Church concerts

Finding a church for your concert

A church concert is a concert in a church building, promoted either by the parish or by the visiting ensemble, usually on a retiring collection rather than a hire fee. Churches are the most common concert venues in Europe: acoustics, atmosphere and seating are already there, and many parishes gladly open their doors to visiting choirs, orchestras and brass ensembles. We help you find the church that fits your programme, line-up and dates, and the right contact person with it.

Which church suits which ensemble

Village church, town church, cathedral, abbey church: the difference lies in reverberation, space and audience. The table shows what we look at when choosing.

Type of church	Suits	Worth knowing
Village and parish church	Choirs up to 60, chamber ensembles, brass quintet	Short reverberation, audience from the parish, usually no fee
Town church with a concert series	Large choirs, chamber orchestras, choir with orchestra	Own concert office, fixed dates, booked early, often a contribution towards costs
Baroque church, abbey church	A cappella choirs, early music, brass	Long reverberation, choose slower tempi, listed-building rules for technical kit
Cathedral	Large forces, singing in a service	Allocated via the cathedral music department, lead time a year and more
Modern church, parish centre	Gospel, jazz, wind bands, programmes needing technical kit	Dry acoustics, power and stage available, secular programmes mostly possible

Experience values from practice, differing by country, region and parish. With every suggestion we state what we know about acoustics and equipment and what we don't.

How a church request differs from a hall request

The contact isn't the parish office alone

Parish office, church music and parish council decide together. The best way in is the church musician. With every suggestion we tell you the route that is customary in that parish.

Collection instead of rent

Most parishes don't charge rent. Customary are a retiring collection, a contribution towards heating and verger, or a split of the takings. Fixed fees exist mainly at churches with their own concert programme.

The audience is already there

A parish with a concert tradition has a regular audience reached through the parish newsletter, notice board and announcements. A concert within a service fills the church without any promotion on your part.

The building sets conditions

No applause in some parishes, no secular programme in Lent, no alterations in listed buildings, heating only by arrangement. We clarify what applies to each church in advance, so there are no surprises on the day.

How to find the right church with us

Name programme and region

Line-up and size, planned programme, region or city, dates, how many concerts you want. Informally via the contact form.
Receive churches with details

We usually reply within two working days with suggestions: seats, instruments, cost model, concert tradition and contact person. Picked by hand, not generated automatically.
Agree details with the parish

If a church fits, we put you in touch. Dates, programme, collection and technical details you agree directly with the parish; we stay available for questions.

For parishes: the basic entry on concertbase is free, permanently. Every inquiry goes through us, and the parish decides on every inquiry itself. More on the page for venues.

Frequently asked questions about church concerts

Can you hire a church for a concert in Germany or Austria?

Usually a church is not hired but made available: the parish provides the building, and the concert runs on a retiring collection or with a contribution towards heating, verger and cleaning. A fixed fee is common at churches with their own concert programme.

Which repertoire is suitable for a church concert?

Sacred and classical programmes are welcome everywhere. Secular repertoire, jazz or wind band music are possible in many parishes if agreed in advance. If in doubt, we ask on your behalf.

How long does it take for a church to confirm?

As a rule of thumb four to twelve weeks, because parish councils usually meet monthly. For dates in Advent and Lent allow a year of lead time. The same applies to every venue on a tour, see Planning a concert tour.

Do churches have an organ, a piano and seating?

An organ almost always, a grand or upright piano often, risers rarely. We ask about the equipment with every suggestion. Where details are missing, we say so.

Who registers the concert with the collecting society?

Whoever acts as the promoter: the parish if the concert is part of its series, your ensemble if you invite the audience yourselves. Clarify this before confirming; we raise it during the matching.

Describe your church concert

Programme, line-up, region, dates. We'll get back to you with matching churches, usually within two working days.

Request a church