CTS Eventim has toasted a “successful start” to 2025 after confirming a 22% revenue growth in the first quarter.

The German-headquartered ticketing and live entertainment giant reported consolidated revenue of €498.6m for the first three months of 2025, marking a 22% increase compared with the prior-year period. Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter increased by 8.9% to €100m.

CTS partially attributes the Group’s revenue growth to the acquisitions of See Tickets and France Billet, plus Chile’s Punto Ticket and Peru’s Teleticket.

With these companies fully consolidated for Q1, the firm’s ticketing segment improved by 16.9% to €213.6m, with adjusted EBITDA ascending 6.6% to €88.7m.

This increase was also driven by major on-sales for several popular international artists and the launch of ticket presales for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“We will continue to expand our Group, unlock synergies, and inspire our customers and partners with innovative products and services”

Revenue for its Live Entertainment segment increased 24.5% to €291.8m, with adjusted EBITDA of €11.6 million (+ 29.8%). These results are down to organic growth, both in Germany and internationally, according to CTS.

“Further favourable effects in connection with the live entertainment companies acquired as part of the See Tickets transaction should materialise over the course of the festival season in mid and late summer 2025,” it adds.

CTS’s positive Q1 2025 results come soon after CTS confirmed record earnings for 2024.

“CTS Eventim grew dynamically in the first quarter of 2025, both organically and as a result of acquisitions,” says Klaus-Peter Schulenberg, CEO, CTS Eventim. “The integration of the See Tickets Group and French market leader France Billet are on track, proving the effectiveness of our global growth and acquisition strategy. We will continue to expand our Group, unlock synergies, and inspire our customers and partners with innovative products and services.”

CTS’ Arena Milano project in Italy is due to be completed at the end of this year, and the firm was also awarded the contract to build and operate a planned new multipurpose arena in Vienna, Austria, last November.

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Live Nation is joining forces with the Munich Arena project team as a long-term strategic partner, ahead of its projected 2029 opening.

Located in the northern part of the city near Munich International Airport, the Munich Arena will host approximately 20,000 fans and combine “cutting-edge architecture, excellent acoustics, and optimal sightlines,” according to a press release.

The Populous-designed arena is also slated to be ‘Germany’s most sustainable concert arena’ as the first in the country to achieve Gold certification by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), a leading authority in sustainable construction.

The arena is expected to be a strong economic driver for the region. A recent Deloitte study estimates an annual gross value-added impact of €354 million ($396 million), in addition to €391 million ($438), projected during the construction phase.

“We are proud to be part of this groundbreaking project in Bavaria, which has the potential to become a cultural and live entertainment hotspot at the heart of Europe,” says Tom Lynch, president venues, Live Nation EMEA.

“Finally, Germany will have the arena that fans have been waiting for”

“The record-breaking Adele residency last summer proved how much Munich and the surrounding region value live music and demonstrated the area’s capacity and infrastructure to host both national and international artists and fans. The Munich Arena will play a key role in attracting talent and audiences to the region, and we’re excited to support its growth.”

The arena team is led by Lorenz Schmid, managing director at Bavaria-based developer SWMunich Real Estate, who adds: “This strategic partnership with Live Nation is a significant milestone for us, bringing the expertise of the world’s leading live entertainment company into our project. Together with my team, we will continue to drive the plans forward with full energy and unwavering commitment to the region. We want to create a place where people of all backgrounds and ages can come together to experience unforgettable concerts and live entertainment events. A venue that is deeply rooted in Bavaria while also shining on a global level. In doing so, Munich Arena will become a driving force for culture, economy, and tourism.”

Marek Lieberberg, MD, Live Nation GSA, comments: “Finally, Germany will have the arena that fans have been waiting for. With the Munich Arena a new era begins – an essential new concert and entertainment experience that meets the needs of both visitors and artists in every way.”

Munich Arena adds to Live Nation’s European venue portfolio, which also includes top entertainment buildings like the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, and the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, among others.

