Market Report: France
France has a strong policy of protecting and supporting domestic arts and culture, and this carries over into the live sector.
The country also has tight regulations around both market consolidation and secondary sales, meaning the market is diverse and vibrant.
Primary ticketing
CTS Eventim and Ticketmaster are the heavyweight players in the French market, with Eventim being the dominant company through its 65% share in France Billet – the ticketing partner for the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris.
Meanwhile, Vivendi’s French ticketing assets that weren’t part of the international See Tickets sale to Eventim, is confusingly also called See Tickets France (formerly Digitick). Whitelabel services such as Secutix and Weezevent are also present. Dice moved into France in 2018.
Distribution of sales
“Today, with the advent of smartphones and wallets, the e-ticket printed at home is gradually giving way to the m-ticket,” says Benjamin Bories of See Tickets France.
“Today, with the advent of smartphones and wallets, the e-ticket printed at home is gradually giving way to the m-ticket.”
Ticketmaster says 80% of its sales are now digital. François Thominet, the company’s regional vice president for Southern Europe, and managing director, France, adds, “We’ve recently launched the Fan Wallet App, France’s first live entertainment ticket wallet. This includes features like 100% digital tickets, barcode-delayed delivery, transfer with extra security, one-time password (via email or SMS), real-time tracking, and in-app messaging. It’s a game-changer for both fans and event organisers.”
Other players say digital is as much as 85% of their sales now.
Value of market
As one of the biggest markets in Europe, Statista projects music events to be worth $835m in 2024 and expects this to increase to $896m by 2028.
Pierre-Henri Deballon, CEO of Weezevent (which handled ticketing for AC/DC’s show at L’Hippodrome de Paris- Longchamp in August), says ticket prices in France might be lower than in the UK by comparison, but that is changing.
“Because of inflation, people start to make decisions linked to their budget,” he says. “It has started to be a bit difficult for festivals because they can’t increase their price at the same level. People start to be more focused on their own expenses.”
“Prices have indeed risen in recent years, but for the moment, we can’t see any major impact on concerts that are in high demand.”
Bories says, certainly at the top end, price increases are not damaging sales. “Prices have indeed risen in recent years, but for the moment, we can’t see any major impact on concerts that are in high demand,” he says. “Audiences are still prepared to pay to see their favourite artist who left the stage during the Covid pandemic.”
What ticketing companies do is evolving and expanding in the French market.
“Thanks to our wider relationship with Fnac Darty, we are able to offer ticketing and merchandise within the same purchase,” says Arnaud Averseng, president and CEO of France Billet (Fnac/Eventim). “This collaboration has seen an impressive response from the market. In addition, we have launched new technology, which has increased our stability for large on-sales, ensuring that our systems are secure and reliable for even the biggest acts.”
Secondary ticketing
It is illegal to resell tickets without the authorisation of the promoter of the event. The Face-value European Alliance for Ticketing (FEAT) notes that, “Unauthorised resale can attract a €15,000 fine, which rises to €30,000 if the offence is repeated.”
“In order to protect fan and event diversity, France is a strongly regulated country regarding ticketing,” says Christian Binelli of Secutix France. “As an example, resale ticket prices should match the face value. Consequently, it’s very tough to do business in France for secondary market specialists. They have to respect organisers’ rules. Due to the fact that it’s very regulated, it fuels a huge black market.”
“Due to the fact that it [secondary ticketing] is very regulated, it fuels a huge black market.”
See Tickets has been offering resale options since 2009, initially with the zePASS website and now with Resale.
“Our Resale solution allows money to pass through a perfectly secure system without our intermediation, allows customers who wish to resell their tickets on a non-regular basis to do so within a strictly legal framework, and allows buyers to benefit from a limit on the resale price and to have the absolute certainty of being able to access the chosen event, since each transaction gives rise to the creation of a new barcode and the cancellation of the barcode of the ticket sold,” says Bories.
DICE came into the French market in 2018. “The secondary market is one of the biggest barriers to fans going out more in France, especially for large-scale events,” says Edouard Rostand, head of music for DICE France. “We operate a closed ticketing system, meaning tickets are locked to smartphones to help prevent ticket touting.”
“We operate a closed ticketing system, meaning tickets are locked to smartphones to help prevent ticket touting.”
Resale platform TicketSwap says it has 1.4m users in the country and, working within the tight legal parameters on secondary sales, is providing major players with a solution here. The company says: “Festivals and promoters – such as Les Eurockéennes de Belfort, Cercle music, and Le Festival Interceltique de Lorient – have chosen TicketSwap to optimise their results and revenue on the secondary market, while providing the best experience to their fans.”
