Terms of use

These general conditions of business regulate the legal relations between concert visitors and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (BPhO). They are components of the contract dealing with the purchase of tickets to events.

These conditions are valid for subscribers as well as associations of visitors or their members, unless other existing agreements depart from them.

The box office area will be opened 90 minutes prior to the commencement of an event. Other box office hours will be announced.

The current concert program with hours of commencement is posted in the box office foyer. The establishment reserves the right to make scheduling changes. Once an event has begun, visitors are granted entry into the hall during convenient pauses.

4.1 Advance ticket sales at the Philharmonic Box Office
Advance sales for BPhO events will begin for specific groups of concerts on announced Sundays. No waiting numbers will be assigned by the BPhO, and none will be recognized. On the first day of advance sales, customers are strictly limited to 2 tickets per person per program. Beginning on the second say, there are no restrictions. Severely handicapped individuals with official identification are given preference. The procedure is to advance one handicapped customer to the head of line as follows after each group of 4 sales; the instructions of staff should be observed. When tickets for standing places are offered, they will be sold on the day of the concert only, at the soonest one hour before the concert begins.

4.2 Exchange and return of tickets
Tickets cannot be returned or exchanged. Program changes and rescheduling are not grounds for the return or exchange of tickets.

4.3 Lost tickets
The BPhO does not issue replacements for lost tickets.

4.4 Resale of tickets
Public and commercial resale of tickets is not permitted. This does not apply, however, to purchasers whose commercial activities involve the resale or distribution of tickets, or whose bylaws provide for resale or distribution of tickets to associates or other groups of individuals.

The offer of concert tickets for sale on the Philharmonic premises is forbidden.

4.5 Ticket reservations
Reservations requests from out-of-town customers will be accommodated within the available allotment of seats.

Severely handicapped individuals may order tickets in writing for the handicapped section as well as for all other seats.

The processing fee, including delivery costs by mail, is 2 Euros per ticket.

Once the Season Preview has appeared, visitors' organizations can reserve tickets within the available seasonal allotment.

Theater box offices may acquire tickets for the respective advance sales periods within the allotment provided.

The relevant business procedures with the theater box offices will be subject to specific regulations.

4.6 Method and scope of ticket orders
Reservations from individuals must be accompanied by a written form with personal signature. As a rule, individuals may reserve only 2 tickets for a maximum of 4 concerts per season.

4.7 Receipt and processing of ticket orders
Ticket requests will be accepted only after publication of the Season Preview, and will be processed in the order received. If a reservation request cannot be filled, the customer will receive written notification.

4.8 Ordering methods
Tickets requests are accepted in writing, by fax or by e-mail. For orders in writing, the coupons from the year's preview should be used if possible. To order by fax, please contact the ticket office at 254 88-323.

By e-mail, the address is:
kartenbuero@berliner-philharmoniker.com

4.9 Payment methods
Tickets can be purchased with credit card (Visa, American Express, Eurocard) or bank transfer.

With credit card payments, the card number and dates of validity should be entered on the order coupon. If seats are available, the appropriate sum will be charged to the customer's bank account. Tickets will be sent by mail. For subscription concerts, credit card orders are possible until the beginning of the respective advanced sales period.

For special concert and chamber music concerts, credit card orders are accepted up until 3 weeks prior to a given concert date.

Orders from customers wishing to pay via bank transfer must be received by the ticket office of the PBhO 8 weeks before the concert. The customer will then receive - assuming places are available - an offer in writing, with the corresponding payment request attached. Once the account of the PbhO receives the requested sum (cf: within the payment period), the tickets will be sent by mail.

4.10 Withdrawal from a reservation agreement
If payment of the entire amount due is not received on time, the BPhO will assign the reserved tickets elsewhere without replacements, and the payment will be refunded. Out-of-town customers have the right to return reserved tickets for refund for concerts whose hours of commencement have been significantly altered, or which have been entirely rescheduled.

In cases of tardy remission of tickets, refund requests cannot be honored, since in such cases, the BPhO does not have the opportunity to resell the tickets to other customers.

