About this template
Concert budgets fail in two places: the rider and the crew. The artist fee is the number everybody looks at, but hospitality, flights, accommodation, backline rental, riggers and stagehands are what quietly move a show from profitable to break-even. This template lays out the full show cost the way a promoter settles it: artist and talent, venue and permits, stage and structures, sound/lighting/video, backline and freight, technical crew, event operations, and marketing and ticketing. It closes with a contingency line and a production fee as percentages, so both move with the show instead of being guessed once.
Perfect for
Promoters and live music production companies quoting a show, technical production companies bidding the stage and audio package, and festival producers costing a single stage before scaling it.
How to customize it
- Copy the technical crew group per day if you have a load-in day, a show day, and a strike day at different rates
- If you are the technical supplier and not the promoter, delete Artist and Talent, Venue and Permits, and Marketing and Ticketing: what is left is your scope
- Add a line for the venue's ticketing share or facility fee if the room takes a cut on top of rent
- For an outdoor show, raise contingency to 15% and add fencing, ground protection, and a weather plan under Stage and Structures
What's inside this template
These are the line items the template comes with, organized by stage. Adjust amounts, quantities, and rates to your project.
Production and Coordination
- Executive producer
- Production manager
- Stage manager
- Logistics coordinator
- Production assistants
Artist and Talent
- Headliner fee (guarantee)
- Support acts
- Booking / agency commission
- Hospitality rider (dressing rooms, catering, drinks)
- Artist flights and ground transport
- Artist and crew accommodation
Venue and Permits
- Venue rental
- Municipal and event permits
- Liability insurance
- Performance rights (collecting society)
- Emergency plan and ambulance
Stage and Structures
- Stage and platforms
- Roof and rigging towers
- Barricades and crowd barriers
- Risers and practicals
- Backdrop and scenic
Sound, Lighting and Video
- PA system (front of house)
- Monitors and in-ear system
- Consoles and microphones
- Stage lighting
- LED screen and video system
- Cameras and live switching (IMAG)
- Generators and power distribution
Backline and Freight
- Backline rental
- Backline technician
- Equipment freight
Technical Crew
- FOH sound engineer
- Monitor engineer
- Lighting operator
- Video operator
- Stagehands (load-in and load-out)
- Riggers
Event Operations
- Security and guards
- Access control and box office
- Ushers and floor staff
- First aid and paramedics
- Cleaning and waste removal
- Portable restrooms
Marketing and Ticketing
- Media plan and paid ads
- Graphic design and assets
- Ticketing platform commission
- Press and public relations
- Show coverage and content
Contingency and Fee
- Contingency
- Production fee
FAQ
Does this template include ticket revenue?
No. It is a cost budget: what the show costs to put on. Ticketing appears only as a cost (the platform commission and the box office staff). Track income against it as movements once tickets start selling.
What is a realistic contingency for a concert?
10% for a room you know with a production you have run before, 15% or more for an outdoor show, a first-time venue, or an international artist whose rider you have not seen advanced yet.
Where do performance rights go?
Under Venue and Permits. In most of Latin America the collecting society charges a percentage of the gross box office, so it behaves like a percentage line even though the template ships it as a flat item.
Can I use this for a festival?
Use it for one stage first. A festival is this budget multiplied per stage, plus shared costs (site, fencing, food and beverage operation, general production) that you add as their own groups on top.
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