Upcoming Live Nation arena projects already announced include new buildings in Cardiff, Wales, and Singapore.

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Irish post-punk band The Murder Capital have had two concerts in Germany cancelled over their plans to display a Palestinian flag on stage.

The five-piece had been set to perform at Berlin’s Gretchen club on 10 May and Gebäude 9 in Cologne last night.

Gretchen posted an apology for the cancellation to fans on social media, explaining the 650-cap venue has a long-held “no national flag” policy in place.

“We are very sorry that the show with The Murder Capital didn’t take place,” says the statement. “We as venue have a ‘no national flag’ policy since many years. That means that we do not tolerate any kind of national flags in our venue. This is also written down in our venue specs so that also artists get to know about that.

“During the sound check… it turned out that the band had a Palestinian flag on stage. We asked them to take the flag away, but they decided that for them and their show this flag is too important to be able to do the show without.

“We try to be a safe place for many different communities and really believe that music is able to build bridges – beyond borders and nationalities. Therefore we deeply believe that national flags are not helpful at all.”

“There is no compromise possible between ‘a national flag’ and ‘no national flag'”

The statement continues: “Regarding the Middle East, we try to support the Palestinian community as well as Jewish and/or Israeli people. We also present artists from all over this region. We never cancel speeches as long as they are not hatespeeches against other groups of human beings. We try to encounter everybody with empathy and consider it important to follow our heart.

“We feel very sorry that all the fans weren’t able to experience the concert they were coming for, but there is no compromise possible between ‘a national flag’ and ‘no national flag’. And there is probably no right or wrong.”

The Murder Capital performed free acoustic sets outside of Berlin venue Obentrautstraße 19 and in Cologne’s Rheinpark in place of the cancelled shows.

In a social media video, the group said: “The Palestinian flag itself needs to be on our stage and needs to be as visible everywhere in the world as possible,” they added. “These people are being eradicated, being starved, being bombed, and these war crimes and this genocide is being committed by the Israeli state and funded and supported by governments around the world.

“Us having a flag on our stage at a rock show is not a political statement. It is a human reaction to a horrific and unimaginable situation. But this is not history, it is happening right now today.”

Irish rap trio Kneecap also had a number of performances in Germany called off after being accused of “projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech” at this year’s Coachella in the US, while American singer-songwriter Kehlani’s scheduled show at Cornell University was also nixed due to her pro-Palestine support.

“Forcing musicians not to perform and denying people who want to hear them an opportunity to do so is self-evidently a method of censorship”

Elsewhere, Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood and Israeli musician Dudu Tassa saw their June dates at Bristol Beacon and London’s Hackney Church cancelled after the venues “received enough credible threats to conclude that it’s not safe to proceed”.

The BDS movement had accused Greenwood, who previously performed shows with Tassa in Tel Aviv, of “artwashing genocide”.

In a lengthy statement in response, the guitarist and Tassa and their band said: “Forcing musicians not to perform and denying people who want to hear them an opportunity to do so is self-evidently a method of censorship and silencing.

“Intimidating venues into pulling our shows won’t help achieve the peace and justice everyone in the Middle East deserves. The cancellation will be hailed as a victory by the campaigners behind it, but we see nothing to celebrate and don’t find that anything positive has been achieved.”

Referencing, the joint statement signed by more than 100 artists in support of Kneecap’s right to artistic freedom of expression, the duo added: “We have no judgment to pass on Kneecap but note how sad it is that those supporting their freedom of expression are the same ones most determined to restrict ours.”

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Plans for AC/DC to open Düsseldorf’s controversial Open Air Park venue this summer have been shelved, with the gig instead switching to the nearby Merkur Spiel-Arena.

Venue developers D.Live and local promoter Concert Team had hoped the legendary rockers’ 8 July concert would mark the start of a new era for the city, with a proposed outdoor venue catering for up to 80,000 fans. However, concerns about the number of trees that would need to be cut down, as well as objections about traffic disruption, noise, and anxiety over anti-social behaviour have seemingly delayed the project, with local authorities stalled on approving full planning consent.

