CTS EVENTIM, Europe's leading ticketing and live entertainment company and the second largest worldwide, has reported robust financial results for the first quarter of 2026, continuing its trajectory of profitable growth. Consolidated revenue increased by 23.0% to EUR 613.5 million compared to the prior-year period, while adjusted EBITDA rose by 18.5% to EUR 118.9 million. The adjusted EBITDA margin remained nearly unchanged at 19.4%.
The Live Entertainment segment was a standout performer, with adjusted EBITDA surging by 151.1% to EUR 29.1 million on revenue of EUR 403.6 million, a 38.3% year-on-year increase. This growth was primarily driven by successful tours and events across multiple markets, including US tours and highly popular events in Germany. The segment's adjusted EBITDA margin improved to 7.2%, up from the previous year.
In the Ticketing segment, revenue rose by 2.5% to EUR 219.0 million, with adjusted EBITDA increasing by 1.2% to EUR 89.8 million. The adjusted EBITDA margin held steady at 41.0%. The company noted that changes to its partnership with Stage Entertainment affected comparability with the first quarter of 2025; however, adjusted for this effect, ticketing revenue expanded by over 6%. As reported in April 2026, the contract with Stage Entertainment has been extended for the long term as a retail partnership.
Klaus-Peter Schulenberg, CEO of CTS EVENTIM, commented: “CTS EVENTIM has made a successful start to 2026, maintaining its trajectory of profitable growth. The Live Entertainment segment performed particularly strongly in the first quarter. Our international position and close cooperation with promoters, artists and partners continue to provide strong foundations for the sustained growth of our business.”
The company's venue activities also contributed positively, with the new Unipol Dome in Milan hosting ice hockey tournaments for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, attracting over 400,000 fans across 53 matches. After the first quarter, the Executive Board considers the Group's performance to be in line with its expectations for the full year.
CTS EVENTIM markets over 300 million tickets annually through its systems, and according to Pollstar's global rankings for 2025, the EVENTIM Group is the second-biggest promoter worldwide. The company also operates some of Europe's most renowned venues. In 2025, the Group generated revenue of EUR 3.1 billion across more than 25 countries.
