Club Euro: One Euro for Small Venues

Club Euro began in Cologne and is now piloting in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Leipzig. Participating clubs add one euro per ticket while larger venues contribute into a solidarity fund. Eighty five percent stays local and fifteen percent supports the Federal Foundation LiveKultur. Backed by Initiative Musik and led by Zora Brändle since September one, the pilot will test whether voluntary self organization can sustain grassroots venues or whether a statutory live music levy is needed. The project responds to a structural crisis identified by the Bundestag Scientific Service and aims to strengthen venue funding and cultural infrastructure.

The Club Euro pilot model began in Cologne and is now being tested in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Leipzig as a nationwide pilot initiative intended to support small venues across multiple German cities.

Under the per-ticket surcharge mechanism, participating clubs charge an additional one euro per ticket while larger venues contribute higher amounts into a shared solidarity fund, with 85 percent of the proceeds retained locally and 15 percent directed nationally to the Federal Foundation LiveKultur.

The initiative is backed by project funding from Initiative Musik and has been led by Zora Brändle since September 1. The pilot project aims to determine whether voluntary self-organization is sufficient or whether a legally mandated live music levy, possibly modeled on the film funding levy, is needed.

The Club Euro live music levy routes proceeds through a shared solidarity fund funded by a per-ticket surcharge and higher contributions from larger venues. Under the pilot model, participating clubs charge an additional one euro per ticket, with larger venues contributing larger amounts; 85 percent of collected proceeds are retained locally while 15 percent are forwarded nationally to the Federal Foundation LiveKultur.

The initiative is backed by project funding from Initiative Musik and channels national distributions through LiveKultur. The pilot will evaluate whether voluntary self-organization is sufficient or whether a legally mandated levy is necessary. The fund is intended to support small venues.

The Bundestag Scientific Service has identified a structural crisis within the club and emerging artist scene, highlighting the need for systemic support and intervention. This analysis supports the case for creating mechanisms such as the Club Euro live music levy to address ongoing challenges faced by small venues.

Furthermore, a study conducted by the Berlin Clubcommission revealed that 61 percent of the clubs surveyed are operating at a break-even level. This data indicates the precarious financial health of many venues, reinforcing the importance of initiatives like the Club Euro levy model to provide necessary financial assistance and sustainability to these essential cultural sites.

Zora Brändle has led the Club Euro pilot project since September 1. The project’s stated goal is to evaluate whether voluntary self-organization by clubs and venues can provide sufficient support for small live-music venues or whether a legally mandated live music levy is required.

The pilot implements a per-ticket surcharge and shared solidarity fund, with participating clubs charging an additional one euro per ticket and larger venues contributing larger amounts. The model began in Cologne and is being tested in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Leipzig. The pilot will inform decisions about the need for a statutory national levy.

The Club Euro live music levy is a nationwide pilot that began in Cologne and is being tested in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Leipzig. Participating clubs add one euro per ticket and larger venues contribute higher amounts to a shared solidarity fund, with 85 percent retained locally and 15 percent directed to the Federal Foundation LiveKultur. Initiative Musik provides project funding, and Zora Brändle has led the project since September 1. The pilot will assess whether voluntary self-organization can sustain small live-music venues or whether a legally mandated national levy is necessary in response to a structural crisis identified by the Bundestag Scientific Service.