Buoyant year projected for Danish live market

A record year is projected for the Danish touring industry, as venues and festivals are tipped to welcome 2.65 million fans.

The forecast from Copenhagen-based research institute Voxmeter is based on findings from a recent survey, which showed the number of fans planning to attend a concert this year was up three percentage points on the previous year, while interest in festivals was up by seven percentage points.

In addition, Statistics Denmark’s report on live music notes that the total number of guests at festivals from 2022 to 2023 increased from 2.39 million to 2.47m.

Moreover, trade body Dansk Live reports that several of its members say ticket sales have continued on an upward trajectory and are even higher than expected in some cases, with a number of 2025 events already sold out.

“It is very positive that concerts and festivals are something that Danes will also prioritise in 2025”

“Several of our members say that ticket sales are going really well, both at the festivals and at many of the concert venues, which have otherwise had a bit more difficulty getting ticket sales going after the decline in connection with corona and the energy crisis,” says Dansk Live director Esben Marcher. “Overall, we can see that Danes are currently spending more money on experiences than before, and it is very positive that concerts and festivals are something that Danes will also prioritise in 2025.”

Nevertheless, with production costs, artist fees and general operating costs having increased drastically in recent times, Marcher suggests the business is not out of the woods yet.

“Economically, the market is probably still in an imbalance after the two years of cancellations. And a market with increasing demand for concert and festival tickets naturally results in a correspondingly high demand for equipment and artists, so it is only natural that the costs of subcontractors increase.

“For many organisers, however, it can be a challenging time with great uncertainty in budgeting, and although there is fortunately great support among the audience, as an organiser you must act with great caution in budgeting.”

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