Instead, D.Live has announced that the show will take place on the same date in the adjacent Merkur Spiel-Arena (cap. 52,500).

The delay is another setback for Düsseldorf’s venue portfolio, following a similar situation seven years ago when a scheduled outdoor show by Ed Sheeran, in the same location, had to be cancelled after objections in relation to the felling of trees, and worries over local wildlife.

“The event would not have come to Düsseldorf if this opportunity had not existed”

Undeterred by the delay, D.Live managing director Michael Brill notes that AC/DC would not have visited the city at all had they not been able to present Düsseldorf’s range of facilities to the band and their representatives.

“Düsseldorf as the location for the AC/DC concert also reflects the strategic importance of the upcoming Open Air Park,” says Brill. “Although it is now being relocated, the event would not have come to Düsseldorf if this opportunity had not existed. Through its portfolio strategy, D.Live is solidifying Düsseldorf as a top location for live entertainment.”

Noting that, “The relocation of the event has no connection with the development plan procedure for the Open Air Park,” on which the City Council will announce its bylaw resolution on 28 May, Brill adds, “Fortunately, we can react very flexibly to changing requirements here in Düsseldorf and relocate shows to one of our other venues. Of course, we find it very unfortunate that we won’t be celebrating the premiere of the Open Air Park Düsseldorf with AC/DC this year and have postponed it to 2026. At the same time, however, we are pleased that the concert with these global stars will take place in Düsseldorf.”

The show’s relocation means that tree felling in the park will not be carried out this year, but D.Live says other development steps involving the provision of electricity, water, and sewage systems are “still in full swing.”

Fans who had already purchased standing room tickets, or tickets for the outdoor show’s wheelchair access area will need to exchange their ticket to book places in the relevant areas of the arena, but other fans should be able to use their existing tickets for entry to the relocated event.

AC/DC’s PWR UP tour will also visit Berlin’s Olympic Stadium (30 June) and Messe Karlsruhe (17 August), and elsewhere the band’s European dates will include appearances in Prague, Warsaw, Madrid, Imola, Tallinn, Gothenburg, Oslo, Paris, and Edinburgh.

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The German touring sector is gaining a new awards ceremony as a successor to the Live Entertainment Award (LEA).

First held in Hamburg in 2006, the LEA had been held at Frankfurt’s Festhalle since 2011 and grew into one of the industry’s most prestigious awards shows, but was discontinued two years ago and the organisation behind it dissolved.

However, national trade association the BDKV has now announced the Best Of Live Award (BOLA), which aims to recognise outstanding achievements in live entertainment. The event will debut on 9 December during the gala dinner of the the organisation’s general meeting at the Hotel Palace Berlin.

“The Best Of Live Award is the prize we’ve all been hoping for,” says Sonia Simmenauer, president of the BDKV and chair of the BOLA Jury. “We celebrate the people behind the scenes who make the live experience possible with passion and professionalism. This award brings our community together – in the spotlight and full of appreciation.”

“With the Best Of Live Award, we are creating a platform for excellence, innovation, and collaboration – while strengthening the industry’s network”

The ceremony will be presented by comedians Jeannine Michaelsen and Jan van Weyde and will include nine categories representing the breadth of the industry.

“With the Best Of Live Award, we are creating a platform for excellence, innovation, and collaboration – while strengthening the industry’s network,” says BDKV MD Johannes Everke. “A particular challenge was ensuring that all segments of our broad industry could be represented and have their say. Accordingly, the categories are broadly defined; one half of the jury represents all of our departments, and the other half is made up of experts from around us. And the final vote by our members ultimately makes this award a truly collaborative project.”

All BDKV members can submit proposals from 1 August, with the announcement of the nominees by a jury of members and industry experts to follow on 16 October.

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As Deutsche Entertainment (DEAG) posts its 2024 year-end financial results, CEO Detlef Kornett speaks to IQ about the firm’s “tough but transformational” year.

