Market Report: Lithuania
A significant reduction in VAT rates after Covid helped vivify the Lithuanian market, which heavily skews towards the domestic.
Primary ticketing
The dominant player is bilietai.lt, owned by the Piletilevi Group. Other local companies include kakava.lt, Ticketmarket. lt, and Paysera (a self-serve platform). There are also a number of small ticketing websites created by local promoters.
Distribution of sales
In 2019, the split was 83% online ticket sales/17% offline. Now, it is 90/10. In the same period, mobile sales grew from 39% of overall digital sales to 55%.
Value of market
In 2024, Statista pegged the value of the live market at $26.7m, expecting a rise to $29.6m by 2028.
“The Lithuanian market is following global trends, with ticket prices … experiencing a notable increase,” says Ramūnas Šaucikovas, CEO of bilietai.lt. “On average, ticket prices in the country have increased by over 23%.”
Secondary ticketing
Bilietai.lt now runs a secondary ticketing option for high-demand events.
“The presence of official secondary markets through a primary platform has brought more transparency to ticket resales, reducing the risks associated with black-market sales,” argues Šaucikovas. “There is no large secondary resale market in Lithuania, but certain international artists and events shape it, together with the distributor, to make it as transparent as possible.”
“The presence of official secondary markets through a primary platform has brought more transparency to ticket resales, reducing the risks associated with black-market sales.”
International/domestic splits & genres
Šaucikovas says 78% of ticket sales are for local acts. “Lithuania has experienced a significant decrease in international acts due to geopolitical issues with Russia and Belarus,” he says. “However, this decline has been offset by an increase in local performances.”
Cultural analysis
“Inflation and rising costs of living are pressuring ticket prices upward, potentially impacting attendance,” says Šaucikovas. “The market should adopt flexible pricing strategies, enhance the value proposition, increase accessibility, and leverage technology to adapt to these economic conditions.”
Taxes & charges
The VAT rate of 21% was reduced to 9% after Covid as a way of stimulating the market.
Country Profile: Lithuania
Lithuania is the largest of the Baltic states and arguably the one with the greatest potential for touring acts. Ed Sheeran’s two shows in Kaunas in August 2024 at the Darius and Girėnas Stadium drew 81,000 fans and set a new ticketing record for an international artist in the Baltics, showing other major acts the scale of demand for shows there. The shows were promoted by a combination of AEG, FKP Scorpio, and L Tips.
Giedrius Klimašauskas, founder of Stay Live (which operates in Lithuania as well as Poland, Latvia, and Estonia), says the market there has properly rebounded after Covid but still struggles to draw major international acts (Sheeran aside). “We can do more shows if big names come more often to the Baltics,” he says.
He proposes that of all the Baltic states, Lithuania has the most potential for international touring acts. “Latvia has only one arena and no proper concert halls, while Estonia has one arena, one concert hall, and unattractive taxes,” he says. “Lithuania has four major arenas, one brand-new 45,000-cap stadium [the Darius and Girėnas Stadium], and a growing economy.”
“Like elsewhere, the golden rule says: come and play a small club, be kind to the audience, show interest in the country where you’re playing”
The infrastructure is there, he says, but insists this is a two-way street where international acts also have to commit to the market. “Like elsewhere, the golden rule says: come and play a small club, be kind to the audience, show interest in the country where you’re playing,” he explains. “Come for more shows – and hopefully, in bigger venues.”
Alongside Stay Live, other key promoters in Lithuania include the above-mentioned AEG, FKP, L Tips, 8 Days A Week Agency, Bravo Events, and Seven Live.
Klimašauskas says the Lithuanian market is expected to keep growing and remain healthy. “Lithuania is the biggest and economically the strongest market among the Baltic countries – and shall remain so for several years,” he says.
The market is tilted more towards pop and indie and less so towards rock and hard rock. Klimašauskas lists Matteo Bocelli and Jordan Rakei (each playing their own shows in Vilnius) and Kaleo playing the Granatos Live festival as standout recent events.
The market is full of potential, but acts wishing to establish themselves there need to commit fully to touring in the country. He says the trick to breaking into the Lithuanian market is relatively simple: “You need to have good relationships with agents – and deep pockets.”
Arena Market: Lithuania
There are two main options for international events passing through Lithuania, located less than 70 miles apart – Vilnius’s Twinsbet Arena (formerly the Avia Solutions Group Arena) and the Žalgirio Arena in Kaunas.
With configurations ranging from 3,000 to 20,000, the latter is the country’s biggest arena and has the event schedule to prove it. “Every year, we manage to bring at least one new international A-lister not yet seen on our stage or region, and the total number of acts is also growing,” says events manager Mantas Vedrickas. “Our attendance numbers are also growing yearly.”
They have 150 events already booked for the next 12 months – including Sting, J Balvin, and the Vienna Mozart Orchestra – for which they’ve sold over 800,000 tickets. Add in sports, like this year’s European Figure Skating Championships, and it’s easy to see why Vedrickas describes the events industry as “booming.”
The number of live concerts and shows is up by around 10% this year, with ticket prices growing yearly; attendance for traditional sports is increasing year-on-year by 15%. “Our main challenge is to show the world that Lithuania is capable of bringing and hosting A-list events, completely sell out venues, and accommodate thousands of visiting fans,” adds Vedrickas. “We are convincing promoters to squeeze in Kaunas when visiting Poland, Sweden, or other nearby markets.”
“Our main challenge is to show the world that Lithuania is capable of bringing and hosting A-list events, completely sell out venues, and accommodate thousands of visiting fans”
To this end, they’ve made considerable improvements of late, such as QR-code-based digital menus, with online ordering and seat delivery option – “It’s increased catering AOV by nearly 30%,” says Vedrickas – implementing reusable cups and urban beekeeping on the roof.
Improvements have been somewhat more substantial at the Twinsbet Arena, which reopened last summer after an extensive refurbishment – upgrades included the arena’s acoustics, innovative LED parquet screens designed for sports events, and enhancements to lounges, entertainment arenas, and the food and beverage experience.
“Since our reopening, we have achieved some of the most impressive results in our operational history,” says booking manager Guoda Domeikienė. “Looking ahead, we anticipate sustained growth in technological advancements, as well as an increase in the number of events hosted and revenue generated.”
She notes that more and more Lithuanian artists are choosing to tour and play in the arena, which can be configured from 400 seated all the way up to 13,500, but international artists also “reach their planned numbers without any problems.” The World of Hans Zimmer, Tre Voci, and Loreen are all scheduled to play in 2024.
The Švyturio Arena is another option for promoters: Primarily a sports arena, it can nonetheless hold 7,450 fans for concerts and events. This year’s annual Super Show features 2 Unlimited, Vengaboys, and Cascada.