CTS EVENTIM, Europe's leading ticketing and live entertainment company and second-largest globally, continued its growth trajectory in the first quarter of 2026. Consolidated revenue rose 23.0% year-on-year to EUR 613.5 million, while adjusted EBITDA increased 18.5% to EUR 118.9 million. The adjusted EBITDA margin remained stable at 19.4%, as reported in the company's quarterly results.
The Live Entertainment segment was the standout performer, with revenue climbing 38.3% to EUR 403.6 million and adjusted EBITDA surging 151.1% to EUR 29.1 million. This pushed the segment's adjusted EBITDA margin to 7.2%, up from 3.7% in the prior-year period. According to the company, the growth was driven by successful tours and events across multiple markets, including US tours and highly popular events in Germany. Venue activities also contributed positively; the Unipol Dome in Milan hosted ice hockey tournaments for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, with 53 matches attracting over 400,000 fans.
The Ticketing segment reported revenue of EUR 219.0 million, a 2.5% increase year-on-year, while adjusted EBITDA rose 1.2% to EUR 89.8 million. The adjusted EBITDA margin was virtually unchanged at 41.0%. The company noted that changes to the partnership with Stage Entertainment affected comparability with the first quarter of 2025. Adjusted for this effect, ticketing revenue expanded by over 6%. As reported in April 2026, the contract with Stage Entertainment has been extended long-term as a retail partnership.
CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg 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 Executive Board considers the first-quarter performance to be in line with expectations for the full year. CTS EVENTIM, which markets over 300 million tickets annually through mobile/online portals and physical box offices, is the second-biggest promoter globally according to Pollstar's 2025 rankings. The company operates some of Europe's most renowned venues and generated EUR 3.1 billion in revenue across more than 25 countries in 2025.
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