The Dutch live music scene witnessed an uptick in concerts above 3,000 capacity last year, but saw a sharp drop in the number of festivals taking place.

Statistics from research agency Respons, compiled on behalf of the Netherlands’ Association of Event Makers (VVEM), revealed that festivals and concerts together attracted 30.5 million visits in 2024 – slightly less than in the previous 12 months. EDM and pop were the most popular genres.

More than 100 festivals – mostly those up to 10,000-cap – disappeared from the scene in 2024 due to being either cancelled or discontinued, with 46 new events cropping up. Overall paid festival attendance was down 5% year-on-year, while ticket prices rose by an average of 11%.

In contrast, indoor venues – headed by AFAS Live, Ziggo Dome and Rotterdam Ahoy – are credited for driving the significant increase in major concerts in the market. Meanwhile, an 6% upturn in shows by domestic acts brought the international-national ratio to almost 50-50. Ticket prices for concerts increased by 16% on average.

“Fortunately, new titles are coming to replace festivals that are disappearing, but it is logical that the growth has stopped”

“The figures give a mixed picture that does correspond with our expectations,” says VVEM chair Boris van der Ham. “The richly-filled festival market is stabilising; every organiser has to work hard to continue to put on a good festival with all the increased costs. Fortunately, new titles are coming to replace festivals that are disappearing, but it is logical that the growth has stopped.

“The concerts show the large number that offers something for everyone in 2024 and now. The total picture gives us reason for confidence and curiosity about what will be achieved again in 2025.”

Indeed, the trend is set to to continue this year, as the number of festivals and visitor numbers are projected to dip slightly again in 2025, with high costs cited as a key factor, but a further increase in concert attendees is expected.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

An abundance of tours have been announced over recent days, including a venture down under for Oasis, new North American dates from Coldplay, and Kylie Minogue’s biggest outing in over a decade.

Oasis has announced that their 2025 reunion world tour will head to Australia next year for stops in Melbourne and Sydney. The Gallagher brothers will play Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium (cap. 56,347) on 31 October and Sydney’s Accor Stadium on 7 November (83,500).

The dates follow previously announced legs across the UK, including seven nights at London’s Wembley Stadium, and North America. Produced by Live Nation and SJM Concerts, the venture will bring the pair to stadiums in Manchester, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and more next year.

The two shows are promoted by Live Nation Australia, with a private ballot giving fans presale access before the 15 October general sale.

“The number of stadium-level acts touring today is unprecedented”

Coldplay is set to return to North America on their Music of the Spheres world tour with a new batch of dates. The record-shattering run will return the British hitmakers to stadiums across the US and Canada next summer, including Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium (65,000), Nashville’s Nissan Stadium (69,143), Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium (65,326), and more.

Both Coldplay and Oasis are due to perform at Toronto’s newest venue, the 50,000-capacity, Rogers Stadium. The Live Nation-backed purpose-built venue will operate seasonally and is designed to capitalise on the influx of tours from A-list artists.

“The number of stadium-level acts touring today is unprecedented, with more acts than available nights at existing venues. That’s why we’re making this investment—to ensure Toronto fans don’t miss out on world-class artists,” said Erik Hoffman, president, music at Live Nation Canada, during the September stadium announcement.

Coldplay’s Live Nation-promoted tour will also bring the group to Abu Dhabi for four nights, Mumbai for three, Hong Kong for three, and Seoul for six shows early next year, followed by the new North American dates. The tour is currently slated to end with a second UK leg, including two nights in Hull and 10 in London next autumn.

Ticket sales for the global trek have already surpassed 10 million, with the band performing across five continents since launching the tour in March 2022. It became the first tour by a band to gross over $1 billion from a single tour, joining Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour in the billionaires club.

During the UK dates announcement, Coldplay pledged 10% of proceeds from their 2025 UK dates to Music Venue Trust to support upcoming artists and grassroots music venues, some of which they played on their rise to global stardom.

Kylie Minogue is due to embark on her biggest tour in over a decade

Australian pop icon Kylie Minogue has unveiled North American and European legs for her Tension Tour, expanding the venture to four continents. The Padam Padam singer will play across 16 arenas across the US and Canada, including NYC’s Madison Square Garden (19,500) and LA’s Crypto.com Arena (20,000), next spring.

