Market Report: Latvia

International acts are growing their share of sales in Latvia, but there is still scope to experiment with flexible pricing to ensure the sector doesn’t slip due to inflation-driven worries among consumers.

Primary ticketing
Biļešu Serviss, a subsidiary of Piletilevi Group, is the strongest player, while Biļešu Paradīze offers services for local artists’ events. Small players include Aula, eKase, and Ticket Shop.

Distribution of sales
“The market is 90% digital/10% physical,” says Līga Rubine, CEO of Biļešu Serviss. “Mobile apps and digital wallets are increasingly popular,” she suggests. “Traditional printed tickets are less common but still used.”

“The market is 90% digital/10% physical.”

Value of market
Statista forecasts that the live market will generate $13.8m in 2024, increasing to $15.0m by 2028.

“Ticket prices have generally been increasing in line with inflation, with the highest inflation experienced in 2023,” notes Rubine. “The market demonstrates the ability to sustain these price increases, supported by consumer demand for quality entertainment and a resilient economy.”

“The market demonstrates the ability to sustain these price increases, supported by consumer demand for quality entertainment and a resilient economy.”

Secondary ticketing
Biļešu Serviss recently began offering secondary ticketing for some events. “A number of sold-out events dictate the need for a secondary market,” says Rubine.

International/domestic splits & genres
There has been a notable increase in ticket sales for domestic acts and events, according to Rubine.

Cultural analysis
“The ticketing sector is responding by enhancing digital platforms, offering personalised recommendations, and adopting greener practices, such as digital-only tickets,” is Rubine’s summation of the key market trends.

Due to inflation and a rising cost of living, consumers are more hesitant in their ticket purchasing. Rubine says the sector needs to experiment with flexible pricing strategies to make tickets affordable.

Taxes & charges
“The standard VAT rate on tickets in Latvia is 21%,” explains Rubine. “However, the Latvian tax practice for cultural events has a different methodology, and promoters only pay tax in certain cases at the end.”