The live show featuring Taylor Swift, Mylène Farmer and international stars in 2024

2.4 billion euros. This is the revenue generated by live entertainment in 2024, according to a study published Tuesday by the Ministry of Culture. Concerts , festivals, and special events attracted 65 million spectators.

With nearly 230,000 performances recorded last year, the number of shows remains stable compared to 2023 (+1%), but the number of spectators with free or paying tickets increased by 4% and revenue by 11%, according to data collected via the Sibil system (Ticketing Information System) and enriched by those of the National Music Center (CNM) and the Association for the Support of Private Theater (ASTP).

Furthermore, nearly half of the French population (49%) attended a live performance, compared to 35% in 2023, a return to the levels of the years preceding the Covid-19 crisis, the authors of the study emphasize.

These increases are explained in particular by the impact of several major events, such as the opening and closing ceremonies of the Paris Olympic Games , but also the tours of international stars ( Taylor Swift , Coldplay , Mylène Farmer ), which drove revenues upwards, particularly in the pop, rock and electronic music categories.

Music dominates the sector, with 48% of the audience and 58% of the revenue, although it only represents a quarter of the performances.

Conversely, theater and related arts (circus, puppetry, and street arts) account for nearly half of the offerings but only a quarter of ticket sales and 13% of revenue. These shows are often performed in venues with smaller capacity, which limits their economic impact.

Still a very small minority in terms of performances (4%), dance, on the other hand, recorded the strongest increase in revenue (+33%).

The offer remains unevenly distributed, both artistically and geographically: the Île-de-France region alone accounts for 42% of performances and 47% of revenue, driven in particular by commercial companies which generate 66% of the turnover from live performance ticket sales in France.

However, a certain rebalancing is taking place in the regions thanks to festivals, which represented 12% of the approximately 230,000 shows and attracted 11 million spectators for 373 million euros in revenue. Brittany, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes are particularly strong performers.