Joining 14 previously announced UK dates, the European leg will bring Minogue to 13 arenas — like Berlin’s Uber Arena (17,000), France’s Accor Arena (20,300), and The Netherlands’s Ziggo Dome (17,000) around Europe — in summer 2025. The star, repped by UTA in North America and CAA for the rest of the world, will also perform in Lithuania and Estonia on the Live Nation-promoted run.

Welsh rockers Stereophonics have announced its Stadium Anthems tour for next summer. The band will play across stadiums and fields, including Dublin’s St Anne’s Park (20,000), Glasgow’s Bellahouston Park for Summer Sessions, London’s Finsbury Park (45,000), and finishing at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium (74,500). Promoted by Live Nation, the X-ray Touring-represented group’s biggest-ever tour will also see them headline the Isle of Wight Festival next June.

American singer Tinashe has also expanded her Match My Freak world tour by adding dates in Europe, the UK, and Japan, joining previously announced NA dates. The Nasty singer will play theatres in Osaka and Tokyo before venturing to play theatres across Copenhagen, Paris, London, Dublin, and more next February.

Legendary rockstars Mötley Crüe will hit Las Vegas next year, for an 11-show residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM (6,400) next spring.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

TEG Live’s managing director Tim McGregor has been appointed global head of touring, overseeing the firm’s concert and festival portfolio.

With effect from today, McGregor is responsible for overseeing the continued growth of the global touring businesses across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, UK, Europe, and North America.

This portfolio includes TEG Live, TEG Dainty, TEG Van Egmond, TEG MJR, Handsome Tours, Laneway Festival, TEG Asia, TEG Live Europe and TEG North America.

McGregor has been the MD of TEG Live since joining the business in 2016.

“I am delighted to appoint Tim to the role of global head of touring,” says TEG Group CEO Geoff Jones. “Tim’s outstanding track record in the live entertainment industry draws on more than three decades of experience. His in-depth industry knowledge and excellent business acumen makes him the ideal choice to lead the overall concert and festival touring strategy for TEG across the globe.”

“”Tim’s outstanding track record in the live entertainment industry draws on more than three decades of experience”

“I look forward to continuing to work closely with Tim in his new role to drive growth and success for the TEG business.”

McGregor adds: “I am excited to be furthering my remit with TEG to build its touring operations both locally and globally. I am immensely proud of all that we have achieved to date, but this is only the beginning.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Geoff for this opportunity and for his ongoing support. We’ve been on a long journey together, and I look forward to embarking on the next phase of TEG with Geoff and the senior leadership team.”

Based in Sydney, TEG is a specialist in live entertainment, ticketing, digital and data.

Earlier this year it was reported that the owner Silver Lake had secured a A$1.1 billion (€663.8 million) dividend recapitalisation for the Australian live entertainment giant after attempts to sell the company stalled.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Live Nation is launching its fan-favourite Concert Week deal in several new markets, including Australia, Asia, Europe, the UK and the Middle East, in honour of 10 years of the annual promotion.

The lauded initiative offers fans cut-rate tickets for top tours across a variety of genres, like pop/rock, hip-hop, and comedy, and includes gigs from club level to arenas to festivals. The annual event will expand to 20 additional countries this year, a substantial jump from the US and Canada where the deal kicks off the summer concert season.

Launching next week, the promotion’s dates and deals depend on host countries and will run as inventory allows. Across the board, tickets as low as $25/£25/€25 are on offer, with daily giveaways and prizes to be won in certain territories.

In North America, fans can snap up $25 tickets from 8-14 May for over 5,000 shows from over 900 artists, including Janet Jackson, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Peso Pluma, Alanis Morissette, Cage The Elephant and 21 Savage. The price tag includes fees (apart from local taxes), with the all-in pricing coming just one week after over 250 artists signalled support for the Fans First Act.

The US bill aims to increase transparency in ticket sales and would require sellers and resellers to break down ticket costs, along with other primary and secondary sale reforms. Live Nation endorsed the bill alongside the National Independent Venue Associaton (NIVA), Recording Academy, Eventbrite, and others.

In the UK, over 40,000 tickets will be available for £25, for gigs from the likes of Doja Cat, Charli XCX, Shania Twain, McFly, and IDLES, from 6-12 May.

