Gema price increases silence Tölzer Christmas market!

Gema price increases silence Tölzer Christmas market!

The contemplative atmosphere of the Tölz Christmas market has noticeably clouded over this year. Due to drastically increased Gema fees, there is only limited live music this winter. While the market still offers musical performances on the weekends, during the week it remains quiet in front of the winemakers' monument. Organizers and musicians are dissatisfied with the increase in fees, some of which rise to 600 euros gross per day. This increase not only affects Bad Tölz, but also other communities, which led to a widespread protest, such as Reporting from Merkur shows.

Consequences for live music

Due to the financial burden, Michaela Dorfmeister, organizer of the “Rose Days” and “Autumn Magic”, has decided to drastically reduce the live music at her events. Gema charges fees based on the entire event area, which leads to several thousand euros in additional costs for a large area. In order not to underpay the musicians, the music will in future be relocated to the vitality center, far away from the central market. These measures also have an impact on visitor numbers, such as the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported.

The city administration has already signaled that 10,000 euros may be earmarked for music next year. This is apparently only enough for a reduced number of performances on the busiest days. Mayor Ingo Mehner criticizes the ever-increasing Gema fees as “excessive” and predicts negative effects on the attractiveness of the market. Musicians like Michael Lindmair also express concerns that the reduction in live performances will reduce artists' opportunities to perform. These developments lead to a quieter and less impressive Christmas market, which is traditionally characterized by music.