Study by Dresden Marketing GmbH determines the economic factor of open-air concerts for Dresden for the first time

Photo: The audience celebrates the concert by Casper and Materia at the "Filmnächten am Elbufer Dresden".


Dresden, 30 May 2024. Events such as rock and pop concerts are increasingly becoming a relevant factor for tourism. The Magic Cities City Travel Monitor 2024 confirms this effect for Germany. Events are among the three most important reasons for visiting cities in Germany, and the importance of events has once again increased significantly in the last two years.  

Dresden Marketing GmbH (DMG), Dresden's official umbrella marketing organisation, sees great potential in event tourism for the Saxon capital and considers this segment to be an important competitive factor with other major German cities. DMG has therefore conducted a comprehensive representative study, the first of its kind in Germany. For the first time, the study "Economic Factor Open-Air Concerts Dresden 2023" provides data on the tourism and economic effects of concerts for the city and also shows the contribution that concerts make directly to the accommodation tax.  

Proof of the great importance of concerts for tourism   

"Event tourism is a trend that is gaining momentum and in which Dresden and the Elbland region are already participating today. The medium-term potential for tourism here is huge, which is why we should continue to invest in this segment together - from infrastructure to marketing," says Corinne Miseer, Managing Director of DMG. 

The DMG study published today shows that concerts attract a significant number of additional tourists to the city, strike a chord with tourists and ensure a positive perception of Dresden thanks to their special experiential character. Evidence is also provided that many tourism stakeholders in the city benefit from concerts, from the hotel industry to catering and retail.

"The study 'Economic Factor Open-Air Concerts Dresden 2023' confirms the growing importance of open-air concerts for tourism in the state capital of Dresden and the regional economy. For us as the city administration, this means, on the one hand, creating the appropriate infrastructure and planning security as well as good support in approval procedures and, on the other hand, reconciling the interests of event organisers, the public and the population," says Annekatrin Klepsch, Mayor of Tourism and Culture.  

57% of concert-goers are tourists. 94% of tourists are travelling primarily for the concert  

The study shows a very high proportion of tourists among concertgoers at 57%, while 43% of visitors are residents. The 57% share of tourists is made up of 32% day visitors and 25% overnight visitors. As the overnight guests spent an average of two nights in Dresden's hotels or guesthouses, their importance for tourism and value creation increases once again. Of the tourists surveyed, 94% came to Dresden exclusively for the event and spent an average of 78 euros per overnight stay. At 98 euros, the most money was spent per overnight stay by guests at the Kaisermania.

In total, concert guests who were only in Dresden on the day of the event spent an average of 113 euros per person. Overnight guests spent an average of 293 euros, almost three times as much. A total of 49.9 million euros in revenue was generated by events in Dresden. Of this, 4/5 (41 million euros) is tourism-related turnover. This corresponds to 3.2% of the total annual tourist turnover in Dresden.

The highest share of the total turnover comes from the Kaisermania, followed by concerts in the Junge Garde and other concerts on the banks of the Elbe. In total, Kaisermania guests generate a turnover of 21.5 million euros in the city, 16 million of which is generated by tourism. This corresponds to 3.7% of the total tourism value added in Dresden each year. Around 700,000 euros in accommodation tax alone were generated by the events at the Film Nights on the banks of the Elbe Dresden and in the Junge Garde in 2023.

"This study provides an important basis for strategic decisions in the areas of urban development, transport planning and tourism marketing for Dresden. I would like to thank DMG and all the organisers involved for producing the study," concludes Annekatrin Klepsch.  

The study - procedure  

The significance of pop and rock concerts was analysed using two event locations and selected concerts as examples, firstly at the Filmnächte am Elbufer Dresden and six concerts in the 2023 season (from Apache 207, CRO, Silbermond, Feine Sahne Fischfilet and Roland Kaiser at Kaisermania) and secondly at the Junge Garde open-air theatre and six concerts (by Die Prinzen, Howard Carpendale, Zucchero, LEA, MODERAT and DJ Purple Disco Machine). In addition, the survey was conducted at eight cinema screenings at the Filmnächsten am Elbufer Dresden (blockbuster and niche films).

The data collection was carried out between June and September 2023 through personal interviews with concertgoers on site by a survey institute commissioned by DMG. A total of 3,500 personal interviews were conducted with concertgoers. The calculation of the economic and tourism effects was carried out by the scientific institute NIT Kiel.