International/domestic splits & genres
France has a strong and long-standing cultural protectionism policy in place, which is a key factor in the success of local acts, who account, as per DICE data, for around 60% of sales. Key live music genres include rap, pop, rock, and electro.
“Sales are highly dependent on tours and therefore on the schedules of foreign artists, primarily American,” says Bories. “Depending on the year and the European tour, sales by foreign artists can be very high or [much] lower.”
“Sales are highly dependent on tours and therefore on the schedules of foreign artists, primarily American”
Cultural analysis
“Overall, the situation in France has been more or less the same for several years, with a few French or international artists capable of filling large venues and stadiums on the one hand and a very wide range of smaller venues on the other,” explains Bories.
“Today’s consumers are looking for simplicity in their purchases, and security and protection if they can no longer attend the show.”
Adding that the ticketing sector needs to respond to changing consumer demands/expectations. “Today’s consumers are looking for simplicity in their purchases, and security and protection if they can no longer attend the show,” he says.
Taxes & charges
For live entertainment events, the VAT rate is 5.5%, but in some cases (small events) that rate can go down to 2.1%. Weezevent says, as a white-label solution, it charges 2.5% per ticket as commission, which includes payment and bank fees. Secutix, as it is a SaaS service, works on an annual subscription. Ticketing companies typically work on a 10% cut.
Country Profile: France
The French live music market is one of the largest in Europe but behaves slightly differently to others on the continent due to cultural protectionism policies around French creators and the French language.
Live Nation, AEG, and CTS Eventim are the heavyweight promoters in the country, but there are a multitude of local promoters, including Gérard Drouot Productions, Opus Live, Öctöpus, Azimuth Productions, Alias, Caramba, Loud Booking & Events, Super!, Radical Production, Bleu Citron, Live Affair, Auguri Productions, and A Gauche de la Lune.
Despite the size of the French market, conditions are still tough for those operating at the small- and mid-level, especially as the biggest players grow bigger and take more control of the summer festivals.
“We have the feeling [that] ticket sales are slightly slower with respect to emerging artists now,” says Cyril Bahsief, co-CEO at Öctöpus.
Anthony Chambon, CEO of Opus Live, says French hard rock acts are now starting to break through, despite the genre not necessarily being one that people traditionally associate with the market. He looks after a number of these rising acts, such as Landmvrks and Rise of the Northstar. He also handles Slam Dunk Festival France, with acts like Sum 41, Offspring, and All Time Low playing since its launch in 2023.
“We have the feeling [that] ticket sales are slightly slower with respect to emerging artists now”
“Something is definitely happening for French [hard rock] acts in the world,” he says, hinting that such acts could start to replicate the export power of Daft Punk, AIR, Phoenix, and Cassius, more typically from the electronic world.
Beyond its own domestic electronic acts, hip-hop is huge in France, with promoters there suggesting that the country is the second-biggest market for hip-hop in the world after the US, driven by an especially vibrant local rap scene.
On top of this, because of streaming broadening what consumers listen to, there is growing demand for K-pop (as seen with South Korean TV network Mnet bringing its multi-act M Countdown TV chart show to France in August 2023) and J-pop acts, making France an increasingly diverse live market. EDM is growing steadily and long-standing pop variété (essentially a pop twist on chanson) remains solid.
One genre, however, is struggling at the moment due to a variety of issues. “World music is experiencing a decline due to the lack of media support and visa problems,” says Léo Tran, project manager and booker at Azimuth.
The market is, overall, structured to support domestic acts. “That means that our local scene is stronger than ever,” says Öctöpus co-CEO Marie Favre. “If you look at French festivals’ lineups, you will see that 80% of the artists are French. This is the result of a long-term public strategy that funds local artists and their producers.”
Producers in the live context are something unique to the French market. “It’s like a label but for the tour,” explains Chambon. “We represent the artist globally. We find the agent for each territory. We finance all the costs – the rehearsals, all the production, all the transport, the accommodation. That’s why the investment is a little bit different than for a promoter who promotes international artists.”
“If you look at French festivals’ lineups, you will see that 80% of the artists are French. This is the result of a long-term public strategy that funds local artists and their producers.”
Most French promoters say that acts coming into the market or international bookers planning their tours need to think far beyond the capital as there is a huge amount of untapped potential elsewhere.
“We tend to think Paris is really the key city to build in,” explain Bahsief. “It is indeed, but the more we go on, the more it is important to work in major cities. Doing well in terms of ticket sales in Lyon, Lille, Nantes, or Bordeaux makes a difference when booking summer festivals.”
