What's a realistic ratio of successful vs. break-even vs. loss-making shows?

Over many years of doing shows, expect roughly this breakdown: about 20 shows will be really good, 10 will break even, and 10 will lose money. You’ll always have some money-losing shows even among your historically best events because unpredictable factors like weather, personal emergencies, or other circumstances can derail any single show. This is why you should evaluate shows based on a five-year running average rather than year-to-year results. Focus on profit numbers, not sales numbers, when making these calculations. Understanding this reality helps you maintain perspective and not get discouraged by individual poor-performing shows.

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Asked by artists planning their show schedule · Answered by Mays Mayhew (artist interviewee sharing her experience) · art-marketing-podcast · 2025-03-12