Lucerne Festival brings CHF 45-50 million and 230-270 jobs to the Lucerne region
A new comprehensive impact study shows the high economic and social value that Switzerland's largest classical music festival adds to the Lucerne region.
Through a comprehensive impact study, Lucerne Festival has revealed the added economic and social value that the Festival brings to the Lucerne region. The study shows that the Festival generates an annual economic output of around CHF 45-50 million for the Lucerne region, in the process creating around 230-270 jobs. The study also shows that Lucerne Festival generates significant social benefits that contribute significantly to the cultural and economic development of the region. For example, a Festival visitor who books overnight accommodations in the region stays twice as long as a regular tourist. The added social value is determined both by strengthening of networks in business, culture, and politics and by wide-ranging support of the young generation of artists and young audiences. In addition, a national and international enhancement of the region’s image results from the Festival’s presence in print and online media as well as on social media: this can be quantified as about 4 to 5 million CHF. In addition to Lucerne Festival, this media presence also significantly enhances the image of Lucerne overall and of the KKL Luzern, the Festival's central venue.
Lucerne Festival is the largest classical music festival in Switzerland and one of the world’s leading classical music presenters. With an annual revenue of around CHF 18 million, the Festival is around 91% self-financed, generating a high level of its budget. The largest portion, at about 47%, comprises revenue contributed from sponsors, foundations, and private patrons. Concert operations, which mainly include ticket sales, contribute around 44% to the high level of self-sufficiency. The Festival receives CHF 1.7 million in subsidies from the city and canton, which corresponds to around 10% of the total budget. Around 4% of the total revenue flows back to the city in the form of ticket taxes.
The impact study was conducted by an international consulting firm. It is based on numerous facts and figures from the Festival, including detailed visitor surveys of more than 2,000 people, press documentation, and data from Lucerne Statistics (LUSTAT), Lucerne Tourism, the University of St. Gallen (HSG), the Swiss National Bank (SNB), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and other sources. The study is based on figures from the Festival during 2023, which were supplemented with data from 2024.
Economy: Lucerne Festival guests stay twice as long in Lucerne and spend more than twice as much as regular tourists.
The Festival generates an economic output value of around CHF 45-50 million per year for the region, which largely comprises the initial expenditures by the Festival, visitors, and artists. The largest share, of around CHF 27-30 million, is accounted for by initial expenditures within the region, including, for example, the amount visitors spend on hotel accommodations. Added to this are primary, secondary, and tertiary economic activities, which contribute a further CHF 18-21 million to the overall balance.
Analysis of these data shows that visitors are more willing to consume and stay longer in the region than regular tourists. Festival visitors spend 2.3 times as much as regular tourists and stay on average four nights instead of two. A total of 83% of the Festival's operating expenditure remains directly in the Lucerne region, with around 95% remaining in Switzerland.
Society: High added value through strong networks in culture, business, and politics, through support of young talent, and through wide international reach
In addition to economic output, the study emphasizes the diverse social benefits that the Festival has for Lucerne, which are clearly shown in its effects on networking, expertise, structural enhancement, and public image. This is reflected in the extraordinarily high income from sponsors, foundations, and private patrons. Additional social benefits accrue from the promotion of exchange and international cooperation with cultural institutions and figures, from the targeted support of talent and enhanced training of young musicians through the Lucerne Festival Academy, from the variety of prizes awarded to young talent, and from workshops and events for students and young people in the Lucerne region. Another key aspect of this social added value is the enhancement of the region’s image, which is achieved with a presence in Swiss and international print and online media as well as on social media: CHF 2 million of this exposure is directly paid for, while around CHF 2 to 3 million is unpaid or earned media presence.