Berlin – May 2026
Three Years of Data, Millions of Tickets, and a Unique A/B Test Across 10 Venues:
The Christmas Garden event series, together with myticket and Smart Pricer, has conducted what is likely the most comprehensive dynamic pricing experiment in the European ticketing industry to date. The results clearly demonstrate how data-driven pricing can increase revenue, distribute demand more effectively, and enhance the guest experience.
An International Event Series with Growing Demand
In 2016, DEAG brought the successful Christmas Garden concept to Germany for the first time, launching it at the Botanical Garden in Berlin. Since then, Christmas Garden events have become some of the most popular outdoor pre-Christmas attractions in Germany and across Europe. Within just a few years, this renowned winter light-art experience evolved into a continuously growing and highly successful brand. In recognition of this achievement, Christmas Garden Deutschland GmbH received the LEA Live Entertainment Award in the category En Suite Event of the Year.
Last winter, the enchanting light spectacle was presented at 13 locations across Germany and Europe. Since its German premiere nine years ago, Christmas Garden has welcomed its ten-millionth visitor. As attendance continued to grow, so did the need for more sophisticated management of ticket sales, visitor flows, and venue capacity utilization.
Sebastian Stein
CEO Christmas Garden GmbH
“The Christmas Garden and Christmas at the Zoo events are exceptional audiovisual experiences that appeal to a broad and diverse audience and have been established as winter cultural highlights for many years. In my view, these events were therefore ideally suited for the introduction of dynamic pricing.
Over the past three years of working with Smart Pricer, we have seen firsthand how dynamic pricing shifts demand in practice: less congestion during peak periods and more predictable visitor flows. For us, dynamic pricing has become another lever for delivering an even better guest experience while further increasing the share of early bookings,” said Sebastian Stein, Managing Director of Christmas Garden Deutschland GmbH.
Data Analysis and Dynamic Pricing Simulations as the Foundation
Together with Smart Pricer, all ticket sales from previous years were initially analyzed—covering every event day, every time slot, multiple venues, and varying demand patterns.
Based on these insights, different pricing strategies were simulated. Dynamic pricing was then introduced and tested at first three and later five locations, enabling a robust A/B comparison between static and dynamic pricing models. As a result, the project evolved into one of the most extensive dynamic pricing experiments ever conducted in the European ticketing market.
Moritz Schwenkow, CEO of myticket AG, explains: “With myticket, we provide event organizers with dynamic pricing as a fully integrated, automated solution directly within the ticketing process—powered by the Smart Pricer engine. After a one-time setup, the software independently manages prices based on historical data, current demand, booking behavior, weekdays, time slots, and a range of additional parameters.
This enables organizers to systematically maximize revenue, actively manage capacity utilization, and automate their entire pricing strategy without any additional operational effort.”
Moritz Schwenkow
CEO myticket AG
Technically, the system is powered by the Smart Pricer engine, which continuously adjusts ticket prices based on evolving demand patterns. Through a direct integration with the ticketing platform, updated prices are automatically synchronized across all sales channels in real time. As a result, each event day and every individual time slot receives its own demand-driven price, ensuring that pricing accurately reflects current market conditions and booking behavior.
Customer Communication on the Christmas Garden Website
Clear Results from the A/B Test
Analysis Across Three Seasons Reveals the Following Effects of Dynamic Pricing:
| DP Locations | Non-DP Locations | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | +25% | +9% | +16% |
| Visitor Growth Over 3 Years | +15% | +8% | +7% |
| Visitor Numbers Outside Peak Hours | +60% | -38% | +98% |
| Bookings Made >3 Days in Advance | +11% | +6% | +5% |
Over the past three years, venues using Dynamic Pricing (DP) have significantly outperformed comparable venues without DP. The difference is particularly evident in revenue growth: DP venues achieved a 25% increase in revenue, compared to just 9% at non-DP venues. Visitor growth also favored DP venues, which recorded a 15% increase in attendance, versus 8% for the comparison group.
Particularly noteworthy is the development during off-peak periods. While DP venues generated a 60% increase in attendance outside peak times, non-DP venues experienced a 38% decline. At the same time, the share of advance bookings grew more strongly at DP venues (+11% vs. +6%), indicating improved predictability and stronger customer engagement.
The conclusion is clear: venues using Dynamic Pricing are not only growing faster, but are also utilizing their capacity more efficiently and securing a sustainable competitive advantage.
These findings are consistent with international market trends. An increasing number of leading operators—including theme parks, major concert promoters, and global entertainment brands—are adopting dynamic pricing strategies to optimize demand, improve capacity utilization, and drive long-term growth.
Dynamic Pricing Is Becoming the New Standard in Event Ticketing
The Christmas Garden serves as a compelling example of how data-driven pricing can do more than optimize revenue—it can also address key operational challenges. Visitor flows can be managed more effectively, waiting times can be reduced, and guests benefit from a smoother and more enjoyable overall event experience. With three years of data and millions of ticket transactions, the project provides one of the most comprehensive and evidence-based analyses of dynamic pricing in the European ticketing industry to date. Its findings demonstrate that dynamic pricing is not merely a revenue management tool, but a strategic lever for improving capacity utilization, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction alike.