Cultural performance market continues strong momentum in 2025

China's cultural performance market got off to a strong start in the first quarter and is continuing to thrive.

The overall culture sector and related businesses saw steady growth in the first quarter of the year, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday. The performance market in particular generated about 80 billion yuan (about 11 billion in U.S. dollars) in 2024 revenue, up 7.6 percent year-on-year.

Shanghai, Zhejiang Province and Beijing ranked as the top three cities in terms of performance box office sales.

Ahead of the upcoming May Day holiday, the central China city of Wuhan has sparked a cultural consumption frenzy as early birds ticket sales opened for two hotly anticipated music festivals.

The city has just hosted its first major music festival this year in early April. The Rye Music Festival featured two days of outdoor concerts, with daily visitor flow reached 15,000 people.

"The weather is great. The artists are great. We're in a great mood too," said an attendee.

"Our 'early bird' tickets were sold out immediately after going on sale. Over 50 percent of attendees are not local, coming from other places, even overseas," said Shi Guanzhen, the music festival's project planner.

In addition to enjoying the music, festival attendees experienced the event's art market and on-site art installations.

Stalls selling records, cultural and creative products, and food also stayed bustling.

According to the festival organizer, the best-selling item was an inflatable picnic lounger. About 600 had already been sold before noon on the first day.

Enthusiasm for the music festival has boosted hotel and homestay bookings. The number of visitors to the nearby scenic spots in Huangpi District increased by over nine percent compared with the previous month, with comprehensive income rising by more than 10 percent.

In Beijing, film enthusiasts are enjoying an event-packed April as a citywide film-themed fair has coincided the Beijing International Film Festival. Viewers have also been able to show their film tickets to enjoy various discounts and free parking in dozens of business districts.

At Langyuan Station, a cultural hub in the city's east end, a combination of film and food has attracted daily foot traffic exceeding 35,000 people and a 15 percent increase in catering consumption compared to normal.

In the more central Xicheng District, the film "White Pagoda Light" turned terrace coffee into a popular product.

The Beijing Film Life Festival will continue until the May Day holiday, while some shopping mall discounts will be extended until May 18th.

Cultural performance market continues strong momentum in 2025

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday that the country is at a critical stage and must achieve national unity, emphasizing that maintaining internal cohesion is of utmost importance.

In a televised address, Rodriguez called on the public to continue trusting the government under the current highly complex political circumstances.

Her statement comes in the wake of a January 3 military operation conducted by the United States, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country.

The operation resulted in at least 100 fatalities.

Rodriguez, who was sworn in as acting president two days later on January 5, framed her appeal for unity against this backdrop of external intervention.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez denounced the U.S. actions as a "war crime of the 21st century" when speaking at an international cultural event on Sunday.

Nanez condemned not only the January 3 airstrikes but also the associated cyber and electromagnetic attacks.

He accused the United States of violating international law through the forced removal of President Maduro and his wife, while attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, represent a flagrant breach of humanitarian norms.

He reiterated that the stigmatization and military attacks against Venezuela are driven by economic interests, particularly the desire to control its abundant natural resources.

Venezuelan acting president calls for national unity amid complex situation