* Incomplete statistics reveal that during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, more than 20 music festivals will take place across the country, including Beijing, Chongqing, Qingdao and Guangzhou.
* An increasing number of performing arts events, including live music, theatrical performances, concerts, and other forms of live entertainment, have emerged in lower-tier cities across the country.
* According to the China Association of Performing Arts, as of the end of May, the ticket revenue from large-scale concerts and music festivals in China has exceeded 1.2 billion yuan (about 167 million U.S. dollars), with an audience of over 2.5 million people.
CHONGQING, June 22 (Xinhua) -- With the arrival of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, some individuals have chosen to make zongzi and participate in or watch dragon boat races, while many young people have opted to attend various outdoor music festivals.
Incomplete statistics reveal that during the three-day holiday, more than 20 music festivals will take place across the country, including Beijing, Chongqing, Qingdao and Guangzhou. Some of these events sold out shortly after tickets were released.
Industry experts say that the strong consumer demand undoubtedly injects new vitality into the recovery and development of China's cultural and tourism industry in the post-pandemic era.
This photo taken on April 22, 2023 shows a music festival in Nan'an District in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)
ROBUST GROWTH IN PERFORMING ARTS INDUSTRY
"I failed to get a ticket for my idol's three live music concerts in Shanghai and Guangzhou. Fortunately, I finally managed to get one for the concert in Chongqing. My hands were shaking at that moment," Li Ning said, recalling her experience buying a solo concert ticket for Wang Yuan, a popular young Chinese singer who held two concerts in Chongqing last month.
Upon the official announcement of Wang's concerts in the western megacity, the market response was fervent, with more than 800,000 people clicking "interested in attending" on the online ticketing platform Damai. Tickets sold out soon after the launch of sales.
Chen Yuwei, a resident of Beijing's Tongzhou District, asked her family members for help to secure tickets for a famous band's concert in Beijing through various ticketing applications. Eventually, Chen and her husband obtained two tickets and enjoyed the live music performance.
Tourists enjoy a performance at "Unique Henan: Land of Dramas," a gigantic immersive theater complex, in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, April 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Gang)
Apart from major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, an increasing number of performing arts events, including live music, theatrical performances, concerts, and other forms of live entertainment, have emerged in lower-tier cities across the country.
Statistics indicated that during the five-day May Day holiday, at least 40 music festivals were held nationwide.
According to the China Association of Performing Arts, as of the end of May, the ticket revenue from large-scale concerts and music festivals in China has exceeded 1.2 billion yuan (about 167 million U.S. dollars), with an audience of over 2.5 million people.
NEW ECONOMIC DRIVER
The surge in performance events such as concerts and music festivals not only generates significant ticket revenue but also fuels the growth of related industries, including tourism and catering.
Beijing resident Luo Meiwei attended a music concert in downtown Beijing on June 10. Luo noted that before the concert, surrounding restaurants and shopping malls were bustling with concertgoers. "Many businesses put up posters advertising a 10 percent discount with concert tickets to attract the audience," she said.
A singer waves to the audience during the Strawberry Music Festival in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, May 13, 2023. (Photo by Guo Zhihua/Xinhua)
According to the China Association of Performing Arts, comprehensive consumption related to music festivals and concert events (including transportation, hotels and catering) during the May Day holiday exceeded 1.2 billion yuan.
"Music festivals possess strong social and consumer attributes, providing a variety of cultural patterns and consumption scenes, such as creative markets, dining experiences and camping. Those factors are highly appealing to the young consumer group," said Hu Na, an associate professor at the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts.
The performing arts industry also plays an important role in stimulating employment and facilitating the city's economic development, Hu added.
Meanwhile, more international musical groups like symphony orchestras and ballet troupes have returned to Chinese stages in the post-pandemic era, receiving a warm welcome from younger generations.
"The arrivals of foreign artists and art troupes bring splendid performances to Chinese audiences. This has further enriched the spiritual lives of domestic audiences and promoted cultural exchange between China and other countries," Hu said.
(Reporting by Zhang Qin, Wang Jiaxuan, Liu Enli, Yang Shujun, Tian Chenxu and Xia Xiao; Video reporters: Sun Qing, Ying Quchuan, Zhang Ge, Li Shuai, and Liu Runzhi; Video editors: Hu Yousong, Li Qin, and Zheng Xin)■
