The concert and event industry in Germany is still far from its former, pre-pandemic strength, according to industry representatives.
Poor advance sales, high production costs and a lack of staff are the key problems, according to Jens Michow, president of the Federal Association of the Concert and Event Industry (BDKV).
Events with international mega stars are often sold out, Michow told dpa, "however, this is not true for the rest and thus the absolute majority of current concert offerings."
Many music fans have become more cautious when buying tickets, partly due to increased costs. And when the venues only manage to sell half of their tickets, events are often cancelled because the costs no longer add up, he said.
This is especially the case with delayed concerts that were originally scheduled for 2020 and 2021, because they were planned with 2019 prices. The acute staff shortage in the industry makes matters even more difficult.
State subsidies needed to continue into 2023, Michow said, arguing that otherwise the industry "will not recover so quickly."
2023, he said, will be another very difficult year for the cultural events industry - "if not the most difficult."