Additional countries benefiting are Australia, New Zealand, China, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand

More than 4,000 tickets are on discount in France from 8-14 May. Live Nation España is offering giveaways for The Weeknd’s Madrid and Barcelona showings, signed Coldplay posters, and two tickets for each of Louis Tomlinson’s Bilbao, Barcelona, and Madrid performances.

From 6-12 May in Denmark, fans can grab 300 KR (€25) tickets for J Balvin, girl in red, Journey, and more, and daily contests will be held in Belgium from 8-14 May for giveaways to gigs like James Blake and Louis Tomlinson.

Live Nation GSA is offering two tiers of discounts — €25 passes are available for Wallows’ Cologne and Berlin gigs and Lil Yachty’s Vienna performance, along with €40 ones for Usher’s Berlin show, and Rod Stewart’s outings in Stuttgart, Zurich, and Mönchengladbach.

Concert Week will also land in the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Sweden, with details to be announced.

In the UAE, Live Nation is giving away tickets to 13 different music and comedy shows — including Scorpions’ Abu Dhabi gig, the second edition of Wireless Festival in Abu Dhabi, and Lea Salonga’s Coca-Cola Arena show in Dubai — from 8-14 May.

Additional countries benefiting are Australia, New Zealand, China, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand, with deals to be announced across May.

In addition to popular tours from Glass Animals, Thirty Seconds to Mars, and Melanie Martinez, the deal includes festivals for the second year. While Live Nation added $99 festival tickets to its offerings last year — which included one-day passes to New York’s Governor’s Ball and Miami’s Afro Nation — fewer festivals are included in this year’s promotion.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

The live business is a well-oiled machine, but sometimes unexpected events and legal matters can impact and profoundly shape the sector. Below are some of the major developments over the past year as featured in IQ‘s newest publication, the Touring Business Handbook, and what they could mean for the future of the business.

Shows starting late
What happened: Some acts made unpredictability their calling card and would start shows incredibly late and, because they ended incredibly late, they would break curfews and invariably get fined. Now consumers are starting to take things into their own hands. Two US fans filed a class action against Madonna for allegedly starting her three shows at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in December 2023 late, claiming a breach of contract with the audience who “had to get up early to go to work” the following day. The original suit also named the venue as a defendant.

What it means: Madonna and Live Nation responded and denied this was the case, insisting that due to a “technical issue 13 December during soundcheck” this was the only show affected. “We intend to defend this case vigorously,” they said. The case could quietly disappear or, if it reaches court and the claimants are successful, it could have profound implications for all other late-running shows by setting a major legal precedent. The concern is that fans could become ever-more litigious around different parts of the live experience.

“There is a clear move by both the public and legislators to put better safeguards in place around resales”

Ticket resale, scalping & bots
What happened: A number of major developments in major markets in 2023 are still unfolding in 2024. Six US senators introduced the Fans First Act in late 2023 aimed at delivering greater transparency for consumers around re-sales and greater accountability for bad actors in the space. This came after Taylor Swift fans in the US attempted to sue Ticketmaster for alleged “price fixing” around pre-sale tickets for Swift’s Eras tour.

Swift tickets were also a legal focus in Australia where in June 2023 the government in Victoria designated her shows at Melbourne Cricket Ground as a “major event” and therefore heavily restricted under Victoria’s anti-scalping laws. This snowballed into calls for tougher and unified national laws in Australia to clamp down on re-sales at inflated pricing and scalping.

In late 2023, FEAT (Face-value European Alliance for Ticketing) was looking to the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) to clamp down on illegal ticket resales following the DSA introducing new measures from August that require large search engines to clamp down on illegal product listing. In Texas, following chaos as Taylor Swift tickets went on sale, state senators proposed new laws that would clamp down on ticket-purchasing bots and this was signed into law in May 2023.

What it means: There is a clear move by both the public and legislators in different markets to put better safeguards in place as well as tougher measures in action around re-sales. For now, no change in national legislation has been pushed through in the US or Australia, but this could only be a matter of time unless the ticketing sector moves to better and more robustly self-regulate here. The developments in the EU could have much wider repercussions with regard to takedown notifications for secondary ticketing sites.