On Friday, the Berlin-based promoter, events operator and ticketing company reported the highest revenue result in the company’s history: €369.8 million – up 17.9% year on year.

With over 11 million tickets sold in the DEAG Group in 2024 (previous year: 10 million), the rapidly expanding ticketing business was particularly successful, as was the Spoken Word & Literary Events division.

The Group’s increased revenue can also be partly attributed to its bullish M&A strategy, which this year included the acquisitions of UK-based promoter and live entertainment organiser ShowPlanr, German festival organiser black mamba Event & Marketing and Italian rock promoter MC2 Live.

“MC2 Live co-founder Andrea Pieroni is a big asset within the European network”

“M&A is an essential part of our business, so there hasn’t been a year when we haven’t acquired new companies,” says Kornett. “I think we made fewer acquisitions than usual in 2024, but with MC2 Live, for example, it was a very important and sizeable acquisition.”

DEAG acquired Milan-based MC² Live in October 2024, bringing its co-founders and legendary promoters Andrea and Stefano Pieroni into the group. Over the past few decades, the stalwart promoter has organised numerous concerts, festivals and events with stars such as Judas Priest, Slipknot, Rammstein, 50 Cent, Ne-Yo, Eros Ramazzotti and Negrita.

“MC2 Live co-founder Andrea Pieroni is a big asset within the European network and we have managed to tap into new cycles of contacts and so forth,” Kornett adds.

Though he admits that the Netherlands and Benelux are obvious gaps in DEAG’s marketplace, the CEO is resistant to “expansion for the sake of expansion”. “There has to be a fit with the people and how to approach business,” he adds.

“It’s been a tough year and I don’t want to portray everything as hunky dory”

With the acquisition of MC² Live, DEAG is now present in Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Ireland, Denmark, Spain and Italy.

“In 2024, we’ve not been outstandingly successful in just one country or one specific segment; it was hard work and everyone pitched in,” says Kornett. “It’s been a tough year and I don’t want to portray everything as hunky dory.

“In continental Europe, stadium acts and big shows were selling like hot cakes, but on the flip side, lots of good household names were clawing for every ticket to get to the water line.”

With former CEO Peter Schwenkow stepping down in March last year, Kornett framed 2024 as a “year of transformation to lay the foundations for sustainable and profitable growth”.

This is how the company explains a drop in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to around €14.4 million in 2024, compared to €26.4 million in 2023.

“It’s not a matter of if the weather will hit your festival, it’s when”

“With Peter stepping down, there was lots of reorganisation,” explains Kornett. “I have put a big emphasis on strengthening the executive vice president level within the company. We’re not on the stock exchange right now, but we are a company structured that way, and having a new board with all new board members just takes some time.”

The company also invested in a sustainability officer and the evolution of its IT infrastructure, both of which Kornett is confident will pay off in 2025.

An unexpected cost last year was the weather-related challenges in staging open-air events in parts of Europe.

“It’s not a matter of if the weather will hit your festival, it’s when,” says Kornett. “If it hits early enough, then you’re usually in an okay place because you’ve got insurance. But last year, we had to turn away 10,000 people at Nature One because of unsafe weather conditions. Then you miss all the auxiliary revenues, too. It was still a very good festival but the economic damage is done.”

“There are a lot of issues in the festival sector – from weather to headliners to costs to audiences”

Kornett says the company will continue to invest in weather prevention, having accepted that it increases the cost of putting on an outdoor event.

Last year, the company organised over 30 festivals and open-air concerts across the continent, but with margins decreasing, the firm has streamlined its outdoor event portfolio for 2025 and axed less profitable events and festivals in the UK, Germany and Italy.

“There are a lot of issues in the festival sector – from weather to headliners to costs to audiences,” he explains. “And when the rest of the year has strong events, you think ‘Do I need to risk it all for a small festival of the same genre?’  –probably not.”

