Country Profile: Germany
Trade association BDKV reported that the live music market in Germany was worth €5.6bn in 2023, but there is a focus within the market to ensure that it is not just the top 1% sponging up most of the money.
LiveKultur is calling for the creation of the Live Music Fund Germany to help support grassroots venues, smaller festivals, and new acts on their first tours, with the philosophy that this will help the overall sector economically and culturally.
The country has heavyweight promoters like Live Nation, DEAG, and FKP Scorpio, as well as key national promoters like Karsten Jahnke, PRK DreamHaus, Semmel, and Wizard Live. The market is obviously doing well in aggregate, but all players, big and small, say the economic situation for both acts and audiences is a growing concern.
Folkert Koopmans, CEO of FKP Scorpio, says the German market is “facing some economic headwinds and saturation.” None of this is being helped by a stagnant economy and rising costs impacting people’s…