Budget for expected paid attendance, not automatically for the venue’s maximum capacity.
Free event budget and break-even calculator
What if fewer people turn up? Test your own figures before choosing a ticket price. This calculator uses Tickgetr’s actual ticket fee formula and makes the order assumption visible.
Your numbers. Three scenarios.
Start from this example and adjust the numbers. Nothing is saved or sent to Tickgetr. You can download your calculation.
After reserving places for crew and guests.
No higher than your paid capacity.
One paid price, before ticket fees.
Planning assumption: 1–100; last order can be smaller.
Venue, equipment, promotion, buffer and costs for free guests.
Extra costs that increase with attendance.
For example confirmed sponsorship, minus its costs. Not gross bar sales.
Limits: 1–100,000 paid places; ticket price €0.01–€10,000; visitor cost €0–€10,000; fixed costs and net income €0–€1,000,000. This tool does not change your event settings.
Balance at expected sales
€52.50
Remaining after the costs entered.
Break-even in this model
194 paid tickets
First ticket count that covers the costs, with a smaller final order allowed.
Updated calculation. Balance: €52.50.
- Ticket revenue
- €2,000.00
- Other net income
- €0.00
- Fixed costs
- -€1,500.00
- Variable costs
- -€400.00
- Ticket fees borne by your organisation
- -€47.50
200 tickets in 50 orders: 50 × 4. Total ticket fees: €47.50.
| Scenario | Tickets | Balance |
|---|---|---|
| Cautious · 60% of expected | 120 | -€568.50 |
| Expected | 200 | €52.50 |
| Sold out | 300 | €828.75 |
A planning estimate with one ticket price. Fixed net income stays the same in each scenario; unlisted costs, refunds and taxes are not added automatically. Put free guests’ costs into fixed costs. Different prices or real order sizes change the result. This is not a payout forecast or invoice.
See what is included in TickgetrSeparate fixed and variable costs
Fixed costs stay broadly the same regardless of attendance, such as venue hire, sound and lighting. Variable costs change with visitor numbers. Use actual quotes and keep ticket income, drinks, sponsorship and other income separate.
Revenue is not profit. If you include drink sales, also include stock, cups and related expenses. Build a cautious scenario alongside the expected one. Free guests generate no ticket revenue but may still create costs.
Example: 200 paying visitors at €10
Assume €1,500 fixed costs, €2 additional costs per paying visitor and 200 tickets sold. The organiser pays Tickgetr’s ticket fees. All tickets are purchased in 50 orders of four. This simplified ticket budget excludes drinks, sponsorship, free guests and any other costs or taxes not listed.
| Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ticket revenue | 200 × €10 | €2,000.00 |
| Fixed costs | Assumed budget | − €1,500.00 |
| Variable costs | 200 × €2 | − €400.00 |
| Tickgetr fees | 50 × (€0.35 + 3 × €0.20) | − €47.50 |
| Remaining in this model | €2,000 − €1,500 − €400 − €47.50 | €52.50 |
With 200 separate single-ticket orders, ticket fees are €70 and the model leaves €30. The number of orders therefore matters.
How many tickets cover your costs?
For paid tickets, the Tickgetr fee is €0.20 × ticket count + €0.15 × order count. With orders of exactly four, this averages €0.2375 per ticket. A €10 ticket contributes €7.7625 towards fixed costs after the €2 variable cost.
€1,500 ÷ €7.7625 is about 193.24 tickets. Because this example uses complete orders of four, you need 49 orders: 196 tickets. That leaves €21.45 in this model. At 48 orders, or 192 tickets, you are still €9.60 short. Recalculate if the order mix changes.
Compare ticket fees with the calculatorShould the organiser or buyer pay the fees?
When you cover the fees, they come out of ticket revenue. When buyers cover them, fees are added to the ticket price. Four €10 tickets in one order have a €0.95 ticket fee. The buyer pays €40.95, or €40 when the organiser covers the fee.
Decide before the first sale: Tickgetr locks this choice afterwards. Communicate prices consistently and make any additional charges clear. Always use current rates and your own costs in your budget.
See current Tickgetr feesChoose your price after reviewing three scenarios
Do not raise your sales forecast simply to make the budget balance. Adjust costs, price or event scope where needed. Early-bird pricing changes average revenue: calculate the combined result before deciding.
- Cautious: what happens if only 120 tickets sell?
- Expected: what attendance can you justify from a previous edition or concrete interest?
- Sold out: how many paid places remain after crew, guests and any door allocation?
Questions from your team
Is the lowest ticket price always best?
No. Your price needs to suit your audience and cover costs under realistic assumptions. Lower platform fees help, but do not replace an event budget.
Does Tickgetr charge a percentage of the ticket price?
Paid tickets cost €0.35 for the first ticket and €0.20 for each additional ticket in the same order. This service fee is not a percentage of the ticket price.