4.11 Processing fees
A processing fee of 2 Euros per seat will be charged for reservations through the BPhO.

In the case of returns, processing fees will not be refunded.

5.1 General
The following conditions are valid for all subscriptions. The subscriber agrees to them when giving his/her signatures and concluding a subscription contract.

5.2 Eligible individuals
Subscriptions will only be sold to actually-existing individuals.

5.3 Scope of the subscription
Each subscription to concerts of the Philharmonic is valid for a single season, and for one seat per series per subscription, with the exceptions named in 5.10 below.

5.4 Subscription prices
Subscription prices consist of tickets prices plus processing costs.

5.5 Methods of payment
The subscription fee is normally paid via a charge to the subscriber's bank account. Upon receipt of the subscription offer, the subscriber issues payment authorization to the BPhO. The customer's bank account is then charged by July 1 of the respective year. Otherwise, a cashless transfer payment, made to the account specified in the payment request, is possible by July 1 of the respective year.

5.6 Tickets
Subscription tickets for the coming season are sent beginning August 20, and at the latest one week before the date of the first concert in a series.

5.7 Exchanges and returns
Subscription tickets can neither be exchanged nor returned for refund.

5.8 Changes and postponements
Program changes as well as changes in performance personnel are always possible. These do not entail the right to return or exchange of subscription tickets. This is also true for the postponement of concert dates. Should it become necessary for either organizational or artistic reasons, the BPhO does reserve the right to alter its schedule.

5.9 Subscription renewals
Subscription are automatically renewed for each new season. Once the subscriber has given authorization to charge his/her bank account for the amount of the subscription, he/she makes a commitment for renew it annually. In such cases, the subscription is automatically renewed until payment authorization is withdrawn, unless notice is given by one of the contracted parties by June 15 of the respective year. The date of the postage stamp will be considered valid.

If a subscriber has given no payment authorization, the subscription will be renewed via the timely payment of the bill received.

The BPhO reserves the right to terminate a subscription should a subscriber of violate the conditions of the subscription. This applies to cases where a subscriber repeatedly disturbs concert performances or interferes with them in any way. Reference is made to No. 8 of these conditions.

In such cases, the subscriber must immediately return the tickets for all remaining concerts. After their return, a proportional refund will be made for the remainder of the subscription.

Subscriptions not renewed or paid for in a timely fashion may be reassigned.

5.10 Transfer of a subscription
In case of the death of a subscriber, the partner of the deceased may retain, upon request, up to 2 seats in an existing subscription series.

5.11 Further sale of subscription tickets
Public or commercial sales of subscription tickets are not permitted; nor are offers for sale of subscription tickets on the Philharmonic premises.

5.12 Changes of name, address and bank account information
The subscriber is obliged to communicate changes of name, address or bank account information to the subscription office promptly and in writing.

5.13 Loss of subscription ticketsIf a subscription ticket is lost, a replacement ticket can be issued upon presentation of a personal identification and payment of a fee. In such cases, the original ticket loses its validity.

Coats and other items can be checked in the foyer for a fee charged by a company commissioned for this purpose. Checked items are insured against loss by the cloak-room concession-holder in accordance with the conditions displayed. It is forbidden to bring disturbing items, luggage, radiotelephones or animals into the hall.

Any lost items found on the premises of the Philharmonic should be turned in to the management of the BPhO.

Loss of articles should be reported to the management.

Visitors may be refused entry if there is reason to believe they will interfere with the performance or disturb other visitors. Entry may also be refused if a visitor has infringed upon the conditions of business. Individuals who interfere with ticket sales or disturb members of the public may be removed from the house. Visitors may also be removed from a performance in progress if they create a disturbance, annoy others attendees, or take a seat for which they do not have a valid ticket.

The instructions of the house staff are to be followed.

The production of photographs or films of any kind is strictly forbidden.

The BPhO retains the right to permit recordings, filming or broadcasts of individual concerts.

By purchasing tickets or subscriptions, visitors to BPhO concerts indicate their agreement with these conditions.

These general conditions of business will take effect on May 1, 2001.