“Artists need to be incredibly aware that mass lawsuits could prove controversial and damage their public image”

Touring crew treatment & allegations of harassment
What happened: In September 2023, clothing designer Asha Daniels accused Lizzo and members of her team of creating an “unsafe, sexually charged workplace culture” for members of her touring production. A spokesperson for Lizzo called the harassment suit filed by Daniels “a bogus, absurd publicity stunt” and in December, Lizzo’s legal representatives moved to have the lawsuit dismissed.

What it means: It is impossible to speculate at this stage if the case will make it to court and, if so, which way the judgement would fall. Regardless of the merits (or not) of the suit, it raises important issues about safeguarding and welfare for contracted workers on tour.

Counterfeit merchandise
What happened: The perennial issue of counterfeit merchandise was brought into sharp relief in 2023 when lawyers acting for Luke Combs targeted multiple individuals for selling unauthorised merchandise. Nicol Harness was among those targeted for having sold 18 tumblers (featuring Combs’s name and face) she had made herself. Combs found out about the $250,000 suit against Harness (who is disabled), and said it “makes me sick,” insisting her name was dropped from the suit against rogue operators and he also sent her $11,000 by way of apology.

What it means: The issue of fake merchandise has long been an issue for musicians, beginning with people selling counterfeit and unlicensed goods on the street outside shows and then the process becoming industrialised on online sites such as eBay, Etsy, Redbubble and more.

This has echoes of the first waves of legal action against filesharers in the early 2000s and the PR backlash when individuals were being targeted. Artists need to protect their merchandise business but will also be incredibly aware that mass lawsuits could prove controversial and damage their public image.

“The issue of free speech and if/how it crosses the line into hate speech is a complex and contested area”

Hate speech, censorship & show cancellations
What happened: Three very different cases but they collectively raise complex debates about artists holding/ expressing certain views and engaging in certain behaviour and how that runs into calls for censorship of cancellation.

In early 2023, Roger Waters said he would take legal action against city authorities in Germany who threatened to cancel several of his shows in Germany, accusing Waters of antisemitism (a charge he denies). Waters subsequently won his battle to stage his shows in Frankfurt in May 2023.

In summer 2023, authorities in the Mexican state of Chihuahua banned acts from performing songs live that contain what are deemed to be misogynistic lyrics. Those who do could face fines of 1.2m pesos (circa £54,661).

Finally, in summer 2023, Matt Healy of The 1975 caused a political storm at the Good Vibes festival in Kuala Lumpur when he kissed bass player Ross MacDonald on stage. After just seven songs, the band were ordered to end their performance and the rest of the three-day festival was pulled after an “immediate cancellation directive.” The band pulled their upcoming shows in Indonesia and Taiwan while Malaysian authorities banned them from performing in the country.

What it means: The political views as well as the lyrical output of musicians are under growing scrutiny. The issue of free speech and if/how it crosses the line into hate speech is a complex and contested area. The issue of actions on stage like that of Healy are clearly specific to the moral and political views of certain countries, but this is something all musicians need to be aware
of.

These are extreme examples but they raise difficult questions about how far artistic expression can go and if censorship is the best response or if it is the thin end of the wedge that could see even greater restrictions placed on what musicians can say.

More information about recent developments with tax, legal, insurance, currency, and immigration is available to subscribers in IQ’s Touring Business Handbook, found here.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Shazam, the Apple-owned music identification app, has introduced a new feature that will allow users to find nearby shows through recommendations based on their Shazam histories.

The new ‘Concerts’ feature will recommend events, allow users to save and set reminders about upcoming shows and view available tickets, with options to buy them through BandsInTown or other ticket providers.

It also offers exclusives from certain artists that will be available for users to unlock, such as behind-the-scenes videos, Apple Watch faces, tour photos and setlists, among other things.

The feature is already available for iOS users within the My Music section of the app and will be coming to Android soon.

The new feature will recommend events, allow users to save and set reminders about upcoming shows and view available tickets

It has also been incorporated into Spotlight, where iPhone users can now search for an artist and get concert and ticketing information immediately in iOS 17.

It marks the latest Apple feature to incorporate live music data and information into its functionality, after additions to Apple Maps and the Set Lists feature within Apple Music.

The Concerts feature builds on a previous collaboration with BandsInTown that was initially announced in March 2022.

