BERLIN (CelebrityAccess) — LiveKultur, the German nonprofit dedicated to strengthening and sustaining the live music ecosystem, is calling for greater support for the nation’s small and independent venues.
Recent figures from the German performance rights organization GEMA revealed a record-breaking year for the country’s concert industry in 2024, with more than 70 million fans attending approximately 250,000 concerts. However, while large-scale events are booming, smaller venues are facing increasing challenges, LiveKultur said.
Club concerts are stagnating while mega-events are surging. According to GEMA, over 91% of concerts in 2024 were held in venues with fewer than 500 attendees—approximately 228,842 concerts in total. Despite a slight increase from 2023, this segment remains 5.9% below pre-pandemic levels in 2019. In contrast, mega-concerts with over 50,000 attendees saw a staggering 56% growth, highlighting a significant disparity.
Of particular concern is the average attendance per concert in smaller venues, which stands at just 122 attendees—often below economically sustainable levels. This underscores the urgent need for structural support within the sector. Without robust backing for grassroots concerts that nurture emerging talent, the long-term viability of large-scale events is also at risk—threatening the entire live music ecosystem in Germany.
“These numbers serve as a wake-up call with two clear messages: live music is thriving, but it’s becoming increasingly top-heavy at the expense of smaller venues,” said Felix Grädler, board member of both LiveKultur and LiveKomm. “To restore equilibrium in the live music ecosystem, collaborative initiatives like the Live Music Fund Germany are crucial.”
“This imbalance is unsustainable in the long run. The future stars of the music industry are incubating in today’s clubs, yet these venues lack the resources needed to foster new talent,” added Karsten Schölermann, chairman of the Federal Foundation LiveKultur.
In response, the live music industry—including the Federal Foundation LiveKultur, LiveKomm, and other key stakeholders—is proposing a proactive solution: the voluntary Live Music Fund Germany. Financed in part through small ticket levies at major concerts, the fund is designed to support club concerts, small festivals, and tours by emerging artists. Ticketing providers are expected to play a key role, offering audiences the option to contribute.
LiveKultur is urging political leaders, ticketing platforms, and major event organizers to participate in establishing the fund. It also encourages entities benefiting from the live music boom—such as GEMA—to actively engage in supporting the fund and investing in the next generation of artists.
“If 228,000 small concerts constitute the backbone of our musical diversity, then we must safeguard their economic viability. While larger players have already rebounded, now is the time to invest in the future,” Grädler concluded.
