China's performance market sees robust recovery momentum

China's offline performance market has shown signs of a long-awaited rebound this year, with various types of shows being held and patrons returning.

China National Symphony Orchestra holds the 2023 New Year Concert in Beijing on Dec. 27, 2022. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

Concerts, dramas, music festivals and talk shows are held in many parts of the country, though the first two months after the Chinese New Year are usually the low season of the performing arts industry.

Poly Culture Group Corporation Limited, which is principally engaged in the art business, performance and theatre management, has organized 1,233 shows since the beginning of this year, with box office receipts exceeding 60 million yuan ($8.69 million). During the Spring Festival holiday, the company held 204 performances, up 41 percent year on year, said Wang Bo, president of the company.

According to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, more than 9,400 commercial performances were held during the Chinese New Year holiday, a year-on-year increase of 40.92 percent and an increase of 22.5 percent from 2019. Nearly 3.24 million people attended these performances, generating box office receipts of 378 million yuan. And the figure was probably an underestimation.

Some major and developed cities will have full performance schedules throughout the year, according to Pan Yan, Secretary General of the China Association of Performing Arts, who also believes that the number of large-scale performances this year, including music festivals, may exceed that of 2019.

An industry insider disclosed that commercial performances will enter a peak season from the second quarter of 2023, and the integration of online and offline performances will be the industry’s new normal.