Bringing people together through shared experiences

Where it all began

Ludus began as a side project. Born in a theatre, not a boardroom.

Created by people who know what it takes to run a live event

We’ve been there—managing teams, juggling tools, and jumping between five logins just to stay on track. That’s why we built Ludus: everything you need, working in sync, with real support when it matters most.

We believe live performance deserves better tools

Act I
Built for the arts

Ludus started with a problem that many arts organizations face: outdated, disconnected systems that make simple tasks harder than they should be. So we built a better way. A single platform to handle ticketing, fundraising, marketing, volunteer management, concessions, and more—all in one place.

Act II
Grown by community

Today, Ludus supports over 4,500 organizations across the U.S., from K–12 schools and community theatres to colleges and professional performing arts centers.

Act III
The heart of it all

We’ve grown quickly, but our roots have stayed the same: real people building real tools for people who care about the arts.

Why the name Ludus?

Ludus means “play” or “game” in Latin—but in ancient Rome, it also described theater, gladiator schools, and public games that brought people together. The name just felt right.

And the Cricket?

You can’t have a Ticket Worm.
You definitely can’t have a Ticket Cur.
So… the Ticket Cricket was born.

And the Cricket?

It rhymes. It sticks. And in many cultures, the cricket symbolizes creativity, strength, and good fortune. Plus, someone once said, “Even a small cricket can do big things.”

Our journey

2016

Ludus officially became a company after starting as a side project built to solve a local need.

2019

We opened our first office in Holland, Michigan.

2020

COVID-19 hit. We added built-in streaming to help organizations continue selling tickets and sharing performances.

2021

We expanded to a 4-person team and began offering new tools and support options.

2022

Ludus grew to 10+ team members and reached 2,000 organizations.

2023

We earned our first spot on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies.

2024

We earned our second consecutive Inc. 5000 award and expanded our offerings across marketing, donations, classes, and volunteer management.

2025

With 4,500+ organizations on Ludus, we secured $12M in investment to scale, opened a second office in Grand Rapids, launched new tools, grew to 50+, and earned our third consecutive Inc. 5000 award as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.

Meet the Ludus team

Real people. Real commitment to the arts.

Let’s Create Together

Help us build something meaningful for the arts.

Join our team