Big concerts should help fund small clubs

Big shows should give up a slice of every ticket.¹ That is the demand of PETZI, the umbrella body for over 240 music clubs and festivals.¹ On 11 November 2026, PETZI launched an appeal to that end.¹ The campaign «Bis – Encore – Zugabe» has been running since the spring.⁵ New are the amounts, a timetable and a consultation.¹

The mechanics: large, profit-driven events pay a contribution per ticket sold.² The proposal is 1 franc for festivals.¹ For shows in halls, stadiums and arenas, it is 2 francs.¹ The money goes into an independently managed fund.² From there it goes to small and mid-sized clubs and festivals.² Not to associations.⁴

Taking part is voluntary.² A legal basis is not on the table.³ The model is Britain.³ There, participating events with over 5'000 seats pay one pound per ticket.³ France has a statutory levy on concert tickets.³ Cologne has its «Club-Euro».³

The contribution is not meant to be passed on to audiences.³ It cannot be prevented, though, the campaign concedes.³

Now the sums. The pot holds at most 3.7 million francs a year, gross.² That requires every large event in the model to join.² Worked out: at 2 francs a ticket, that would be 1.85 million tickets. At 1 franc, 3.7 million. The real mix of festivals and halls lies in between. The campaign itself calls the figure a rough first estimate.² How many promoters will sign up is open.³

PETZI surveyed its members in December 2025.¹ Around 70 per cent report stable or rising attendance since 2022.¹ Around three quarters call their situation strained, critical or acutely at risk.¹ The audience turns up, the money does not. Public funding covers only 21 per cent of income on average.^2,3

Feedback on the model is possible until 18 December 2026.¹ Agreements are due in 2027, plus a governing body (the organisation that runs the fund).^1,4 The start is planned for early 2028.¹ But only if enough promoters make a binding commitment.¹

What this means in practice: the full pot divided by over 240 PETZI venues.^1,2 That comes to at most around 15'400 francs per venue and year. On paper. Who exactly gets money is still open.³ No share is set aside for fees. For Sonart, what matters is that fair fees for musicians become possible too.¹ The missing figure is the distribution key.