3,000 kroner sounds fair – so why are there fewer gigs?

The minimum fee for publicly supported concerts has been raised to ensure better conditions for musicians. Yet many experience fewer gigs than before. How can both be true at the same time?

According to the Danish Musicians’ Union’s Plan E, the minimum fee for concerts in 2025–2026 is set at 2,513 DKK per musician, corresponding to 2,827.20 DKK including holiday pay. It is a reasonable and necessary level. Music is professional work and deserves professional pay.

The intention behind the minimum fee is clear and legitimate. Musicians should be able to accept gigs without losing money. Plan E exists to prevent underpayment and to ensure that publicly supported concerts are based on fair and orderly conditions.

Still, many musicians report a decline in the number of live gigs. This is especially true for those in the growth layer – musicians who are no longer beginners, but not yet fully established. The explanation is not the tariff itself, but the gap between good intentions and the economic reality faced by organisers.

When the minimum becomes the maximum

Plan E defines a minimum fee. But for many small venues and concert organisers, this minimum effectively becomes the maximum they can afford. When ticket income and public funding remain unchanged while fees rise, there are very few options left.

The most common solution is to reduce the number of concerts rather than the pay per musician. Cutting events is easier than finding new funding in already tight budgets.

Fewer musicians. Fewer opportunities

Another consequence is a shift in programming choices. Organisers increasingly opt for smaller line-ups or safer, well-known names. The financial risk is lower, but so are the opportunities for emerging acts and larger ensembles.

For musicians in the growth layer, live concerts are not just about income. They are essential for development, experience, networking and visibility. When gigs disappear, more than just payment is lost. The entire pathway towards a sustainable professional career is weakened.

Good intentions. Unintended effects

Minimum fees are not the problem in themselves. The problem arises when tariff increases are not accompanied by a broader strategy. While fees are adjusted in line with general wage developments, public support schemes are not automatically increased.

This creates structural pressure throughout the system. From political ambitions to local organisers. From organisers to musicians. As a result, fewer risks are taken. Programming becomes more cautious. Fewer debut concerts are booked. Experimentation declines.

A minimum fee of around 3,000 DKK is fair. There should be no doubt about that. But fair pay alone does not create a healthy music ecosystem. If the goal is more concerts, more opportunities and a stronger growth layer, fees, funding schemes and local conditions must be considered together.

Otherwise, we risk ending up with a music scene where pay is more correct, but opportunities are fewer. And where the musicians who should form the backbone of tomorrow’s music life gradually disappear from the equation.