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Summary
The live performance market in France, while concentrated in terms of sales and attendance, is highly fragmented in terms of number of performances and jobs. In 2020, the sector experienced a significant downturn, with a drop of around 32% in salaried employees and around 15% in merchant companies due to the health crisis. Despite this, 2021 showed signs of recovery, although the number of employees has not fully returned to pre-pandemic levels.
The market is mature, with limited growth potential due to the inelasticity of demand, and is geographically concentrated, with the Ile-de-France region playing a predominant role. In terms of structure, the sector comprises a diverse range of players, from public entities to private organizations and technical service companies. The largest shows and venues account for a disproportionate share of admissions and revenues; for example, the top 50 shows accounted for 33% of admissions and over 55% of box-office receipts.
Despite facing significant operational challenges and changing market conditions, the live entertainment sector in France remains complex and dynamic.
Trends and outlook for the live entertainment market in France
The live entertainment market in France is a dynamic and diverse sector, encompassing different forms of entertainment such as comedy, opera, theater and concerts, among others. Despite the diversity of its offering, the market is experiencing a degree of concentration, both in terms of revenues and attendance, but remains highly fragmented in terms of the number of performances and job opportunities. A small proportion of shows attract a substantial share of revenues and audiences - around 6% of shows garner almost half of admissions and two-thirds of box-office receipts. This suggests a market where high-profile shows have significant drawing power, while a myriad of smaller events collectively contribute to the cultural offering, but are less financially successful. Geographical concentration is also evident, with the Ile-de-France region, particularly Paris, dominating in terms of performances, attendance and box-office receipts.
While the growth potential of this market seems limited due to the saturation of supply and inelasticity of demand, the potential for internal recomposition and redistribution of market share from one season to the next remains. Looking at demand for live shows, the consumer base tends to vary with age, with younger age groups - particularly 15-34 year-olds - showing a greater inclination to attend live events than those over 65. The motivations that drive audiences to attend live performances center on social experiences and emotional engagement, with the desire for shared moments and strong emotional experiences topping the list. A significant percentage of the population attends at least one live performance a year, underlining the market's importance in cultural consumption habits.
In terms of market segmentation, the major integrated players involved in several or all stages of the live entertainment value chain, such as Live Nation, are alongside a large number of smaller entities.to a large number of small, fragmented entities, including independent venues, second-tier festivals and a wide range of technical support companies. The players are diverse, ranging from specialist concert halls to multidisciplinary cultural centers and open-air festival venues.
The live performance market also has to contend with various regulations that can have an impact on market dynamics. These include obligations relating to the payment of intellectual property rights, employment contracts and ticketing standards. On the production side, significant costs are associated with artist and staff remuneration, technical production, insurance, etc.
The range of live entertainment on offer is broad, catering to the preferences of different audiences, with concerts in genres such as rap, hip-hop and rock attracting on average more spectators than other categories.
The main drivers of the live performance landscape in France
The French live performance market is rich in creativity and enterprise, with many entities contributing to its dynamism and diversity. Within this vibrant ecosystem, some key players stand out for their global involvement and substantial impact within the sector.
Major integrated players in live entertainment
- Live Nation, an undisputed industry giant, offers a 360-degree approach to live entertainment, handling everything from tour organization to ticket sales. Likewise, STAGE Entertainment boasts a significant presence, designing and delivering memorable theatrical and musical experiences to a wide audience.
Pioneers in venue management and production
- LagardèreGroup, exert considerable influence by controlling first-rate spaces where the magic of live entertainment takes place. They offer a wide variety of shows, guaranteeing audiences a high-quality cultural offering. For their part, Fimalac Entertainment and S Pass, as well as Gérard Drouot Production, are distinguished by their focus on the production and organization of live events. These production companies are the creative engines behind many of the world's fastest-growing shows, ensuring a constant flow of live entertainment choices for a diverse range of audiences.
Cultural conglomerates and music majors
- Vivendi is a cultural conglomerate with interests ranging from music to live entertainment. The group's multi-faceted structure enables it to influence various facets of the market simultaneously. The recording giants are not to be outdone when it comes to live entertainment. Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, initially spurred on by the digital disruption of the music industry, have extended their footprint into show production, diversifying their business models and revenue streams.
Ticketing pioneers
- FNAC Darty and Ticketmaster (a subsidiary of Live Nation Entertainment) have acquired a dominant position. They are the gatekeepers to the public, managing the crucial point of contact for ticket transactions. Digitick, although smaller in size, has also established itself as a key player in the ticketing sector, contributing to the dynamic competitive landscape.
These major market players coexist with a wide range of smaller venues, festivals, technical assistance companies, freelancers, artists and security firms, which form the backbone of the live performance sector in France. Each entity plays a unique role in a market characterized by a multiplicity of offerings and experiences. Together, these players orchestrate a grand symphony of cultural commitment,
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Detailed content
Inforamtion
- Number of pages : 30 pages
- Format : Digital and PDF versions
- Last update : 10/11/2022
Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Market definition and key figures
Live performance is defined as the physical presence of at least one performing artist receiving remuneration for the public performance of a work of the mind.
