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Germany’s concert market surpasses pre-pandemic levels
August4
Germany’s live music market moved beyond its pre-pandemic benchmark in 2025, with both the number of concerts and total attendance exceeding 2019 levels for the first time since the Covid-19 disruption.
New data from German collecting society GEMA indicates that the market’s recovery is extending across different event sizes, although smaller concerts continue to account for the majority of activity.
Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia lead regional market
Bavaria hosted the largest number of concerts among Germany’s federal states in 2025, ranking slightly ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia, the country’s most populous region.
Berlin remained Germany’s leading concert city in terms of both event volume and attendance. Cologne moved into third place in the attendance ranking, supported by a high concentration of major arena concerts.
Lanxess Arena becomes Germany’s most visited concert venue
Cologne’s Lanxess Arena was Germany’s most visited concert venue in 2025, overtaking Munich’s Olympic Park.
The arena welcomed approximately 1.31 million concertgoers during the year. Its programme included international artists such as Katy Perry, Sting, Billie Eilish and Lionel Richie, alongside major German acts including Nina Chuba, Ayliva, Bonez MC, Finch and Andrea Berg.
Small concerts continue to drive the market
Events attracting up to 500 people represented by far the largest segment of Germany’s concert market.
This part of the sector recovered more slowly than the arena and stadium business following the pandemic, but the number of smaller concerts finally moved above its 2019 level in 2025.
The figures also suggest a shift away from the recent emphasis on mega-events. The strongest growth was recorded in the mid-sized segment, covering concerts with attendances of between 5,000 and 15,000, rather than events attracting more than 50,000 people.
The analysis is based on concerts covered by GEMA’s entertainment music tariff and therefore primarily reflects popular music events. Classical concerts and events where live music is not the principal attraction are excluded.
The data was compiled as of 15 July 2026 and may be adjusted following subsequent reporting or corrections.
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