Through that partnership, Shazam users could search for an artist and pull up their forthcoming tour information using the BandsInTown database of shows for over 500,000 artists.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Mexican singer-songwriter Peso Pluma has cancelled his October concert in Tijuana following death threats from local drug cartel members.

The 14 October performance, which was set for the 33,333-capacity Estadio Caliente stadium in Mexico, was cancelled yesterday in an announcement by Pluma’s record labels, Double P Records and Prajin Music Group.

Both labels posted the joint decision on their Instagram stories, stating “Our goal is to protect the fans and the team.”

“For the safety of everyone involved, we will cancel our show in Tijuana. Thank you so much to all our fans for understanding. We love you,” the joint statement translated to.

“Our goal is to protect the fans and the team”

The cancellation comes after several public banners from alleged members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel targeted the 24-year-old singer. The four banners hung on bridges across Tijuana, instructing Pluma not to go on with his local performance “because it will be your last show due to your disrespect and loose tongue,” the banners reportedly read.

The Mexican singer has repeatedly praised drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán in his music. El Chapo’s Sinaloa Cartel is a known rival to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

The Guadalajara native often makes narcoculture references in his music, spanning back to his breakthrough single “El Belicón” with Raul Vega. Written from the perspective of cartel members, the duo also performed as such in the corresponding music video.

Pluma is still set to perform three more shows in Mexico this year, ending on 11 November at Mexico City’s Foro Sol (65,000-cap). In addition to the cancelled Tijuana show, multiple U.S. Double P tour dates have been postponed for reasons currently unknown.

Recently, Pluma became the first Mexican artist to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards on 13 September. He has risen in popularity across the US, a rarity for regional Mexcian artists.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Alibaba Group’s movie division is paying US$167m to take a majority stake in Pony Media Holdings, the parent company of promoter Damai, which produces concerts, festivals, theatrical events, exhibitions, and sporting events across mainland China.

The South China Morning Post reports that Alibaba Pictures filed details of the deal with Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX). The news outlet is also owned by Alibaba.

The filing states that the acquisition will allow the expansion of the “upstream presence of the Damai brand in the live entertainment industry value chain, such as events production and promotion, venue operation and artist management.”

Damai has more than 100 million registered customers, paving the way for Alibaba Pictures to “further build brand awareness for its offline entertainment business.”

For the quarter ending June 2023, Pony Media sales totalled CNY4 billion (US$547m), surpassing the CNY3 billion (US$410m) achieved for the previous full financial year

The filing adds, “The target group is considered a strategically valuable asset to the company, diversifying [our] revenue structure into live entertainment and expanding IP monetisation channels.

“The acquisition will also strengthen the company’s competitive position by consolidating customer resources and industry expertise from the target company.”

Despite Pony Media reporting net losses over the last three financial years, Alibaba believes that the company has turned a corner post-pandemic, noting that “it has recently witnessed a material recovery in the business.”

Indeed, for the quarter ending June 2023, Pony Media sales totalled CNY4 billion (US$547m), surpassing the CNY3 billion (US$410m) achieved for the previous full financial year, which ended in March 2023.

Alibaba Pictures president, Jie Li, comments, “We believe this transaction heralds a new chapter for the new Alibaba Pictures. Before today’s announcement, we had already established a deep connection with Damai through our exclusive service agreement, and accumulated over 20 million Taomai VIP members to date.

“Following the transaction, we will strive to integrate our resources, expand a presence along the industry value chain, drive development through technology innovation, and ultimately create value to our customers and shareholders.”

In 2017, Alibaba acquired a stake in Damai.cn, thought to be China’s market-leading ticketing agency.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Germany’s national and regional leaders have moved to ban unvaccinated people from much of public life, including live music venues.

In a bid to curb the fourth wave of Covid-19, only those who have been vaccinated or recently recovered from Covid will be allowed in cultural venues, restaurants, cinemas, leisure facilities and many shops.

According to outgoing chancellor Angela Merkel, vaccinations could be made mandatory by February.

The so-called 2G rule (meaning genesen for recovered in the past six months and geimpft for vaccinated) was already in operation in some German states but it will now be enforced nationwide.