The live entertainment market in France is structured around the production and distribution of live shows. This market covers a variety of segments (comedy, song, opera, instrumental music, theater, circus, etc.) which, while they do not necessarily share the same customers (the same audience), at least share the same interests.while they don't necessarily share the same customers (the same audience), they do share, at least in part, the same production resources (venues, lighting, sound, scenery, make-up, security, ticketing, advertising and promotion, entertainment workers, production, staging).
The live performance market is thus characterized by the involvement of a large number of operators. Some major operators are integrated players in the live entertainment sector, covering the entire value chain (such as Live Nation or Stage Entertainment). These players coexist with others of significant size, focusing on one link in the chain: venue managers, record majors, ticketing operators and production companies. Above all, however, the live performance market relies on a vast, highly fragmented economic fabric, comprising independent venues, festivals, technical assistance methese include independent venues, festivals, technical assistance companies, intermittent workers and intermittent workers' collectives, artists, directors, security companies, etc.
We note in particular that 6% of performances account for 49% of admissions and 65% of box-office receipts. Conversely, 60% of performances are given in small venues with fewer than 200 admissions, and account for 5% of box office receipts.
As a result, while this market may appear concentrated in terms of box-office receipts and admissions, it is absolutely atomized in terms of the number of performances and jobs.
The live performance market is also geographically concentrated in France, with the Ile-de-France region and Paris in particular occupying a predominant position, both in terms of number of performances and attendance and box-office receipts.
The live performance market in France is relatively mature, due to the saturation of supply and the inelasticity of demand: for consumers/spectators, "consuming" live performance is as much an investment in time as in money. Lowering prices therefore does not significantly increase attendance. On the other hand, a period of economic difficulty is likely to see attendance figures deteriorate. The market's growth potential is therefore limited. However, its fragmented nature leaves considerable scope for internal recomposition and redistribution of market share between shows and operators from one season to the next.
The market for live shows is primarily served by individual customers, followed by companies, notably for team seminars or customer meetings.
1.2 The European live performance market
In ****, the European live performance market was estimated at **.* billion euros, with very strong growth of +**.*% over the ****-**** period.
Sales of cultural and creative industries Europe, ****, in billions of euros Source: ****
1.3 The French live entertainment market is growing strongly
The live entertainment market experienced difficult times in **** and **** with the health crisis. However, **** marks a significant recovery from this terrible period. The Comité National de la Musique(***).
evolution of box office receipts France, ****-****, in millions of euros Source: ****
The graph above shows the disaster that was **** and ****. We can ...
1.4 The impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the live entertainment market
The Syndicat national du spectacle musical et de variété (***) predicts that the live entertainment sector will be hard hit by the crisis at the start of ****. Indeed, in the event of no shows being able to resume before January ****, the union estimates that the sector will lose *.* billion euros in ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Household consumption of leisure and culture
In ****, household consumption of culture and leisure will be worth **.** billion euros. Within this broad category is a sub-category of particular interest to us: "cultural services". This sub-category includes "Cinema, live shows, museums, audiovisual subscriptions, photo printing developments, etc.". [***] The latter represents the *th largest item of expenditure on leisure and ...
2.2 Consumption of live shows
A survey conducted by Harris Interactive for the French Ministry of Culture in September **** reports on the behavior of the French towards live performances. However, this survey is largely focused on the effects of the health pass, which is no longer relevant. Nevertheless, survey participants still answered questions about their consumption ...
2.3 Demand strongly dependent on cultural capital
a survey carried out by Ifop in June **** informs us of the willingness of the French to attend live shows in the coming months, and highlights a greater appetite among socio-professional categories to go to live shows.
Do you intend to attend a music or theater festival and/or concerts and/or ...
3 Market structure
3.1 The different types of players in the sector
There are many different types of player in the live performance market:
Public players: either the State or local authorities. In ****, public spending accounted for **.*% of total performing arts sales in France. Performing arts companies, whether specialized in this field or integrated players present at different stages of the value chain. ...
3.2 Employment in the performing arts
In ****, the live performance sector employed more than ***,*** people, the vast majority of them working for live performance companies, and more than *,*** authors or content creators.
Workforce in the cultural and creative industries France, ****, in thousands and as a % of total Source: ****
Source: ****
In ****, there were over **,*** companies in France specializing ...
3.3 Sector concentration
In ****, the Centre National de la Musique has published a report on the activity of musical and variety shows. However, given the complicated context of **** and **** for the sector, which does not reflect the current situation in light of the lifting of restrictions, this same report is based mainly on **** to ...
3.4 The different venues and their characteristics
Venues more geared towards pop or variety concerts:
Source: ****
More classic venues :
Source: ****
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Offer typology
There is a very wide range of live performances, from a contemporary music concert to an opera performance, a festival, a play or a comedy show.
Breakdown of paid performances by type France, ****, in % Source: ****
Rap, hip-hop, reggae or electronic music and pop rock concerts are the types of shows that ...
4.2 Overview of prices and costs
Prices vary widely according to the type of performance: the average price ranges from €** for jazz, blues and improvised music to €** for cabaret.
