Zelt-Musik-Festival GmbH

What Zelt-Musik-Festival GmbH does

Zelt-Musik-Festival GmbH (ZMF) is a private German limited liability company that organizes and operates the Zelt-Musik-Festival, an annual 19-day music and cultural festival held in Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg since 1983. The festival takes place at the Mundenhof, approximately 7 km from Freiburg city center, and in 2026 will run its 42nd edition from July 15 to August 2. ZMF is run by a core team of 5 employees and is supported by the Förderkreis Freiburger Musikfestival e.V., a registered association that funds cultural education programs.

ZMF's product portfolio is organized into two principal layers: a ticketed main program (47 paid concerts per year in the Zirkuszelt and Badische Zeitung Zelt, attracting approximately 50,000 concert visitors) and a free action program featuring roughly 80 events including concerts, performing arts, cabaret, club nights, children's programming, family festival activities, and the YoungStars cultural education workshops. The festival draws 120,000+ visitors to the grounds annually. Underlying infrastructure includes a 7-figure event production stack (sound, lighting, tents, F&B concessions), 19 named food and beverage vendors, an on-site ZMF-Garten restaurant, and a dedicated merchandise line (mugs, bags, caps, fans, towels, umbrellas, socks).

ZMF generates revenue through five streams: ticket sales, sponsorship (anchored by Haufe Group as main sponsor, plus Badische Zeitung, Fürstenberg Brauerei, Sparkasse Freiburg, Energiedienst, Badenova, and others), food and beverage concessions, merchandise sales, and parking fees (€10 / €5 after 21:00). Distribution is multi-channel: online via Reservix, at Badische Zeitung offices, physical VVK container at Platz der Alten Synagoge, on-site box office, and a dedicated shuttle bus operated in partnership with VAG Freiburg. Concert tickets include free public transport to the venue. The festival is deeply integrated with the local Freiburg community and is publicly described as "as much a part of Freiburg as SC Freiburg."

Name

Zelt-Musik-Festival GmbH

Legal name

Zelt-Musik-Festival GmbH

Website

https://zmf.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Zelt-Musik-Festival GmbH operates the ZMF, a 19-day annual music and cultural festival in Freiburg, Germany, drawing 120,000+ visitors and 50,000 concert ticket-holders with ticketed concerts, free programming, and family activities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Festivals

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA), Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)

Keywords

• Live music festivals
• Concert ticketing services
• Outdoor cultural events
• Performing arts programming
• Festival event management

Headquarters

HQ city

Freiburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from paid concerts in the Zirkuszelt and Badische Zeitung Zelt. 47 ticketed events with approximately 50,000 concert visitors annually.
2. Sponsorship: Main sponsorship from Haufe Group, Fürstenberg, Badische Zeitung, and other regional partners. Sponsors receive naming rights for stages and branding on festival grounds.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of ZMF branded merchandise including cups (€11), bags (€10), caps (€25), fans (€4), towels (€15), umbrellas (€15), and socks (€12).
4. Food and Beverage Concessions: Various food and drink vendors operate on the festival grounds including Amara, Bure Hus, Eismanufaktur, Don Ciccio, DREXLERs, Fallerhof, Metzgerei Fritz, Weber-Catering, and others. Revenue share or rental arrangements.
5. Parking Fees: Limited parking available at festival site for €10 (reduced to €5 from 21:00). Additional P+R parking options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Zelt-Musik-Festival GmbH operates the ZMF, a 19-day annual music and cultural festival held at Mundenhof near Freiburg, Germany, running since 1983. The festival offers ticketed concerts in the Zirkuszelt and Badische Zeitung Zelt featuring national and international artists, alongside free admission action programs including performing arts, club nights, garden sessions, children's programming, family festivals, and YoungStars cultural education workshops. On-site food and beverage vendors plus branded merchandise complete the festival offering, attracting over 120,000 visitors annually.

Product overview

Zelt-Musik-Festival (ZMF) is a 19-day music and cultural festival held annually in Freiburg since 1983, located at Mundenhof approximately 7 km from the city center. The offering consists of a multi-component live event portfolio: the ticketed Main Program (Zirkuszelt and Badische Zeitung Zelt) with 47 paid events featuring national and international artists; the free Action Program including concerts on the Fürstenberg stages, Performing Arts on the Kleinkunstbühne, Club Nights on Friday and Saturday evenings, and the Garden Program; specialized Children's and Family Festival programming with dedicated concerts, activities, and the Sunday Family Day; and the YoungStars cultural education workshops. Supporting offerings include on-site food and beverage services from multiple vendors, the ZMF merchandise shop, the ZMF-Garten dining area, and the annual Sustainability Action Day. The festival attracts over 120,000 visitors annually to the grounds next to the Tier-Erlebnis-Park-Mundenhof.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zirkuszelt: The main circus tent, the heart of the festival and absolute eye-catcher.
• Badische Zeitung Zelt
• Fürstenberg Zelt
• Actionprogramm
• ZMF-Garten