Chambon adds that this is something promoters need to address in order to maximise the potential of the French market. “For the international artists, it is usually one show in Paris, maybe two or three shows in the main markets – Lyon, Nantes, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Lille,” he says.
That said, there are issues increasingly facing international acts touring in Europe that could cause long- term problems specifically in France.
“Production costs are higher than ever,” says Chambon. “So there are a lot of artists, especially American artists, not coming to Europe because of these very high … production costs. I also know that artists are asking for too much money – especially [those] from the US.”
“Production costs are higher than ever, so there are a lot of artists, especially American artists, not coming to Europe because of these very high … production costs.”
Economic issues are also affecting local acts in a variety of ways. Tran says costs are rising for live music in France while public subsidies are declining.
“In France, because of the political and economic situation, it seems most likely that public subsidies for culture are going to drop,” he says. “As the state plays a significant part in the market development in France, we can expect that several public venues will have to reduce the number of shows they can promote each year.”
This is a tricky market conundrum that promoters and acts are increasingly having to navigate, but it is being exacerbated by demographic shifts.
“From a sociological point of view, we have observed that Gen Z does not have the same kind of cultural habits as previous generations,” says Tran. “They now take up a smaller part of global ticket sales than before. While young people have always [played] a prevailing role with new musical movements, for multiple reasons, it is more complicated for venues now to make them come to live shows.”
Major festivals like Rock en Seine, Lollapalooza Paris, and Pitchfork have created new dynamics in the French market, drawing in international acts and tourists. But rising production costs and declining subsidies make things increasingly complex in this powerhouse market: trying to balance things to make shows profitable but not in a way that drives away attendees.
“From a sociological point of view, we have observed that Gen Z does not have the same kind of cultural habits as previous generations”
“France is very specific in terms of administrative issues, which makes us unique and does not always help emerging artists to develop their careers, as local taxes tend to be higher than anywhere else,” says Favre.
“I know that some of the French promoters are increasing ticket prices a lot,” summarises Chambon. “But I’m wondering if these ticket prices can be justified by the increase [in] production costs and the increase [in] artist fees. Some of the French promoters try to keep prices reasonable.”
Arena Market: France
At the time of writing, the Paris Olympics was set to be one of the biggest events in French history. The sports circus has somewhat overshadowed the usual summer degustation menu of live music touring and infinite festivals. But there will be a big summer of music, even after the Olympics.
But what’s the effect on the live music market? “The live entertainment market is in the best of health!” says Nicolas Dupeux, CEO of Paris Entertainment Company, which runs the Accor and adidas arenas in the French capital.
“The evolution of the average ticket price is clear evidence: in our venues, in France, the post-Covid period is marked by a gradual increase in prices. All styles and artists are affected, but international artists – who are increasingly performing in our venues – stand out significantly. For example, tickets for Madonna’s concert at Accor Arena in November 2023 reached exceptionally high price levels, up to €386.50. Nevertheless, we continue to fill the venues – a sign of strong demand.”
Accor Arena is one of France’s key venues, with a capacity between 15,000 and 20,000, while the company’s brand-new adidas arena has a capacity of 8,000–9,000. Kanye West and Depeche Mode both visited Accor Arena earlier in 2024.
“The live entertainment market is in the best of health!”
“We are gearing up to host the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer in each of our arenas. This is something we are particularly proud of, especially because the adidas arena stands as the sole lasting Olympic infrastructure built within the city for Paris 2024,” says Dupeux.
“Overall, we would like to continue developing partnerships with various brands that share our values, as well as grow the presence of top artists, both French and international. We keep investing to offer audiences unprecedented experiences and artists unrivalled hospitality, all while advancing our transformation into vibrant lifestyle hubs.”
As for innovations, Dupeux outlines: “With ticketing, we have introduced verified and official resale on our websites to offer fans a safe secondary market. Our future developments include offering instalment payments and group payments; introducing the sale of electronic gift cards on Accor Arena and adidas arena websites; accepting PayPal and Apple Pay payments on both sites; and providing an application for flexible and secure delivery of digital tickets utilising blockchain technology. On our app, we have developed an application for adidas arena aimed at simplifying the visitor experience.”
“We keep investing to offer audiences unprecedented experiences and artists unrivalled hospitality”
Another key venue for the Olympics is the multifunctional Paris La Défense Arena. “In the last 12 months, we welcomed over 1.2m spectators,” says Raphaëlle Plasse, booking director. “We have had a record year in the number of concerts hosted while having the Olympics using the venue for six months, with major international acts such as 50 Cent, Black Eyed Peas, Taylor Swift, and French local legend Michel Sardou.