Average ticket price excluding tax per paid admission France, ****, in Source: ****
Live performance costs
For any show, we need to calculate its production cost (***).
> Production costs
Many ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Regulations for entertainment companies
This entire section is taken directly from the Guide des obligations socialesissued by the French Ministry of Culture. All legal obligations are listed in this guide.
"There are several legal obligations for entertainment contractors. They are summarized below:
You must register your company with URSSAF Hold an entertainment contractor's license, ...
5.2 Show regulations
"Prior to the start of a show, a number of formalities must be completed:
Declaration prior to hiring employees Application for an object number Drawing up an employment contract Check that the employee is in possession of a medical fitness certificate less than two years old, issued by the occupational medicine ...
5.3 Obligations of the show entrepreneur
"The show entrepreneur must also ensure in particular :
Payment of intellectual property rights (***) Use a ticketing system that complies with the relevant standards and is subject to : VAT at the reduced rate of *.*%, in particular for theater, song and poetry shows, circuses, concerts, variety shows (***), choreographic or lyrical shows, with ticket ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Segmentation
As we have seen, the live performance market is concentrated in terms of revenues and admissions, but absolutely atomized in terms of the number of performances and jobs.
The most important players, in terms of size and sales, are :
Integrated players in the live entertainment sector, covering the entire value chain, ...
- Live Nation France
- Fimalac Entertainment
- Lagardère groupe
- Vivendi
- Gérard Drouot Production
- STAGE Entertainment
- Warner Music Group
- Sony Music Entertainment France
- Ticketmaster France
- Digitick (Vivendi)
- AEG Anschutz
- L’Olympia
- Accor Arena (Accor groupe)
- Le Lido Cabaret (Accor groupe)
- Le Cirque du Soleil
- France Galop
- Decibel Production (Warner Group)
- Movinmotion
List of charts
- Percentage of the population attending a live performance at least once a year
- Percentage of the population attending a live show at least once a year
- Percentage of the population attending a theatrical, operatic or classical music performance at least once a year
- Percentage of the population attending a live performance at least once a year, by type of performance
- Percentage of the population attending a live performance at least once a year, by age group
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Latest news
France Galop aims to revive horse racing. - 27/03/2024
- - Increase in the number of racehorse owners: +600 over the last three years to 5,800.
- - Number of spectators at France Galop's five racecourses: 400,000 last year, up 6%.
- - PMU sales: 10 billion euros, of which 7 billion generated by horse betting.
- - Number of PMU points: 14,000.
- - Economic sector: 10,000 direct jobs in the gallop racing industry, 233 racecourses in France, compared with 55 in the UK.
Music: billions in the concert business - 04/01/2024
- Taylor Swift has booked 149 concerts in 20 countries up to December 2024.
- The singer is set to become the first music star to break the billion-dollar barrier
- Before Covid, live music generated $21.5 billion worldwide.
- By 2023, live music revenues should exceed $28 billion, according to Goldman Sachs.
- Live Nation, the world leader in the concert business, holds over 75% of worldwide ticket sales via its Ticketmaster platform.
- In one year, Live Nation sold almost 120 million tickets worldwide.
- The group can fill the equivalent of 1500 Stade de France with these ticket sales.
Vivendi demerger project well received - 14/12/2023
- Vivendi climbs over 10% on the stock market following the announcement of its demerger project.
- The operation involves the creation of three separate entities around Canal+, Havas and an investment company.
Vivendi takes control of Lagardère: "A big change" - 22/11/2023
- Vivendi officially takes control of Lagardère on November 21.
Vivendi now holds 57.95% of Lagardère's capital and 50.50% of its voting rights. - Vivendi's sales rise from 9.6 billion euros to 16.5 billion.
- International activities account for 63% of Vivendi's revenues (compared with 54% previously).
- The number of Vivendi employees rises from 38,300 to 65,700.
- Bernard Arnault holds a 7.7% stake in Lagardère via Financière Agache.
Vivendi reinvents its business model with the acquisition of Lagardère - 22/11/2023
- Vivendi's annual sales will rise from 9.6 billion to 17 billion euros following the acquisition of the Lagardère group.
- Vivendi's adjusted operating profit will rise from over 800 million euros to over 1.2 billion euros.
- The number of Vivendi employees will increase from 38,000 to 66,000.
- Vivendi sold Editis to International Media Invest for 653 million euros (including debt).
- Vivendi owns 59.74% of the Lagardère group.
- Other major shareholders in the Lagardère Group are Qatar Holding LLC (11.52%), Arnaud Lagardère (11.11%) and Financière Agache (7.97%).
The Accor Arena becomes number two in the world, just behind Madison Square Garden - 08/11/2023
- The Accor Arena in Paris ranks 2nd in the world for venues with 15,000 to 30,000 seats.
- It hosted 71 events and sold 974,000 tickets.
- It was followed by Madison Square Garden (MSG), which sold 1.12 million tickets for nearly $139 million, and London's O2, with revenues of over $98 million.
- Sales at the Accor Arena have risen by 35% in five years, reaching 56 million euros.
- The success of French rap music explains these good results.
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