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yesterday

Few German Music Festivals Turn a Profit, New Study Finds

Financing insecurity tops organizer concerns, with artist fees the largest expense.

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Ob Pop, Jazz oder Klassik: Musikfestivals sind ein wichtiger Bestandteil der deutschen Kulturlandschaft - doch die wirtschaftliche Lage vieler Festivals ist angespannt. Rund 30 Prozent der Festivals schlossen ihre letzte Ausgabe mit einem Verlust ab.

Overview

  • About 30% of festivals reported a loss on their most recent edition, while only 15% made a profit.
  • Across respondents, average revenues were roughly €313,000 against average expenses of about €296,000.
  • Artist honoraria account for the biggest share of costs at 38% on average, rising to 48% at classical festivals.
  • Revenue models diverge by genre, with popular music events relying more on ticket sales and gastronomy and classical festivals depending chiefly on public subsidies.
  • Nearly two-thirds of organizers expect the number of festivals to decline in the coming years, even as 18% of current festivals were founded since 2020 and 82% cite securing financing as their top challenge.