DEAG Deutsche Entertainment AG (“DEAG”) is acquiring the remaining 25.1% stake in handwerker promotion e. gmbh from its founder and Managing Director, Fred Handwerker. Following the acquisition, DEAG will become the sole shareholder of the company.

DEAG has held a majority stake in handwerker promotion since 2013; since then, the companies have celebrated numerous joint successes. The full acquisition now marks a further step in the consistent implementation of DEAG’s growth and buy-and-build strategy. At the same time, the Group is reducing minority interests in its Group companies as planned and strengthening its position in live entertainment.

Fred Handwerker, who founded handwerker promotion more than 40 years ago, will continue to be actively involved in the company following the sale of his remaining stake. Together with Johanna Holthöwer, who joined the company’s management team in 2024, Fred will continue to lead the company.

handwerker promotion is one of the leading local promoters in North Rhine-Westphalia. For decades, the company has staged concerts of every size, ranging from intimate club shows to large venues and arenas and stadium events. Highlights have included concerts by numerous leading national and international artists, including Justin Bieber, Iron Maiden, KISS, The Rolling Stones, Peter Maffay, Lionel Richie, Beyoncé, Dolly Parton, Neil Young, Romeo Santos, Prince Royce, Ina Müller and the Scorpions.

At the same time, handwerker promotion has continuously expanded its business activities in recent years and has also promoted tours across Europe including tours by Tokio Hotel and, most recently, Till Lindemann. Beyond the concert business, the agency’s portfolio encompasses a broad range of additional live entertainment formats from shows such as Riverdance and Nutten, Koks & frische Erdbeeren, and Family Entertainment productions such as Disney on Ice and Monster Jam to comedy featuring artists such as Kevin Hart and John Cleese.

Detlef Kornett

Group CEO of DEAG

“Over several decades, Fred Handwerker has built and shaped handwerker promotion with great dedication. His experience, network and instinct for successful projects are key factors in the company’s success. The full acquisition underscores our confidence in the future together with Johanna Holthöwer and Alex Handwerker.”

Fred Handwerker

Managing Director of handwerker promotion

“handwerker promotion and DEAG share a long history of success and a common understanding of the live entertainment business. The full acquisition creates a clear foundation for the company’s long-term development. I look forward to building on our close partnership and continuing to devote myself to exciting projects in the future.”

DEAG Deutsche Entertainment AG (“DEAG”), founded in Berlin in 1978, is a leading provider of Live Entertainment, Ticketing, and Entertainment Services in Europe.

With Group companies at 25 locations, DEAG is present in its core markets of Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, Denmark, Spain, and Italy. As a Live Entertainment service provider with an integrated business model and a strong international partner network, DEAG has extensive expertise in the conception, organisation, promotion, and production of live events of all genres and sizes.

The Live Entertainment segment includes the core business areas of Music – covering Rock/Pop, including Urban and Electronic Dance Music, Classics & Jazz – and Non-Music, such as the Spoken Word & Literary Events and Family Entertainment. Every year, DEAG organises over 6,000 live events and sells more than 10 million tickets, a steadily growing share of which are sold via the DEAG Group’s ticketing platforms: myticket.de, myticket.at, myticket.co.uk and gigantic.com.

Live Entertainment for all generations and target audiences, the development of international markets, and the strengthening of the ticketing area are central building blocks of DEAG’s ongoing development.

Handwerker Promotion is a full-service event agency based in Unna, Germany, founded by Fred Handwerker in 1983. With more than 10,000 successfully executed concerts and multiple awards, including the prestigious LEA Award, the company has established itself as a leading player in the international music and event industry. Handwerker Promotion is a subsidiary of DEAG Deutsche Entertainment AG.