DEAG Reports Strong Half-Year Performance

Deutsche Entertainment Aktiengesellschaft (DEAG) continued its strong performance from the first three months in the second quarter of 2025, and thus reports a very successful first half of 2025 overall.

The company further expanded its share of its own event formats, staged a variety of successful concerts, tours and live events, and recorded further growth in ticket sales.

As of the reporting date, more than 6.9 million tickets had already been sold for 2025 – an increase of 19% compared to the previous year. The majority of these tickets were sold via the Group’s own ticketing platforms.

With this positive business development in the first half of 2025, DEAG is on target to reach its full-year objectives, particularly a moderate increase in revenue alongside a significant improvement in EBITDA.

For the full-year, DEAG aims to sell a total of 12 million tickets – up from over 11 million tickets in 2024.

In the first half of 2025, group revenue rose to €155.4 million ($181.2 million) – an increase of 17.1% compared to the prior-year figure of €132.7 million.

EBITDA saw a significant increase, more than doubling from €3.1 million to €6.6 million ($7.7 million).

Looking at the second quarter of 2025 in isolation, DEAG recorded a significant revenue increase to €88.4 million ($103.1 million), up from €81 million recorded in Q2/2024.

EBITDA rose from €0.1 million to €3.1 million ($3.6 million).

The companies acquired since 2024 contributed significantly to these positive developments, in particular DEAG’s expanding spoken word department.

The reporting period was shaped, among other things, by very strong developments in

Formats such as the international literature festival lit.COLOGNE, including lit.kid.COLOGNE, and the exceptionally successful “An Evening with…” event series in the UK are but a few examples.

The United Kingdom remains DEAG’s most important international market.

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Among DEAG’s most successful tours and concerts of the year include Ed Sheeran, Sam Fender, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Lenny Kravitz, as well as German stars Bausa and Till Lindemann.

DEAG’s approximately 30 one-day and multi-day festivals and open-air events across genres such as EDM and Urban Dance Music, Rock/Pop, and Classics & Jazz contributed to a successful summer business.

Highlights included festivals like Nature One, which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year with acts such as Charlotte de Witte, Eric Prydz, KlangKuenstler, and Alle Farben, as well as Airbeat One, Sputnik Spring Break, Sion sous le Étoiles, Belladrum Tartan Heart, and open-air events including Andreas Gabalier at Munich’s Königsplatz, or the new event format Classic Open Air at Berlin’s Gendarmenmarkt.

The second half of 2025 continues with a high density of events. DEAG will be staging concerts and tours with Simply Red, Lang Lang, Sabaton, Saxon, Helloween, Hans Zimmer, Marilyn Manson and Böhse Onkelz, among others, the latter alone attracting over 200,000 visitors.

The “An Evening with…” series of talks and conversations will feature award-winning British author Elizabeth Day, former U.S. President Barack Obama, legendary Hercule Poirot actor Sir David Suchet, and Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey, among others.

In addition, audiences in Germany and across Europe can once again look forward to the return of the popular ‘Christmas Garden’ event format.

Detlef Kornett, Group CEO of DEAG, commented, “We are very pleased with our performance in the first half of 2025. DEAG is strongly positioned in the areas of Live Entertainment and Entertainment Services. The strategic decisions we made last year – particularly in the context of key transformation projects – are now reflected in rising revenues and earnings. Strong financial results, ticket sales at a very high level, and a packed event calendar provide a solid foundation for sustainable growth in the second half of 2025 and beyond.”

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