The Zhitong Finance App learned that according to the monitoring and calculation analysis of the ticketing information collection platform of the China Performance Industry Association, in the first half of 2026, the number of commercial performances (excluding entertainment venues) was 324,300, an increase of 1.96% over the previous year; box office revenue was 30.408 billion yuan, an increase of 9.41% year on year, and the number of spectators was 98,818 million, up 5.28% year on year.
In the first half of 2026, the performance market grew steadily. As an important component of lifestyle service consumption, the driving effect of performances on consumption was becoming more and more obvious. At the same time, the performance industry continues to improve and upgrade, implementing high-quality, diversified and convenient development, and its advantages in innovative content, optimized services, and industrial linkage are gradually highlighted.
Large-scale performances continue to be popular, and cross-industry cooperation across industries and fields is frequent
In the first half of 2026, there were 0.13,000 large-scale commercial performances such as concerts and music festivals with more than 5,000 people, up 13.06% year on year; box office revenue was 17.111 billion yuan, up 17.70% year on year, and the number of spectators was 23.2828 million, up 20.37% year on year.
In the first half of 2026, supply in the large-scale concert market increased, mainly reflected in three aspects: first, the number of artists hosting individual concerts and participating in themed platters increased, and new projects entered the market; second, the number of projects held at stadiums continued to rise, accounting for 2 percentage points higher than the same period last year; and third, the number of tickets sold per concert venue increased 11% year over year. The market supply for large-scale music festivals decreased slightly compared to last year. Operations focused more on improving brand value, personalized lineup design, and audience segmentation, shifting from “competing for traffic” to “competing for experience.” Various large-scale performance projects such as individual concerts, themed platter concerts, and music festivals continue to stimulate public entertainment consumption.
The rise in popularity of large-scale performances has made the need for convenient viewing even more urgent, and multiple performance projects and high-speed rail have cooperated across borders. In the first half of this year, the National Railway launched hundreds of special trains for fans, allowing a series of performance-centered service providers to find new development space, connect with integrated development to form a more mature industrial chain, effectively promote consumption, and amplify the performance multiplier effect.
Well-known repertoire IPs continue to sink, and tours stimulate audience enthusiasm in the sinking market
They are active in theatrical performances such as original dance dramas, classic dramas, and fine operas. Well-known IPs continue to sink, expanding to second- and third-tier cities, boosting cultural tourism consumption across cities. The enthusiasm for watching shows in the sinking market is gradually being stimulated, and the “performance+cultural tourism” linkage has become the norm.
In terms of dance drama, the folk dance drama “Dream of the Red Mansion” toured nationwide in the first half of 2026, with temporary additions in many cities; “Breaking the Ice” began a national tour in April, and a large number of dance fans toured multiple cities; the first half of the year's tour of the intangible heritage-themed “Wake Up the Lion” also covered more than 10 cities. In terms of opera, local dramas “went out of the circle” across provinces, and the Sichuan opera “Flowers Drift by Zero Water” and “The Phoenix in the Red House” toured four cities in April and received praise; the Mandarin Award-winning repertoire Wu opera “Three White Bone Essences” toured more than 30 cities; the first Chinese drama Plum Blossom Award showcased outstanding international repertoire; 10 masterpieces from 8 major dramas and 16 Plum Blossom Award artists appeared one after another. In terms of drama, well-known IP tours have progressed comprehensively. Exclusive editions such as “Jiang Gong's Face”, “Go North”, “Su Dongpo”, and “Tea House” also toured many cities in the first half of the year. Classic drama IPs were launched in third- and fourth-tier cities, covering Xingtai, Ankang, Hengyang, Baoding, and Chuzhou. Well-known plays have their own popularity, and in the sinking market, they can attract new audiences that have never entered theaters, and continuously expand the audience base of local theaters.
With performing arts content as the core, complex consumption spaces are active
Complex consumption spaces centered on performing arts content are developing rapidly, continuously activating potential consumption. The multi-level performance experience guides consumers to watch over and over again, and the form of consumption is shifting from one-time check-in to repetitive consumption.
The new immersive and experiential performing arts space has developed rapidly in Shanghai, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Nanjing, etc., and has become a kind of “urban micro-trip”. In the first half of this year, Chengdu added a new “Kuanzai · Unbounded” brand. Kuanzhai Alley became an open art theater in the city. Nearly 70 immersive performances spread across courtyards, corners, and streets. Using a series of designs such as “the courtyard has drama,” “the corner has drama,” “the street has a scene,” and an NPC immersive parade along the street, it links performance consumption and surrounding commerce.
Complex consumption spaces with performing arts as the core are not limited to new performance venues originally rooted in commercial centers; scenario-based art production has also become the core idea for professional theater expansion. With music as its starting point, the Shanghai Concert Hall brings together scientists, engineers, artists, and entrepreneurs. The Music Technology Innovation Festival is becoming Shanghai's unique business card, and is gradually building an innovative platform to connect the world, incubate the future, and serve citizens.
New tourism and entertainment projects are emerging, and rich experiences have become the key to attracting consumption
In the first half of 2026, new tourism and entertainment projects continued to appear, and performances characterized by “walking style,” “immersive experience,” and “full sensory interaction” are becoming a new cultural tourism experience scene. Examples include Beijing's first immersive waterfront performance “Yunshang Xing”, Dujiangyan's “Culture+Entertainment+Amusement” complex business “Dream Back to Qingcheng” project, Guilin's “Walking Immersive” cave live performance “Xia Ke Wanli Tour”, and the Bozhou Full Immersive Cruise Night Tour performance “Night Art of the River River”, etc., which enhance the audience's emotional resonance and depth of experience through spatial construction and plot integration.
At the same time, the travel entertainment market is also showing a clear downward trend in terms of spatial layout. Micro-performing arts models such as “Dramatic Village” and “Literature and Art Empowers Beauty” have appeared. For example, Ningxia's “Seeing Minning Drama Village” was launched this year. With “Entering the Village, Entering the Drama, Visitors and Villagers” as the core, an indoor and outdoor theater and multiple entertainment and interactive spots were set up to showcase the fruitful results of Minning's collaboration through an immersive drama experience.