# Insurance for concert promoters, festivals and open air events in Germany

> A concert is over in a few hours, but the risk starts months earlier. Fees are paid in advance, stage and equipment are booked, tickets are sold. Then the headliner cancels, a thunderstorm sweeps across the site, or someone is hurt in the crush in front of the stage. Whether you are one of the concert promoters running club gigs, a city festival, a small festival or a large open air event in Germany, this page explains which insurance you need and what it costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-concert-and-festival-promoter.php  
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Who pays if my festival has to be cancelled because of a storm?

Only event cancellation insurance. Depending on the policy it reimburses costs or lost profit if the event is cancelled, abandoned or postponed for an insured reason. Weather, illness of artists and official bans must be included explicitly. Take it out well before the date, not once the storm warning is out.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No general statutory insurance duty; cities, municipalities and owners of halls and sites almost always require event liability cover as a condition or in the contract
- **Biggest risk:** Visitors injured in crowds, by stage structures or weather, and cancellation of an event with high upfront costs
- **Basic cover from:** about €150 for a single small event with a few hundred guests, a guide figure from our quoting work
- **Artists' social levy:** Concert and touring agencies and businesses that arrange performances are liable for the levy under section 24(1) no. 3 of the Artists' Social Insurance Act
- **Often forgotten:** Cancellation cover: liability insurance pays nothing if the festival is called off because of a storm or the headliner's illness

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Crush at the stage:** Visitors are pushed against the barrier, someone falls and is injured.
- **Storm:** Wind and lightning force an interruption or evacuation; stage parts or tents are damaged.
- **Headliner cancels:** The main act cancels due to illness and visitors want their money back.
- **Equipment:** Hired lighting and sound equipment is destroyed by rain, power surges or theft.
- **Damage to the site:** Lawns, paths or the hall floor owned by the municipality are damaged by vehicles and visitors.
- **Helpers and crew:** Volunteers or temporary staff get hurt during set up and take down.
- **Ticket shop:** The online ticket shop is attacked and customer data is stolen.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 5, Fire and water 4, Theft 3, Cyber 3, Downtime 5, Health 4

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): As event liability for visitors, artists, landlords and third parties, including damage to rented sites and halls. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Business interruption** (Strongly advised): As event cancellation insurance for cancellation, abandonment or postponement due to weather, illness or official orders. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Strongly advised): For your own and hired lighting, sound and video equipment at the event. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Strongly advised): For disputes with artists, agencies, suppliers and visitors over fees, refunds and contracts. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Strongly advised): For your own ticket shop, payment data and visitor lists. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Group accident insurance** (Depends on the business): For helpers, volunteers and crew who are not covered by statutory accident insurance. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-group-accident.php
- **Cargo insurance** (Depends on the business): For equipment and stage parts on the way to the site. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cargo-insurance.php
- **Business contents** (Depends on the business): For your own material in storage: barriers, tents, bars and decoration. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php

## What it costs: example prices

Event liability depends on visitor numbers, type of event, duration and site. Cancellation cover is priced by sum insured, the reasons included and the weather risk.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Single club gig with 300 guests | about €150 to €350 per event |
| Business liability | Annual policy for a promoter with 40 events of up to 1,500 guests | about €1,500 to €4,000 a year |
| Business liability | Two day open air with 5,000 visitors | about €1,500 to €4,500 per festival |
| Business interruption | Cancellation cover for an open air with €150,000 costs, including weather | about €3,000 to €9,000 per festival |
| Electronic equipment | Hired equipment worth €200,000 for one weekend | about €400 to €1,200 per event |

For comparison: Liability cover for a club gig costs about as much as ten tickets.

_All figures are guide values from our quoting work, excluding German insurance premium tax, as of October 2026. Large festivals are priced individually; the sources document the artists' social levy and music licensing. We obtain the exact quote for you._

- [Gesetze im Internet: section 24 Artists' Social Insurance Act](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/ksvg/__24.html)
- [GEMA: licensing music for events](https://www.gema.de/de/musiknutzer/musik-lizenzieren/veranstaltungen)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Single gig** (club gigs, street festivals or a single event): Business liability, Electronic equipment. Together: about €300 to €900 per event
- **Promoter** (promoters with many concerts a year): Business liability, Electronic equipment, Business legal expenses, Cyber insurance. Together: about €3,000 to €8,000 a year
- **Festival** (festivals and open air events with a site, crew and ticket shop): Business liability, Business interruption, Electronic equipment, Group accident insurance, Cyber insurance. Together: individual, usually from about €6,000 per festival

## The worst day at the festival

Six things that really happen to promoters, all on one festival Saturday. Tap through and see who pays.

- 09:00: During set up a forklift drives over the municipal lawn and damages an irrigation pipe. (€6,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 13:30: The headliner cancels due to illness and visitors demand refunds. (€40,000, Paid by: Business interruption)
- 17:15: A thunderstorm forces an evacuation and rain gets into the hired sound system. (€15,000, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 20:40: In the crush in front of the stage a visitor falls and breaks her leg. (€12,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 23:00: A volunteer injures his hand while dismantling the barrier. (€3,000, Paid by: Group accident insurance)
- 23:50: An agency demands the full fee although the show was dropped after the evacuation. (€4,500, Paid by: Business legal expenses)

**Damage so far:** €80,500

## Practical tips from your broker

- Take out cancellation cover early, at the latest when you pay deposits, and check that weather and illness are included.
- Have damage to rented sites and halls written into your event liability policy.
- Ask the municipality and the venue early which sum insured they require.
- Clarify with equipment rental companies who insures the hired gear.
- Register music use with GEMA in good time; usually the promoter is responsible.
- Check your artists' social levy if you pay fees to self employed artists.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **Liability and cancellation together:** As an insurance broker we compare several insurers and align event liability and cancellation cover so that cancellation, abandonment and damage are all thought through.
- **We take weather seriously:** Having looked after boat owners for decades, we know storms. We check the weather clauses in your cancellation cover.
- **One contact for the season:** Norman Nammert, your insurance broker, handles single events and annual policies from one place.
- **Family business, placing cover since 1989:** Our work is free for you; the insurer pays our commission. We advise in English or German.

## FAQ

### Is event liability insurance compulsory in Germany?

Not generally by law. Cities, municipalities and landlords almost always require it, and without proof there is often no permit and no rental contract.

### What does event liability insurance cost?

About €150 to €350 for a single club gig and about €1,500 to €4,000 for an annual policy with many concerts. These are guide values from our quoting work.

### What does event cancellation insurance cover?

Costs or lost profit if the event is cancelled, abandoned or postponed for an insured reason, such as weather or an artist's illness.

### Who registers music with GEMA?

As a rule, the promoter. GEMA explains on its website how events are licensed.

### Do I have to pay the artists' social levy?

Concert and touring agencies and businesses that arrange performances are liable under section 24 of the Artists' Social Insurance Act.

### Are volunteers covered for accidents?

Not automatically. Group accident insurance pays fixed benefits after an accident during set up or take down.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-concert-and-festival-promoter.php#anfrage

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Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT. Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act. Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company. It does not arrange your contract.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.