DEAG Group’s rapidly expanding ticketing business was particularly successful in 2024, with over 11 million tickets sold compared to 10 million in the previous year.

“We have created a very good instrument to drive success for our events”

A steadily growing share of these tickets is sold via the DEAG Group’s ticketing platforms, which include myticket.de, myticket.at, myticket.co.uk, gigantic.com and tickets.ie.

“It’s one segment of a business that has a very good margin and now contributes significantly to the total EBITDA, but for us, it’s more complementary [to the success of the company],” the CEO explains.

“Having our own ticketing machine in the core markets helps us put our content into the best possible light and it allows us to promote acts that otherwise would not get the limelight on that day of the week,” he says.

“Having access to data is also very important and other ticketing companies don’t do that. But I can’t stress enough: we’re not in competition with Eventim or Ticketmaster or vice versa. We have created a very good instrument to drive success for our events and add to the overall mix of our business, and that’s really important.”

“Spoken Word & Literary Events is probably the most important non-music segment we have”

Another segment of DEAG’s business that has seen significant growth is the Spoken Word & Literary Events division, which achieved a 10% share of revenue within just three years.

The event format “An Evening with…” featuring world-famous authors has been particularly successful, as has the international literature festival lit.COLOGNE, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in March 2025 by welcoming around 120,000 visitors.

“Spoken Word & Literary Events is probably the most important non-music segment we have,” says Kornett. “I am very confident that there are more years of rapid growth in front of us, and we’re only just realising how big the audience is. There’s still a whole world for us to capture, outside of personality and literary events, and that’s where I think the growth will come from.”

It’s not just the Spoken Word & Literary Events division that Kornett is feeling optimistic about. If 2024 was DEAG’s year of transformation, 2025 is poised to be its year of success, according to the CEO.

For the financial year 2025, DEAG is aiming to sell 12 million tickets to concerts, festivals and live events

“We’re very confident that our EBITDA will increase significantly in the current financial year – I think all the signs are in our favour,” he says.

DEAG has already sold around four million tickets to events in 2025, achieving a new record for advance sales figures.

The revenue generated and already fixed is around €150 million and significantly exceeds the previous record of €129 million from 2021 for 2022, the most successful financial year to date.

For the financial year 2025, DEAG is also aiming to sell 12 million tickets to concerts, festivals and live events.

“I do feel that our two-to-three-year plan of becoming a company with more than €500 million in revenues will pay off”

This year, DEAG is organising concerts and tours by artists such as Sam Fender, Stereophonics, Andrea Bocelli, Till Lindemann, Lana Del Rey, Iron Maiden and the Scorpions. The tour for the 45th anniversary of German rock band Böhse Onkelz sold 160,000 tickets exclusively via the Group’s own ticketing platform myticket.de within just a few hours.

The firm is also expecting hundreds of thousands of visitors to its festivals, such as the 30th anniversary edition of Nature One, Mayday, Airbeat One and the Belladrum Tartan Heart.

“We’re not only looking at 2026 now, we’re also having bookings in 2027 – and not only at superstar level but arenas too,” he says. “For us as a company, that’s very helpful because it allows you to plan for resources and whatever is needed. So I do feel that our two-to-three-year plan of becoming a company with more than €500 million in revenues will pay off.”

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German trade association the BDKV is launching a coaching network for entrepreneurs, managers and industry employees.

The move, which marks an expansion of the BDKV Academy, reflects the technological advances, changing production conditions and new audience expectations impacting the modern business.

It will tackle topics such as generational change and company succession, team structure, communication and leadership, stress prevention, resilience and work-life balance and cultural change and employer attractiveness.

“In moments of pressure to change, good advice is worth its weight in gold,” says BDKV president Sonia Simmenauer. “Here, we create added value for the resilience and future viability of our companies in the concert and event industry.”

Coaches will include industry veterans Mareike Bergunde, Florian Brauch, Astrid Eckstein, Gudrun Kaltwasser, Tina Krüger, Julia Labonte-Stoy, Anne Löhr and Nike Ostendarp, with the network forming the third pillar of the BDKV Academy alongside traditional continuing education and psychosocial support.