Products and services

• ZMF Main Program
• Action Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 120,000+ visitors annually to festival grounds
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ministry for Science, Research and Art Baden-WürttembergcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Supports youth cultural education programs through Förderkreis Freiburger Musikfestival e.V. Funding for YoungStars workshops and cultural education activities.
• Haufe GroupcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Haufe Group became main sponsor (Hauptsponsor) of ZMF and gives its name to the circus tent. Strong partnership for the Freiburg cultural scene.
• Badische ZeitungcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Badische Zeitung sponsors the mirror tent (Badische Zeitung Zelt) since 2023. Partnership includes program distribution (150,000 copies), ticket sales, and press coverage.
• Fürstenberg (Brauerei)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Fürstenberg brewery sponsors the Fürstenberg Zelt and Fürstenberg Bühne. Beer and Radler served from Fürstenberg on festival grounds.
• Förderkreis Freiburger Musikfestival e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting association that promotes cultural education and youth programs at ZMF. Receives support from Ministry for Science, Research and Art.
• VAG (Verkehrsbetriebe Freiburg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic transport operator provides shuttle bus service to festival grounds. Concert ticket includes free public transport. Shuttle runs daily 18:00-02:00, FR & SA until 04:00.
• Sparkasse FreiburgminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganizes Bambini Run for children up to age 10. Donates €1 to charity for each runner. Provides cash machine on festival site.
• Badeparadies SchwarzwaldminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFamily festival sponsor providing mascot Galaxino and sponsoring scavenger hunt activities for children.
• IKEA FreiburgminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFamily festival sponsor supporting scavenger hunt with FABLER BJÖRN stuffed animals as prizes.
• Erzbischof Hermann StiftungminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArchbishop Hermann Foundation makes Family Sunday possible with financial support.
• EnergiedienstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy company conducting sustainability inventory with ZMF to calculate energy balance and develop sustainability strategy.
• STROMINSLANDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy partner that converted lighting on site to LED, supporting green electricity usage.
• BadenovaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides E-vehicles for festival crew and supports sustainable mobility initiatives.
• Jugendbildungswerk FreiburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth education office runs Kunstrasen art activities during festival. Multiple workshop days for children and families.
• Radio DreyecklandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation with youth editorial team 'Freistunde FM' for radio workshop where young people report on ZMF.
• illu e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt association organizing intercultural DE/FR Walking Sketch and Acquarell meets Stamp workshops.
• Spielplan4coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSponsoring agency handling sponsorship inquiries. Contact: +49 761 38 94 74, [email protected].
• NachtsamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting festival safety and awareness. Staff trained and awareness team on site.
• Avnet Embedded GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides additional parking spaces adjacent to P+R parking lot at Munzinger Straße.
• Dehner GartencenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides additional parking spaces adjacent to P+R parking lot at Munzinger Straße.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Emerging players

• Haldern Pop Festival: Smaller, curated German indie/alternative festival with a strong community identity and family-like atmosphere, often cited as a comparable in spirit to ZMF. Useful peer for benchmarking boutique festival economics.
• Maifeld Derby: Independent Mannheim-based indie/electronic festival with similar multi-genre, community-led programming philosophy. Comparable as a smaller independent German festival promoter.
• Melt Festival: German boutique electronic/alternative festival at Ferropolis with a smaller, curated program. Comparable as a single-promoter festival operation but narrower musically and smaller in scale.

Direct peers

• Chiemsee Summer Festival: Bavarian summer festival with comparable multi-genre pop/rock/indie/electronic programming and ticketed day passes. Operates at a similar scale and targets a similar DACH-region festival audience.
• Hurricane Festival: German multi-genre summer festival of comparable scale (~80,000 visitors/day), run by FKP Scorpio with a similar mix of headline acts, indie and newcomer programming. Closest direct competitor in size, audience and programming philosophy.
• Southside Festival: Counterpart festival to Hurricane operated by FKP Scorpio in southern Germany, with similar multi-genre line-up, ticket economics and sponsor structure. Directly comparable in audience size and operational model.
• Deichbrand Festival: Northern German multi-genre summer festival with similar headcount (~25,000/day) and programming breadth spanning rock, indie, hip-hop and electronic. Comparable commercial festival organizer and ticketing structure.

Regional players

• Open Air St. Gallen: Swiss multi-genre summer festival of similar size and program breadth, serving a comparable regional audience across the DACH region. Comparable in operational model but does not compete directly in Freiburg's catchment.
• Paleo Festival Nyon: Largest open-air music festival in Switzerland with multi-genre programming and similar community/family orientation. Comparable as a DACH festival operator but located in the French-speaking Swiss market.
• Frequency Festival: Austrian multi-genre festival with comparable scale, sponsor mix and ticketing approach. Comparable in operational model but does not directly compete for Freiburg-region audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/zmf.freiburg
• Instagraminstagram.com/zeltmusikfestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zelt-musik-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zelt-Musik-Festival GmbH