporary art, illustrations, and street art installations. Features solo exhibitions by guest artists and collaborations with external galleries such as Slow Galerie.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ticket sales across 3 theater stages (292 seats) and 3 cinema rooms (146 seats), with seasonal subscription card driving repeat attendance (50% discount on second ticket, recouped from third ticket purchase onward).
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Telerama / AFCRAEcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 July 2026Cinema festival partnership for 'Passeport pour l'été' — a 5-week summer film festival (July 15–August 18, 2026) featuring films from Italy, Japan, UK, Germany, and Spain, paired with corresponding national cuisine at Le Kawaa restaurant. Official festival branding by Telerama and organized with AFCRAE.
• Lost in FrenchlationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 July 2026Cinema partnership for the Summercamp series of French films with English subtitles. Lost in Frenchlation presents films with pre-screening introductions, targeting English-speaking audiences and language learners in Paris. Running every Friday from July 4 to August 21, 2026 at Lucernaire.
• Lys Bleu ÉditionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2026Publishing partner for the annual Lucernaire short story competition (concours de nouvelles). Winning stories are published in collected volumes (e.g., 'Rideau!' for the 2026 edition, 'Rencontre au Lucernaire' for the 2023 edition). Prizes for winners include book vouchers from this publisher.
• MGENminorOthersMGEN privatized the Lucernaire venue for a corporate event, using the theater and/or restaurant spaces for a company gathering.
• LancômeminorOthersLancôme privatized the Lucernaire venue for a corporate event, leveraging the prestige and cultural cachet of the space for a brand activity.
• La Maison ChanelminorOthersLa Maison Chanel used the Lucernaire venue for a private corporate event, renting theater and/or restaurant spaces.
• Éditions FlammarionminorOthersÉditions Flammarion held a private event at the Lucernaire venue, likely in connection with a book launch or literary evening.
• Éditions FayardminorOthersÉditions Fayard used the Lucernaire venue for a corporate event, potentially a book launch or signing.
• Éditions BayardminorOthersÉditions Bayard (publisher of youth and family content) held a private event at the Lucernaire venue.
• La Maison BoucheronminorOthersLuxury jewelry house Boucheron rented the Lucernaire venue for a high-profile private event.
• L'Esprit des sensminorOthersL'Esprit des sens, a hospitality or event company, used the Lucernaire venue for a private event.
• VerlindeminorOthersVerlinde, an entity that has rented the Lucernaire venue for a private event.
• Librairie Albin MichelcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLiterary partner for the annual short story competition. Provides book vouchers as prizes for competition winners alongside Lys Bleu Éditions. The Albin Michel bookstore association adds credibility and prizes to the literary competition.
• CNC (Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCNC is listed as a cinema event partner (alongside Ville de Paris, Région Île de France, CIP, Europa Cinemas) for screenings at Lucernaire, providing institutional support and funding for art-house cinema programming.
• Europa CinemasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEuropa Cinemas is listed as a cinema partner supporting the 'L'objet du délit' screening (Festival de Cannes 2026 – Hors Compétition). The network promotes European art-house cinema and provides exhibitor support to member venues like Lucernaire.
• UGC IllimitéeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCinema chain card (UGC unlimited pass) accepted at Lucernaire cinema, expanding the venue's accessible audience to UGC's subscriber base.
• CIP – Cinémas Indépendants ParisiensminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCIP card accepted at Lucernaire cinema, connecting the venue to the network of independent Parisian cinemas.
• Cinépass PathéminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCinépass Pathé subscription card accepted at Lucernaire cinema, expanding audience reach to Pathé's subscriber network.
• ADAMIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerADAMI (Société Civile des Artistes-Interprètes) is a performing rights organization that provides support to artistic productions at Lucernaire, including Oliver Twist and Dolto. It collects and distributes royalties to performers.
• Pop Corn ProductionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoproduction partner for L'Odyssée – La Conférence Musicale. Pop Corn Production co-produced the show with T.O.U.R.T.E. and Lucernaire, which then toured nationally.
• MD productions / studiho / Hop Frog EntertainmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction partners for Mystère à Silent Pool (Agatha Christie a disparu). MD productions, studiho, and Hop Frog Entertainment supported the theatrical production alongside the performing company Les ballons rouges.
• T.O.U.R.T.E.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheater company T.O.U.R.T.E. created and co-produced L'Odyssée – La Conférence Musicale with Pop Corn Production and Lucernaire. The production won the Trophée de la comédie musicale jeune public 2022 and was nominated for a Molière du Jeune public 2023.
• Compagnie du Théâtre MordoréminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe theater company behind Le Petit Chaperon Rouge, creating and staging the young audience production at Lucernaire. The show runs May–August 2026 in Théâtre Noir.
• Écho systèmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner of T.O.U.R.T.E. for the L'Odyssée production alongside Pop Corn Production and the city of Souppes-sur-Loing.
• Théâtre JeanneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership venue for the L'Odyssée production alongside La Comédie des 3 Bornes and the city of Souppes-sur-Loing, indicating a network of venues collaborating on young audience productions.
• La Comédie des 3 BornesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership venue for the L'Odyssée production alongside Théâtre Jeanne and the city of Souppes-sur-Loing.
• Ville de Souppes-sur-LoingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner supporting the L'Odyssée production alongside T.O.U.R.T.E., Pop Corn Production, and Écho systèm. Located in the Seine-et-Marne department.
• Galerie du Luxembourg / Slow GalerieminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExternal gallery (Slow Galerie) collaborates with Lucernaire's Les Petits Pavés bookstore and exhibition program, featuring works by artists including Clémence Trossevin, Virginie Cognet, and Alexandre Clérisse, who also show at Lucernaire's gallery.
• Switch AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoproduction partner for Le Garçon Nuage (Lucernaire Diffusion production). Switch Agency co-produced this poetry theater piece with Lucernaire Production.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Comédie-Française: The French national theater with three Parisian halls (Salle Richelieu, Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier, Studio-Théâtre). Shares Lucernaire's classical/repertory orientation but operates at dramatically larger scale with public subsidy and a permanent troupe.
• Théâtre national de Chaillot: National theater in Paris's 16th arrondissement with three performance spaces and a broad dance/theater/music program plus educational programming. Comparable multi-room institutional model, though publicly subsidized at a much larger scale than Lucernaire.
• Théâtre du Châtelet: Major Parisian theater venue (1st arrondissement) presenting large-scale theater, musical theater, opera and concerts. A much larger incumbent with overlapping artistic categories but a fundamentally different scale and operating model.

