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German concert market exceeds pre-pandemic levels in 2025
September1
Germany’s live music market moved above pre-pandemic levels in 2025, with more than 267,000 concerts attracting around 74.5 million visits, according to new figures published by German collecting society GEMA.
GEMA recorded 267,145 concerts during the year, representing an increase of 4.5% compared with 2024 and 1.6% compared with 2019, the final full year before the Covid-19 pandemic. Concert attendance increased by around 5.3% year-on-year and was approximately 7.7% higher than in 2019.
Small concerts remain market backbone
Events attracting up to 500 people continued to account for by far the largest share of Germany’s concert market. More than 244,000 concerts fell into the category in 2025, representing more than nine out of every ten concerts recorded by GEMA.
However, the recovery of the grassroots segment has been relatively slow. The number of concerts with audiences of up to 500 was only 0.4% above 2019 levels, despite increasing 4.4% compared with 2024.
GEMA said the figures underline the importance of small concerts to Germany’s live music infrastructure while showing that growth has been considerably stronger in larger segments of the market.
Mid-sized concerts see strongest growth
The strongest increase in 2025 came from concerts attracting between 5,000 and 15,000 people. The number of events in this category increased by 22.5% compared with 2024 and was 32.9% above 2019 levels.
The figures also suggest a shift away from the recent growth of so-called mega concerts attracting more than 50,000 people, with the mid-sized segment recording stronger expansion during 2025.
Berlin leads among German cities
Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia recorded the highest numbers of concerts among Germany’s federal states, with Bavaria slightly ahead despite having a smaller population.
Berlin remained Germany’s leading concert city both in terms of the number of concerts and overall attendance. Cologne moved from fourth to third place in the attendance ranking, supported by a comparatively high number of large-scale concerts.
Lanxess Arena becomes Germany’s most visited concert venue
Cologne’s Lanxess Arena became Germany’s most visited concert location in 2025, overtaking Munich’s Olympiapark.
Around 1.31 million concertgoers attended shows at the arena during the year. Its 2025 programme included artists such as Billie Eilish, Katy Perry, Sting, Lionel Richie, Nina Chuba, Ayliva, Bonez MC, Finch and Andrea Berg.
GEMA’s analysis covers primarily popular music concerts reported under its U-K tariff and does not include classical concerts or events where live music is not the main focus. The figures are based on data available as of July 15, 2026 and may be subject to minor adjustments following subsequent reporting or corrections.
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