Why concert ticket prices are getting more expensive in Czechia

Cultural enthusiasts across the Czech Republic are facing a sharp rise in the cost of attending live events, with critics pointing toward a recent consolidation of the country’s largest ticketing platforms as a primary driver.

Over the last seven years, prices for theater, concert, and festival tickets in the Czech Republic have surged by approximately one-third.

While organizers initially cited a higher VAT rate, rising energy costs, and general inflation as the culprits, attention has now shifted to the mediation fees charged by ticketing services following the merger of GoOut, Ticketportal, and Ticketstream under the Estonian group PLG.

Smaller market players claim the merger has stifled competition and directly impacted the final price paid by consumers. Oldřich Brzobohatý, CEO of the smaller ticketing company Smsticket, noted that the fees charged to both organizers and fans have climbed significantly.

"It is now common for organizers to pay an 8 percent commission. For visitors, the fee for purchasing a ticket has increased dramatically to 3.5 percent from about 15 crowns," Brzobohatý told Radiožurnál.

He warned that the combined pressure of higher fees and lower government subsidies threatens the survival of smaller club and local events.

However, some industry veterans view the consolidation differently. Viktor Palák of the promotion company Fource argued that the merger provides better services and visibility.

"I think the merger does nothing fundamental to ticket prices," Palák said, suggesting that smaller companies may simply feel threatened by a more efficient competitor.

The leadership at PLG Czech Republic maintains that the price adjustments were a necessary correction for the local market. CEO Lukáš Jandač stated that the new 3.5 percent flat fee leveled a playing field that was previously unsustainable.

"I think it’s healing the market, because the competition that was here, we were giving out super low commissions. That system wasn’t sustainable in the long term," Jandač explained.

Despite concerns from festival organizers like Tomáš Poprik of ObrFest, who believes the merger harms the competitive environment, the Office for the Protection of Economic Competition (ÚOHS) has declined to intervene.