Direct peers

• Théâtre Hébertot: A multi-disciplinary private theater and art-house cinema venue in Paris's 17th arrondissement combining live performance, film screenings, a literary salon and a restaurant. Closest functional analogue to Lucernaire's theater + cinema + restaurant + bookstore model under one roof in Paris.
• Théâtre de la Gaîté-Montparnasse: Multi-room Parisian theater venue offering contemporary plays, comedy, young-audience productions and event privatization in a single building. Closely matches Lucernaire's three-stage setup, young-audience focus and reliance on corporate/private rentals.
• Théâtre de l'Odéon / Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe: Prestigious Parisian theater in the 6th arrondissement (the same neighborhood as Lucernaire) with a multi-stage classical and contemporary program and a bookshop. Directly comparable as a high-prestige private-style theatrical venue targeting the same left-bank cultural audience.
• Théâtre Antoine / Théâtre des Nouveautés: Long-established private Parisian theaters with diversified programming including classics, contemporary plays and comedies, plus venue rental for private events. Comparable private-theater business model targeting the same paying Paris audience.
• Le Trianon: Paris theater and concert venue (18th arrondissement) hosting theater, music, comedy and occasional cinema-style programming with private event rental. Comparable as a privately operated Parisian performance venue with diversified programming and corporate rental.
• Comédie de Paris: Parisian theater programming comedy and contemporary plays with corporate event offerings. Comparable as a private Parisian theater competing for the same audience base, though narrower in artistic scope than Lucernaire's multi-disciplinary model.

Emerging players

• Le Monfort Théâtre: Parisian theater venue (15th arrondissement) presenting contemporary, family and young-audience productions with subsidized programming. Comparable in offering family/young-audience theater programming and cultural-education positioning, though at a smaller scale and with public funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lucernaire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Lucernaire