The initiative will include access to regular webinars, workshops and presentations, as well as individually bookable coaching sessions and workshops at exclusive special rates.

“In these changing times, economic success is no longer achieved solely through expertise or good planning – new solutions emerge from multi-perspective thinking, resilient teams, and adaptive structures,” explains BDKV MD Johannes Everke. “With our new coaching offering, we provide support along this path.”

“Awareness means taking responsibility for ensuring that everyone feels comfortable and welcome at our events”

Earlier this month, the organisation published a new guidebook, Awareness in the Event Industry, which offers approaches for implementing awareness structures in a “meaningful and feasible way”.

The guidebook compiles experiences from companies of various sizes and event formats, providing targeted references to existing offerings, materials and contact points.

“This handbook is a true collaborative success and demonstrates that the topic has long since reached the heart of the industry,” says Everke. “Awareness means taking responsibility for ensuring that everyone feels comfortable and welcome at our events. This often doesn’t take much, and the guide offers a few practical suggestions.”

Sabrina Sapone, who contributed to the guidebook as a local events manager at A.S.S. Concerts & Promotion, adds: “Awareness isn’t a rigid concept – it’s a process that can be integrated into any organisation. We’re pleased to be able to share our experiences in this guidebook and hope it motivates others to engage with the topic. Especially in the fast-paced world of events, clear attitudes and structures help everyone involved.”

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Sportpark Stadion Frankfurt (SSF) – the German company behind Deutsche Bank Park – has appointed Moritz Schneider as MD.

Schneider, who succeeds the retiring Clarissa Böckl, brings more than 15 years of professional experience to the company in sports, live entertainment and international project management and development.

Most recently, he was SVP & real estate developer at CTS Eventim, where he played a key role in the planning and construction of a new arena in Milan. Prior to that, he served stints with Stadion Frankfurt Management and its successor Eintracht Frankfurt Stadion.

“I would like to thank Mike Josef and the supervisory board of SSF for their trust and I am very much looking forward to this exciting task,” says Schneider. “Looking after SSF’s existing portfolio is a very attractive challenge for me. Driving forward the multifunctional arena urban development project fills me with pride and fits in perfectly with my many years of international professional experience in event, venue and planning management.

“Deutsche Bank Park is one of the leading event venues in Europe, and it is a great task to manage and continuously improve it. And then finally realising the multifunctional arena for Frankfurt is a unique and incredibly exciting challenge.”

The home of Bundesliga football club Eintracht Frankfurt, Deutsche Bank Park (cap. 44,000 for concerts) is preparing to host shows by Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Linkin Park, Stray Kids and Robbie Williams this year.

Schneider will also oversee the proposed 15,000-cap multifunctional arena project next to the stadium.

“I felt it was time to give back to the industry which has kept me afloat for 30 years”

Meanwhile, Live Nation Australia & New Zealand (ANZ) has elevated SVP, marketing solutions and client services Kristy Rosser to SVP, head of media and sponsorships. Rosser founded the group’s commercial rights and creative agency Secret Sounds Connect, which was recently rebranded as Connect by Live Nation.

“We’re excited to announce Kristy will expand her role, leveraging her expertise in creating impactful brand partnerships within the music landscape,” Live Nation ANZ COO Alex Klos tells Mumbrella.

Rosser’s promotion follows the exit of brand partnerships president Greg Segal, who said in a LinkedIn post that he was taking “an overdue career break” after 12 years with LN.

Separately, Sarah McLeod, lead vocalist, and guitarist of award-winning rock band The Superjesus, has been announced as chair of Australian Women in Music (AWM). McLeod has served on the AWM board of directors for the past year, working alongside the organisation’s founder Vicki Gordon.

