Connecting the live music industry
DEAG Reports Lower First-Quarter Revenue
June2
Germany-based live entertainment company DEAG Deutsche Entertainment AG reported lower revenue and earnings for the first quarter of 2026, while confirming its full-year guidance and continuing its acquisition strategy.
 kopi.jpg)
Revenue for the three months ended March 31 declined to €62.1 million from €67.0 million in the same period last year, a decrease of around 7%.
EBITDA also fell to €2.1 million from €3.5 million in the prior-year quarter. The company said the performance reflected the typical seasonality of the live entertainment business and the timing of its event calendar.
Despite the lower first-quarter figures, DEAG said results were in line with expectations and that it remains on track to achieve its full-year targets. The company expects revenue to remain at a high level in 2026, although temporarily below the previous year’s level, with planned annual revenue exceeding €400 million. DEAG also anticipates a further improvement in its EBITDA margin and expects ticket sales to remain broadly in line with last year.
As of the end of March, DEAG had sold more than 4.7 million tickets for concerts and events scheduled across 2026 and 2027, providing what the company described as strong visibility and planning certainty for future business development.
During the quarter, DEAG continued its buy-and-build strategy through several acquisitions. The company acquired the remaining minority interests in promoter Wizard Live, increased its stake in the Airbeat One festival from 55% to 75%, acquired a majority stake in the Juicy Beats festival, and took a majority shareholding in conneccted: Events & Live Marketing GmbH, expanding its presence in corporate and tourism-related events.
DEAG organised a range of concerts, tours and events during the quarter, including the lit.COLOGNE literature festival, comedy shows featuring Jeff Dunham, concerts by Airbourne and Gorillaz, as well as family entertainment productions such as Disney on Ice and PAW Patrol Live!.
Looking ahead, the company’s event pipeline includes performances by the Berlin Philharmonic, Die Toten Hosen, Iron Maiden, Papa Roach and Lenny Kravitz, alongside more than 30 open-air festivals across Europe this summer.
Detlef Kornett, Group CEO DEAG: “The business performance in the first quarter was solid and in line with our expectations. We successfully continued our buy-and-build strategy and remain on track to achieve our full-year targets. For the 2027 financial year, we expect to return to our established growth trajectory.”
Founded in 1978, DEAG operates across Germany, the UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Denmark, Spain and Italy, organising more than 6,000 live events annually and selling over 10 million tickets through its live entertainment and ticketing businesses.
With VIP-Booking.com, you can search for anyone in the live music industry — try it yourself!
Search Artists:
Trusted by professionals in the live music industry around the world for 25 years!