The 2G policy is part of a wider set of restrictions that will see clubs close in areas where 350 cases have been recorded per 100,000 people in the past seven days (the national rate is over 400).

Outdoor events are limited to 50% capacity with a maximum of 15,000 attendees while indoor events are restricted to 50% capacity with a maximum of 5,000 attendees. Masks are mandatory at all events.

“[The 2G rule] encourages vaccination and it is a high vaccination rate that our industry needs in order to return to normal”

German promoters have welcomed the nationwide implementation of the 2G rule but expressed major concerns about varying restrictions on social distancing and capacity, and emphasised the need for further financial support in 2022.

“We believe that setting clear rules is helpful and good for our business, as long as they are sensible and rational and therefore welcome the 2G rules,” says Detlef Kornett, CEO of Berlin-based promoter and ticket agency, DEAG.

“The live industry pushed government already in the summer of this year to introduce the 2G rule for all live events. It takes away the confusion about tests, certificates and how to check and record them which overall makes operations of a live event easier. But it also encourages vaccination and it is a high vaccination rate that our industry needs in order to return to normal.

“However the 2G rule is then accompanied by capacity and social distancing– rules that vary by federal state in Germany, by indoor and outdoor and these rules are subject to interpretation.

“However that variation of rules makes touring and even single concerts impossible and results in uncertainties and injustices throughout Germany. The end result is that live events are in some instances made impossible or economically unsound.

“That variation of rules makes touring and even single concerts impossible”

“The live industry is facing again a ban to operate and provide their service to consumers which is devastating in the end,” he concludes.

Dieter Semmelmann, CEO of Semmel Concerts, believes the new 2G rule may incentivise live music fans to get vaccinated in order to attend concerts.

According to the promoter, Semmelmann has already produced a myriad of concerts with the 2G rule and has found that the vaccination rate across their 3G events is “very high”.

However, the Semmel Concerts CEO says he’s concerned about how the new restrictions will impact demand for live music.

“The acceptance of events going on sale currently or during the pandemic remains weak. Thus governmental bridging support for the live-entertainment industry will also be necessary in 2022.

“Besides that, a solid commitment that at least vaccinated and recovered people will definitely be able to attend concerts in the future and buy tickets with a good conscience would be of crucial importance,” he adds.

Germany is treading a similar path to neighbouring country Austria, which previously imposed a lockdown on unvaccinated residents and recently became the first European country to announce mandatory Covid vaccinations.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

The German federal government has committed €80 million to organisers of music concerts and festivals from its €1bn Restart Culture programme.

The 12-month Neustart Kultur (‘Restart Culture’) stimulus package includes a total of €150m earmarked for music, with this initial €80m dedicated to events from October 2020 to the end of August 2021. 

The funding is the latest piece of good news for German concert professionals, coming after reports that Germany is likely to extend its coronavirus furlough scheme to 24 months – a proposal that has the backing of the chancellor, Angela Merkel.

This is the result of the negotiations that have been ongoing since the beginning of July between the Federal Association of the Concert and Event Industry (BDKV) and the Ministry of State for Culture and the Media.

“While the funding programme is far from being sufficient to fill the financial holes that the organisers have incurred in the last six months, and which unfortunately will only increase in the coming months, it will at least ensure a certain basic guarantee of the industry’s ongoing attempts to get back to normal,” says Jens Michow, president of the Federal Association of the Concert and Event Industry (BDKV).

“This will at least ensure a certain basic guarantee of the industry’s ongoing attempts to get back to normal”

For events from October 2020 to the end of August 2021, the current programme provides organisers with funding of between €75,000 and €800,000 of future event costs. Festival organisers can receive up to €250,000.

The maximum amount depends on the average number of events and visitors in the years 2017–2019, as well as the average turnover from cultural events within Germany.

Artist management and agents have so far not benefitted from the funding programme, despite being explicitly mentioned as recipients of aid in the Restart Culture programme. Applications will open on 7 September and will be processed through Initiative Musik, the German funding and export office for musicians and music companies.

The Restart Culture package recently announced €27m for small and medium-sized stages, based on the capacity of the space. Complementary funding with other federal funding programs is possible. Applications open on 27 August.

Currently, major events in Germany are banned until the start of November unless organisers can prove that social distancing measures and hygiene protocol can be met.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.