“I signed on to the board of Australian Women in Music a year ago because I felt it was time to give back to the industry which has kept me afloat for 30 years,” says McLeod. “AWM has come a long way, but there’s still so much to achieve. As the new chair, I will be working with the board to address the enormous gender research gap across the sector and focusing on opportunities beyond our Award Ceremony, First Nation’s Showcase, and Conference to see where we can provide more support.”

Elsewhere, Toronto, Canada-based RFID/access control tech firm Intellitix has promoted Dima Kuznetzov to chief technology officer.

“Dima has been instrumental in driving the technical vision behind our most successful products.,” says Intellitix CEO Peter Fantuz. “His leadership and passion for innovation will continue to guide us as we push the boundaries of what’s possible with cashless payments and access control.”

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CTS Eventim has lodged an appeal after a German court ruled the pan-European giant breached the Digital Services Act with its methods of offering ticket insurance during the ordering process.

The Higher Regional Court of Bamberg partially upheld a lawsuit filed against the firm by German consumer organisation VZBV, which accused CTS of unduly pressuring customers into buying insurance.

According to the watchdog, ticket-buyers who clicked through to checkout without selecting the initial insurance option were taken to a pop-up window that recommended users purchase ticket insurance “to avoid the hassle and frustration of missing an event”.

Only after clicking the “I bear the full risk” button could tickets then be ordered without insurance.

“Taken together, this crossed the threshold for undue influence,” said the VZBV. “A scenario was created that created fear of a total loss of the purchase price and had a threatening effect.”

VZBV says the court has banned the ticketer from offering insurance to buyers in a “manipulative and misleading manner”.

“The judgement is directed solely against the specific wording currently used in the pop-up in the event of rejection of ticket insurance”

“Such design tricks, also known as dark patterns, are prohibited in the EU under the Digital Services Act,” adds Jana Brockfeld, legal advisor in VZBV’s legal enforcement team.

However, a CTS spokesperson stresses that the ruling is not final and confirms the company has launched an appeal.

“We would also like to point out that the judgement is directed solely against the specific wording currently used in the pop-up in the event of rejection of ticket insurance, but not against the use of a pop-up as a new request per se, or against its other design,” the spokesperson tells IQ.

The court rejected the watchdog’s request to prohibit CTS from offering insurance in the shopping cart for the first time, saying it is “readily apparent” the insurance is optional.

CTS last week confirmed record earnings for 2024.

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Germany’s Wizard Live has entered into a strategic partnership with Frankfurt-based creative collective Massif Central for new cultural hub Massif E.

Located in the EKINOS building in downtown Frankfurt, the venue is will host concerts, pop- up events, listening sessions, readings, signings and film screenings, among other attractions, from this September.

Frankfurt-based promoter and agency Wizard Live will serve as the main contact for all music and live entertainment formats. With Massif Central, the firm says it has a “shared vision of reimagining pop and contemporary culture in an urban context”.

“Our partnership with Massif Central goes far beyond a classic booking model. We want to create a space for creativity – for artists, brands, media, and communities,” says Wizard Live MD Oliver Hoppe. “Wizard Live will make Massif E a go-to destination for the music industry – whether it’s for intimate sessions, pop-ups, showcases or events that are part of larger tour contexts.”

“With Wizard Live, we’re bringing in a partner who not only brings the right network but also shares our vision”

Massif E promises to offer multi-level, flexible spaces for innovative formats, with the link-up – which is billed as “live entertainment meets urban culture” – strengthening Wizard Live’s presence in the Rhine-Main region and beyond.

“With Wizard Live, we’re bringing in a partner who not only brings the right network but also shares our vision: to turn Massif E into a space where art, music, and society can be seen and experienced in all their dimensions,” adds Florian Joeckel, MD of Massif Central.

As part of its strategic expansion in the brand & music connector segment, Wizard is aiming to take on a key role in shaping innovative formats at the intersection of music, culture, and brands. The firm divided its operations into four business areas last year: also including show & touring, which remains its core business, alongside marketing and artist development.

Wizard topped one million ticket sales in 2024 – its 20th anniversary year.

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