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💰 Financial · Rex's Toolbox

Event Break-Even Calculator

Tickets you must sell to cover venue, talent, and platform fees.

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Rex says

Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.

Try a scenario

Click to load — tweak from there.

Inputs

Result

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

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How to use this

  1. 1Enter ticket price ($).
  2. 2Enter fixed costs (venue, talent, av) ($).
  3. 3Enter variable cost per attendee ($).
  4. 4Enter platform + payment fees (%).
  5. 5Enter expected attendance.
  6. 6Enter venue capacity.
  7. 7Read your tickets to break even on the right — it updates as you type.
  8. 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.

About this calculator

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.

FormulaBreak-even = fixed costs ÷ (ticket price × (1 − fee%) − per-attendee variable cost).

Worked example

Using the values the calculator loads with:

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

Results

  • 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

What each field means

Inputs

Ticket price ($)
The ticket price used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 45 $ so you have a working example on load.
Fixed costs (venue, talent, AV) ($)
The fixed costs (venue, talent, av) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 8500 $ so you have a working example on load.
Variable cost per attendee ($)
The variable cost per attendee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 12 $ so you have a working example on load.
Platform + payment fees (%)
The platform + payment fees used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 6.5 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–30 %.
Expected attendance
The expected attendance used in the calculation. Starts at 300 so you have a working example on load.
Venue capacity
The venue capacity used in the calculation. Starts at 400 so you have a working example on load.

Results

Tickets to break even
Returned as a whole number and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Capacity fill required
Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Contribution per ticket
Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Profit at expected attendance
Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Profit at a sellout
Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.

FAQ

Should I pass fees to buyers?

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.

What counts as variable cost?

Anything that scales with a head: catering, badges, swag, seat-based insurance, and staffing tiers that step up with attendance.

Accuracy and 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.

Cite this calculator

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APA
RevenueLab. (2026). Event Ticket Break-Even Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/event-ticket-breakeven
HTML
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/event-ticket-breakeven" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Event Ticket Break-Even Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Markdown
Source: [Event Ticket Break-Even Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/event-ticket-breakeven) (2026).
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