Future of the Waldbühne: Tender instead of Eventim – What’s next?

Future of the Waldbühne: Tender instead of Eventim – What’s next?

The Waldbühne in Berlin, leased to the live entertainment giant Eventim since 2009, is facing a decisive turning point. The current lease expires in 2026 and discussions about future use and contract design are already in full swing. The Berlin Senate is examining the possibility of putting the lease out to tender in order to achieve potential advantages such as cheaper ticket prices and better regional anchoring. This reports rbb24.

The issue of lease agreements has become not just an accounting issue, but a real contentious issue. Eventim is repeatedly criticized for acting as a market dominator in ticket sales and enforcing overpriced prices. According to the lawyer Klaus-Martin Groth, there are concerns that the Senate may have violated budget law with its previous procurement practices. He is calling for a tender to find the best economic solution and to optimize the lease. Groth also believes that the full value of the lease can only be determined through market research or tendering in order to generate higher revenue, according to the assessment Presseportal.de.

Dispute over ticket prices and market exclusion

The Berlin Senate, represented by the Senate Department for Sport, takes the critical voices about ticket prices seriously. A program is being considered that would include possible social or student tickets if the Waldbühne were to be taken into state hands. Representatives of the State of Berlin have budgeted 775,000 euros for the current lease agreements in the budget for 2024/2025, while an income of around 1.23 million euros was actually recorded for 2024.

The leasing to Eventim is controversial in the Berlin music scene because, according to current estimates, the group sells 60 to 70 percent of all tickets in Germany. This dominant position led the federal government to expand the powers of the Federal Cartel Office in the current legislative period in order to combat disruptions to competition in ticket sales. The measures serve to restore competition and improve market conditions, such as bundestag.de reported.

Future visions for the Waldbühne

The debate about the Waldbühne is being fueled by various political factions. The SPD's sports policy spokesman, Dennis Buchner, has already suggested operating the Waldbühne directly, which could generate a new source of income for the budget. Green politicians also support this idea and see independent business management as an opportunity to better adapt to the needs of visitors.

Overall, the upcoming tender, or the possible in-house operation of the Waldbühne, will have consequences for ticket sales and the organizers. The situation remains exciting and could have a decisive impact on Berlin's event horizon, while citizens hope for decisions that will bring both artistic and financial benefits.