{
  "slug": "event-ticket-breakeven",
  "title": "Event Ticket Break-Even Calculator",
  "heading": "Event Break-Even Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/event-ticket-breakeven",
  "summary": "Tickets you must sell to cover venue, talent, and platform fees.",
  "description": "Fixed costs land before a single ticket sells. This finds the attendance at which revenue net of per-ticket platform and payment fees covers the fixed cost, then shows profit at your expected turnout.",
  "formula": "Break-even = fixed costs ÷ (ticket price × (1 − fee%) − per-attendee variable cost).",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=event-ticket-breakeven",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "price",
      "label": "Ticket price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 45,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "fixed",
      "label": "Fixed costs (venue, talent, AV)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 8500,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "variable",
      "label": "Variable cost per attendee",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 12,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "feePct",
      "label": "Platform + payment fees",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 6.5,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 30
    },
    {
      "id": "expected",
      "label": "Expected attendance",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 300,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "capacity",
      "label": "Venue capacity",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 400,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "be",
      "label": "Tickets to break even",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "fillNeeded",
      "label": "Capacity fill required",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "contribution",
      "label": "Contribution per ticket",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "profit",
      "label": "Profit at expected attendance",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "maxProfit",
      "label": "Profit at a sellout",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Ticket price: 45 $",
      "Fixed costs (venue, talent, AV): 8500 $",
      "Variable cost per attendee: 12 $",
      "Platform + payment fees: 6.5 %",
      "Expected attendance: 300",
      "Venue capacity: 400"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Tickets to break even: 283",
      "Capacity fill required: 70.7%",
      "Contribution per ticket: $30.08",
      "Profit at expected attendance: $523",
      "Profit at a sellout: $3,530"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter ticket price ($).",
      "Enter fixed costs (venue, talent, av) ($).",
      "Enter variable cost per attendee ($).",
      "Enter platform + payment fees (%).",
      "Enter expected attendance.",
      "Enter venue capacity.",
      "Read your tickets to break even on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "price": 27,
        "fixed": 5100,
        "variable": 7,
        "feePct": 3.9,
        "expected": 180,
        "capacity": 240
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "price": 45,
        "fixed": 8500,
        "variable": 12,
        "feePct": 6.5,
        "expected": 300,
        "capacity": 400
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "price": 72,
        "fixed": 13600,
        "variable": 19,
        "feePct": 10.4,
        "expected": 480,
        "capacity": 640
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Should I pass fees to buyers?",
      "a": "Absorbing fees raises conversion but cuts contribution. Model both: set the fee field to zero and raise the price by the fee amount to compare buyer-paid pricing."
    },
    {
      "q": "What counts as variable cost?",
      "a": "Anything that scales with a head: catering, badges, swag, seat-based insurance, and staffing tiers that step up with attendance."
    }
  ],
  "related": [],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Event Ticket Break-Even Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/event-ticket-breakeven)"
}