Itay Levi Conquers Caesarea: Earnings Revealed for a Single Night
Despite stormy weather, 4,000 spectators filled the amphitheater for the first of two massive shows by Itay Levi. Financial details have emerged, revealing the production's gross revenue and the net profit remaining after all expenses and taxes.
Despite the stormy weather and news alerts, 4,000 spectators arrived on Saturday at the Caesarea Amphitheater to see Itay Levi open his pair of massive shows. Levi, who electrified the summer with hits from his new albums "06" and "03" alongside "gold standard" tracks like "Maarav Rishon" and "Nachlat Binyamin," delivered an exceptional performance. A highlight of the evening was a moving backstage meeting with little Yali and her parents. Beyond the musical celebration, however, lies a complex and extremely expensive economic roadmap.
In terms of revenue, the event was a complete sell-out. Tickets ranged from 199 shekels for upper and side stands to 399 shekels for prestigious orchestra seats. The total gross revenue from ticket sales for this evening alone stood at approximately 1,176,000 shekels.
However, the path from gross revenue to net profit involves a series of mandatory deductions and taxes:
-
VAT at 18% goes to the state treasury — 179,390 shekels.
-
Distribution fees for ticket offices and clearing systems at approximately 8% — 94,080 shekels.
-
Royalties to ACUM and various rights organizations at 5% — 58,800 shekels.
The lion's share of the budget is dedicated to operational overhead. Renting the Caesarea Amphitheater, including electricity and municipal taxes, cost about 95,000 shekels. The security envelope, including 80 ushers, 50 guards, medical deployment, and fire safety licensing, required an investment of about 80,000 shekels.
To produce an international-level show, significant resources were invested in technical and artistic aspects. Sound reinforcement, complex lighting bridges, and video-art projections on huge LED screens cost approximately 120,000 shekels. Wages for an ensemble of 12 musicians, backing singers, 8 dancers, a director, a choreographer, and production staff amounted to 113,000 shekels. Costs for production management, promotion, and PR are estimated at 95,000 shekels.
In total, out of 1,176,000 shekels in revenue, total expenses and taxes amounted to approximately 722,270 shekels. The estimated net profit for Itay Levi and the production company from the first evening (before income tax) stands at approximately 453,730 shekels.