“Hosting the swimming, para-swimming, and water polo finals is a huge [source of] pride for our venue and in terms of visibility will be incredible since swimming is the second most watched sport in the Olympics. The construction of an Olympic pool inside a concert and sports arena will showcase our technical abilities and our strongest strength, modularity. Moreover, we’re one of the few Olympic venues to keep our name, generating an increased visibility internationally. To have the honour [of being] one of the selected Olympic Games venues after hosting the first concert of Taylor Swift’s European tour has guaranteed us extraordinary media coverage for the upcoming months.”
The venue has increased its maximum capacity from 43,000 to 45,000 and aims to further expand in the near future. “Our goal is to host 100 events per year in the upcoming years. To achieve that, we are planning to invest in solutions to optimise load-in and load-out times, reducing costs for the promoters, and increasing the number of days available to book additional events.”
Le Zénith (2,000–7,000) in the district of La Villette celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2024. “The last two years have been very good ones for the performing arts, with a very strong lineup of French and international artists, particularly for those performing in large and very large venues, with generally good attendance figures, a clear breakthrough for rap artists, and a strong comeback for electronic music/techno nights,” says director Lily Fisher.
Currently, rap, rock, and electro are the most popular genres.
“The upcoming lineup will be highly varied and will continue to reflect the expectations of the 15–35 age group. Currently, rap, rock, and electro are the most popular genres.
We all hope that the public’s enthusiasm for concerts will continue and even grow. The need and desire to get together with friends for festive moments and to be in contact with artists often discovered on social networks, is unique and irreplaceable.”
She adds: “This summer, during the Olympic Games, Le Zénith will host the House of the Netherlands. It’s a new and exciting project for us, one that fits in with the Paris 2024 dynamic and puts the spotlight on the athletes and their celebration.”
To commemorate the 40th anniversary, Fisher says she has put in place a number of activations for the public. “We’ve dug deep into our archives, and we’re offering a brand-new exhibition featuring a selection of 40 t-shirts by iconic artists who have performed at Le Zénith, like David Bowie, Prince, Lady Gaga, Nirvana, Taylor Swift, Johnny Hallyday, and Bruce Springsteen, along with photos, passes, concert tickets.”
2024 is a busy year at Le Zénith, with many sold-out concerts and shows by Black Pumas, Tom Odell, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Rod Stewart, Moby, and more.
2024 is a busy year at Le Zénith, with many sold-out concerts and shows by Black Pumas, Tom Odell, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Rod Stewart, Moby, and more.
France has a strong emphasis on homegrown talent, and government mandates on French-language music on TV and radio help to spur on French bands and Francophone artists and widen their appeal. Although the industry is focused heavily on Paris, France still has strong regional markets like Rennes, Toulouse, Marseille, Lille, Bordeaux, and Lyon, where Zénith venues are frequently the go-to spaces for arena-level acts.
Outside the capital, other venues include Zénith de Strasbourg (12,709) in the east, which can be configured for as few as 1,483, while in the west, the 9,000-capacity Zénith Nantes Métropole has acts such as Seal, Slimane, Disney en Concert, and Holiday on Ice on the calendar. As well as offering an indoor capacity of 8,000, Zénith de Nancy has an outdoor amphitheatre for 25,000 people, meaning it can host a festival-style set-up with indoor and outdoor spaces in use.
Acts booked include a big-name slate of Sting, Eric Clapton, Calogero, Jonas Brothers, Grand Corps Malade, Slimane, and Green Day.
In second-city Lyon, a game-changing new opening has lit up the arena scene. Designed by Populous, the new LDLC Arena has a cap of 6,000–16,000 and opened in November 2023.
Management is a collaboration between Olympique Lyonnaise (the city football team) and Live Nation.
Acts booked include a big-name slate of Sting, Eric Clapton, Calogero, Jonas Brothers, Grand Corps Malade, Slimane, and Green Day.
“We’re excited to deliver our second venue for Lyon alongside Olympique Lyonnais Groupe,” says François Clément, senior principal and leader of Populous’s business operations in France. “Leading on the arena and interior design with our interiors practice, Jump Studios, Populous was able to extend the group’s ambitious OL Vallée venture by providing a venue that responds to the local community.”
Sustainability has been “at the heart” of the design process. The shell of the venue comprises an innovative double skin, which helps regulate the temperature within the arena and minimise the need for climate control systems. The arena generates its energy with 5,500sqm of photovoltaic panels on the main roof. In the public area surrounding the venue, 30% of the total area will be green space, with the scheme to include hundreds of mature trees and a large bird reservation to the north of the site.