Shanghai ranked first in theater box office revenue in China during the first half of this year, edging out Beijing, according to a newly released report on nationwide performing arts trends.

The report, released by the China Association of Performing Arts and the Beacon Platform, analyzes key developments in China's theater scene from January to June.

A total of 160,500 performances were staged across theaters, small venues, and emerging performance spaces, generating 5.4 billion yuan ($745 million) in ticket sales and attracting 20.55 million theatergoers.

Shanghai accounted for 21.4 percent of the national box office total, narrowly ahead of Beijing's 21.1 percent, both far surpassing other cities.

The top 200 productions nationwide saw strong year-on-year growth in the number of performances, ticket revenue, and audience size.

Drama remained the dominant genre, with the number of performances rising 16 percent and box office revenue increasing 3 percent year-on-year. Popular titles included Chu Ma, The Stage, and Taibai Jinxing is a Bit Annoying.

Stand-up comedy saw the fastest growth, driven by a surge in shows. The number of performances jumped 54.1 percent, while revenue soared 134.9 percent, making it the second-largest category in the theater market.

Dance drama remained stable, with a slight increase in revenue. Signature productions such as The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting, The Dream of the Red Chamber, Tian Gong Kai Wu (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature), and The Peacock continued to bring traditional Chinese culture to wider audiences.

Musicals also experienced steady growth, with ticket revenue rising 15.1 percent year-on-year. Original Chinese productions such as Jinyiwei's Sword and Flower and The Orphan of Zhao sparked strong audience interest.

Imported classics like Notre-Dame de Paris, Sunset Boulevard, and Chicago toured multiple cities and drew wide attention.

The hit musical, SIX, exclusively staged in Shanghai, reported that 30.8 percent of its audience came from outside the city.

Female consumers continued to lead theater spending, accounting for 68.8 percent of all ticket buyers, an increase of 0.7 percentage points compared to the previous year.

Their presence was especially strong in categories such as musicals, dance dramas, immersive shows, plays, and children's theater, where the share of female audiences exceeded the overall average.

Source: Shanghai Observer