YAAM
YAAM is a Berlin-based nonprofit cultural venue operating since 1994 on 8,000m² of outdoor space, featuring a beach, food market, sports facilities, kids corner, bars, and live music programming serving multicultural audiences across families, music enthusiasts, and art communities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What YAAM does
YAAM (Young African Art Market) is a Berlin-based independent sociocultural nonprofit venue operating continuously since 1994. It currently occupies an approximately 8,000m² outdoor site at An der Schillingbrücke 3 in the Friedrichshain district, adjacent to the East Side Gallery, and is legally operated by the registered nonprofit association KULT. Verein für Jugendkultur e.V. The venue combines an urban beach with birch trees, an African and Caribbean food market, sports facilities (basketball, street soccer, table tennis, planned skateboarding/halfpipe), a Kids Corner with playground and sandbox, multiple bars, dancefloors, and one of Europe's largest outdoor graffiti galleries. Programming spans concerts, parties, DJ events, comedy nights, Cypher sessions, graffiti workshops, family festivals, and children's theater, serving a broad multicultural Berlin audience of families, underground music enthusiasts (Reggae, Hip Hop, Soul, Latin), and street art visitors. The board comprises Jamal Kamano, Tina Dröge, and Ousainou Jammeh, supported by a small core team of 1-10 employees.
The business runs on a multi-stream revenue model with no proprietary technology. Income is generated through event ticketing via Eventbrite, on-site food and beverage sales, merchandise through the YAAM Shop on loveyourartist.com (operated by DemoShop e.K., Inhaber: Kult e.V.), private venue rental and ticketed events at the 80-capacity Cool Runnings club, and membership fees/donations supporting the nonprofit. Distribution is primarily physical (on-site venue access, seasonally Easter to end of October for the outdoor area and year-round for Cool Runnings), supplemented by organic social channels (Instagram @yaam_berlin, Facebook YAAM.Berlin, YouTube @TheYaamBerlin, Linktree), an AWeber email newsletter, and the yaam.de website. GTM is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth and 30 years of accumulated brand recognition.
YAAM's operations have been materially constrained since June 2020, when the Bauaufsicht Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg ordered the closure of the main indoor building after determining that structural stability could not be sufficiently demonstrated. The indoor club was suspended, parts of the regular crew were dismissed, and indoor programming was rebuilt through the smaller Cool Runnings venue during 2021-22. Between 2014 and 2020, the indoor venue hosted over 1,000 concerts and parties featuring major international Reggae, Hip Hop, Soul, and Latin acts. As of 2023, the organization was negotiating a potential 30-year lease with the district that would require it to finance building renovations to restore full operations.
YAAM firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- YAAM
- Legal name
- KULT. Verein für Jugendkultur e.V.
- Website
- https://yaam.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- YAAM is a Berlin-based nonprofit cultural venue operating since 1994 on 8,000m² of outdoor space, featuring a beach, food market, sports facilities, kids corner, bars, and live music programming serving multicultural audiences across families, music enthusiasts, and art communities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
YAAM industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cultural Venue & Event Programming
- NAICS
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (71399)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro industry
- Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages)Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Event Venues & Venue Operations (Arenas, Theaters, Halls)
Keywords
Where YAAM is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
YAAM business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Event ticketing: Revenue generated from concert and party ticket sales, managed through Eventbrite platform.
- Food and beverage sales: On-site food market with African and Caribbean cuisine, plus multiple bars serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
- Merchandise sales: Online shop (YAAM Shop e.K.) selling merchandise, operated through loveyourartist.com platform.
- Venue rental and event hosting: The venue hosts private and public events, with the Cool Runnings club space accommodating up to 80 guests for various formats including DJ sets, comedy, Cypher, and live music events.
- Membership/Donations: The non-profit KULT Verein für Jugendkultur e.V. relies on member support and potentially donations to sustain operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard shipping within Germany |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
YAAM product offering
Product offeringCore offering
YAAM (Young African Art Market) operates an 8,000m² independent sociocultural venue in Berlin's Friedrichshain district at An der Schillingbrücke 3, offering a food market with African and Caribbean cuisine, a beach area, sports facilities, a children's play corner, multiple bars, dancefloors, and event spaces. The venue hosts concerts, club nights, DJ sets, comedy, street-art workshops, and community programs, and is operated by the nonprofit association KULT. Verein für Jugendkultur e.V.
