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CTS EVENTIM reports growth in first quarter of 2026
June1
German ticketing and live entertainment company CTS EVENTIM reported increases in both revenue and earnings during the first quarter of 2026, driven by growth across its Ticketing and Live Entertainment businesses.
The company recorded consolidated revenue of €613.5 million for the first three months of the year, representing a 23.0% increase compared with the same period in 2025.
Adjusted EBITDA rose 18.5% year-on-year to €118.9 million, while the adjusted EBITDA margin remained broadly stable at 19.4%.
According to the company, the strongest performance came from its Live Entertainment segment, where revenue increased by 38.3% to €403.6 million. Adjusted EBITDA in the division rose by 151.1% to €29.1 million, resulting in an adjusted EBITDA margin of 7.2%.
CTS EVENTIM attributed the growth in Live Entertainment primarily to successful tours and events across several markets, including touring activity in the United States and major events in Germany. Venue operations also contributed to the quarter`s performance. The company`s new venue, the Unipol Dome in Milan, hosted the ice hockey competitions of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games, staging 53 matches attended by more than 400,000 spectators.
In the Ticketing segment, revenue increased by 2.5% year-on-year to €219.0 million, while adjusted EBITDA rose 1.2% to €89.8 million. The adjusted EBITDA margin remained stable at 41.0%.
The company noted that changes to its partnership with Stage Entertainment affected comparability with the first quarter of 2025. Excluding this impact, ticketing revenue would have increased by approximately 6%. Earlier this year, CTS EVENTIM announced a long-term extension of its relationship with Stage Entertainment through a retail partnership agreement.
Commenting on the results, Klaus-Peter Schulenberg, CEO of CTS EVENTIM, said the company had made a successful start to 2026 and highlighted the strong performance of the Live Entertainment business. He added that the group`s international position and collaboration with promoters, artists and partners continue to support its growth strategy.
Following the first quarter, the company`s Executive Board said trading was in line with expectations for the full year.
CTS EVENTIM operates ticketing and live entertainment businesses in more than 25 countries. According to Pollstar`s 2025 rankings, the company was the world`s second-largest concert promoter and markets more than 300 million tickets annually through its ticketing systems. In 2025, the group generated revenue of €3.1 billion.
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