China's commercial performance market witnessed steady growth in 2025 with box office revenue across the country amounting to 61.655 billion yuan (about 8.84 billion U.S. dollars), representing a year-on-year increase of 6.39 percent, the Association of Performing Arts announced on Tuesday.
The latest data released by the association showed that 640,400 commercial performances were staged nationwide during 2025, with audience numbers reaching 194 million, indicating a growth of 4.22 percent compared to 2024.
These figures underscore an upward trajectory in China's performance market, where new and innovative performance formats flourished, pointing toward a more mature and diversified industry.
There were 3,000 large-scale commercial performances -- defined as events with audiences exceeding 5,000 -- up 12.7 percent from 2024. These attracted 43.398 million attendees, an increase of 18.81 percent, generating box office revenues of 32.448 billion yuan (about 4.65 billion U.S. dollars), a rise of 9.49 percent.
This momentum can be attributed in part to strong policy support across regions, as well as to deeper integration of tourism and culture. By combining performance projects with local tourism, the ticket economy has boosted both consumer's willingness to spend and audience enthusiasm.
Throughout 2025, 198,700 medium- and large-scale tourism-themed performances were staged across China, up 4.95 percent year on year, generating 17.44 billion yuan (about 2.5 billion U.S. dollars) in ticket revenue, an increase of 6.43 percent, and attracting about 88 million attendees, a rise of 3.01 percent.
China's box office revenue for commercial performances hits 61.66 bln yuan in 2025