Product overview
YAAM (Young African Art Market) is a single unified sociocultural venue and community space in Berlin, not a software product. The offering consists of the YAAM physical venue (8000m² at Schillingbrücke) as the core product, supplemented by multiple integrated sub-products: the Beach area, Cool Runnings club space, Foodmarket, Kids Corner, Sports facilities, Art/Street Art offerings, and Workshops. An online merchandise shop operates separately. The venue operates as an independent sociocultural project run by KULT Verein für Jugendkultur e.V., providing underground music, street art, and alternative art forms since 1994.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- YAAM Venue (Hauptgelände) An 8,000m² independent sociocultural venue in Berlin, located at Schillingbrücke since 2014, offering food market, sports facilities, kids playground, beach area, multiple bars, and dancefloors for general public visitors.
- YAAM Beach (Strand) Outdoor beach area with sand, birch trees, drinks service, sports facilities (football field, basketball), and kids corner; open Easter to end of October on weekdays with weekend DJ sets.
- Cool Runnings Club Year-round club venue accommodating up to 80 guests, featuring a club café during the day and evening events including DJ sets, comedy, Cypher, and live music performances Tuesday through Sunday.
- YAAM Foodmarket
Companies that use YAAM
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
YAAM technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
YAAM partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
YAAM competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Berghain: Iconic, large-scale Berlin club. A broader incumbent in Berlin nightlife, not a direct multicultural/community-venue competitor but operating in the same alternative-music market ecosystem.
Direct peers
- Lido Berlin: Berlin club and live-venue in Friedrichshain hosting concerts, club nights, and alternative programming. Shares the underground live-music and club night positioning with YAAM's Cool Runnings and outdoor venue.
- Astra Kulturhaus: Historic Berlin live-music and cultural venue in Friedrichshain. Directly comparable on established live-music/cultural venue positioning in the same district as YAAM.
- Festsaal Kreuzberg: Berlin live music and events venue focused on independent and underground programming. Comparable on concert/party venue model and inner-city Berlin location serving similar audiences.
- Ritter Butzke: Berlin club and event location in Kreuzberg hosting electronic music and club nights. Comparable as an alternative-music Berlin club venue targeting overlapping nightlife audiences.
- Badehaus Berlin: Berlin concert and club venue featuring indie, hip-hop, and alternative acts. Comparable as a mid-size Berlin live-music venue serving overlapping alternative-music audiences.
- SO36: Long-running Berlin music and cultural venue in Kreuzberg with a comparable multicultural and alternative-music heritage. Directly comparable on subculture nightclub/live-music positioning in central Berlin.
- Urban Spree: Berlin art-and-music venue combining graffiti/street-art exhibitions with concerts and cultural programming. Overlaps with YAAM on the unique street-art + live-music combination.
- Cassiopeia Berlin: Friedrichshain-based music venue and club hosting alternative/underground acts. Comparable as a long-standing Berlin alternative-music venue operating in a similar district.
- Prince Charles: Berlin club and cultural venue near Ostkreuz focused on independent and alternative music programming. Directly comparable on alternative-music club positioning in eastern Berlin.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
YAAM social profiles
Digital presenceYAAM financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
YAAM leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
YAAM subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
YAAM funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
YAAM M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about YAAM
What does YAAM do?
YAAM (Young African Art Market) operates an 8,000m² independent sociocultural venue in Berlin's Friedrichshain district at An der Schillingbrücke 3, offering a food market with African and Caribbean cuisine, a beach area, sports facilities, a children's play corner, multiple bars, dancefloors, and event spaces. The venue hosts concerts, club nights, DJ sets, comedy, street-art workshops, and community programs, and is operated by the nonprofit association KULT. Verein für Jugendkultur e.V.
Is YAAM a public or private company?
YAAM is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was YAAM founded?
YAAM was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is YAAM based?
YAAM is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does YAAM make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Event ticketing is the primary driver. The others are food and beverage sales, merchandise sales, venue rental and event hosting and membership/Donations.
Who are YAAM's main competitors?
Berghain is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Lido Berlin, Astra Kulturhaus, Festsaal Kreuzberg, Ritter Butzke, Badehaus Berlin, SO36, Urban Spree, Cassiopeia Berlin and Prince Charles.
Does YAAM have an API?
No public API is recorded for YAAM.
What industry is YAAM in?
YAAM's product category is Cultural Venue & Event Programming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGALAF, Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages). Its NAICS code is 722410 and its SIC code is 5810.