CTS EVENTIM, Europe's leading ticketing and live entertainment company and the second-largest worldwide, reported robust financial results for the first quarter of 2026, with consolidated revenue rising 23.0% year-on-year to €613.5 million. The Group's adjusted EBITDA increased by 18.5% to €118.9 million, maintaining a stable margin of 19.4%. The strong performance underscores the company's successful start to the year, driven particularly by the Live Entertainment segment.
Klaus-Peter Schulenberg, CEO of CTS EVENTIM, stated: "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."
In the Live Entertainment segment, revenue surged 38.3% to €403.6 million, while adjusted EBITDA skyrocketed by 151.1% to €29.1 million, pushing the margin to 7.2%. This growth was fueled by successful tours and events across multiple markets, including US tours and highly popular events in Germany. Venue activities also contributed positively, with the new Unipol Dome in Milan hosting the ice hockey tournaments of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, attracting over 400,000 fans across 53 matches.
The Ticketing segment also performed well, with revenue increasing 2.5% to €219.0 million and adjusted EBITDA rising 1.2% to €89.8 million, maintaining a strong margin of 41.0%. As expected, the partnership changes with Stage Entertainment affected comparability, but adjusted for this effect, ticketing revenue expanded by over 6%. The contract with Stage Entertainment has been extended for the long term as a retail partnership, as reported in April 2026.
Overall, the Executive Board considers the Group's performance in line with its full-year expectations. CTS EVENTIM, which generated €3.1 billion in revenue across more than 25 countries in 2025, continues to leverage its strong market position in ticketing and live entertainment. The company's systems market over 300 million tickets annually through mobile, online, and physical outlets, and it operates some of Europe's most renowned venues. According to Pollstar's global rankings for 2025, the EVENTIM Group is the second-biggest promoter worldwide.
The results indicate sustained consumer demand for live events and ticketing services, positioning CTS EVENTIM for continued growth in 2026.
