Deng Ziqi
Jacky Cheung
2024 is about to pass halfway. Compared with the "hotness" in 2023, what are the new changes and trends in this year's performance market? Recently, there have been reports that the performance market is "cooling down" and attendance is low - for example, Xu Meijing's concert was criticized by the audience for having too much water, and the attendance at the concerts of singers such as Huang Zitao and Xu Huaiyu was not high. What is the truth?
Has the performance market cooled down?
Audiences are becoming more demanding and making more rational choices
According to data from the ticket information collection platform of the China Performance Industry Association, from January 1 to March 31, 2024, there were 119,000 commercial performances (excluding performances in entertainment venues) nationwide, which is the same as in 2023 A year-on-year increase of 72.71%; box office revenue was 10.8 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 116.87% in 2023; the number of viewers was 38.8699 million, a year-on-year increase of 77.88% in 2023.
At the same time, in the first half of 2024, some singers’ concerts were frequently exposed to low attendance, and many music festivals were canceled or postponed. According to statistics from a Beijing Youth Daily reporter, from March to May this year, official announcements across the country There were more than 50 music festivals, and at least nearly 10 of them were postponed or even canceled, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the total. Has the
performance market really cooled down? Xiaofei, a senior music director who has planned many large-scale performances, said in an interview with a reporter from Beiqing Daily that it is not that the performance market has begun to "cool down", but that audiences have become more demanding in performances and their choices have become more rational. "As the audience's requirements for performance quality continue to increase, organizers are paying more and more attention to details and innovation in planning and production. This has also brought about new changes in the performance market this year, which has not only improved the overall quality of large and small performances, but also It brings a richer performance experience to the audience."
Looking back on the past few months, performances by first-line singers such as Jacky Cheung's classic hits concert have attracted a large number of fans' attention and pursuit. These offline concerts not only bring an audio-visual feast to fans, but also have significant improvements in quality - from stage design, sound effects to performance content, they all demonstrate higher professional standards and artistic value.
"This year the performance market has presented new formats, new opportunities and new productivity. The cultural and performing arts industry must start to think about how to respond to these new changes and new needs. This is the key to the performance market continuing to remain popular." Xiaofei said.
Is the prosperity of the performance market over?
The head-turning popularity has not diminished and tickets have been sold out as soon as they are opened.
According to incomplete statistics, there will be more than 150 officially announced large-scale concerts across the country in the first half of 2024, including Mayday, Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Phoenix Legend, Deng Ziqi and many other well-known singers. Judging from the overall ticket sales situation, some mid-waist singers are in the embarrassing situation of "difficulty selling tickets", with frequent news of low attendance and even canceled performances; while veteran singers with many hit songs are still sold out as soon as they are opened, and their popularity Not affected at all - Jacky Cheung temporarily added six consecutive performances in Zhengzhou Station, and Deng Ziqi opened five consecutive shows in Shanghai... Leading artists can easily attract a large number of audiences with their strong market appeal and influence.
Well-known music critic Lu Shiwei believes that compared with the extremely hot performance market in 2023, this year is the prosperity after the big wave, and the concert tickets of the top singers are still the most sought-after. “On the one hand, it is based on the singer’s own skills, strength and The test of influence is also a test of the trader's ability and trading methods. "
Needless to say, the consumer side is showing an increasingly rational trend. Audiences pay more attention to cost-effectiveness and performance quality when choosing concerts, rather than just pursuing the artist's fame. According to Jian Peng, a senior performance planner, the concert audience this year is more rational in their consumption compared to last year. The implementation of the real-name ticket purchase system has also made the entire performance market more healthy and benign.
Xu Meijing’s concert in April this year was criticized by the audience for singing too little and interacting too much. Previous concerts by singers such as Huang Zitao and Xu Huaiyu also suffered from low attendance. In this regard, senior music director Xiao Fei believes that these all show that the audience's mentality has changed. Going to the concert is no longer just to watch the excitement, but to make their entertainment time more cost-effective.In this way, some low-quality and expensive concerts may face dismal box office sales. This has also prompted the concert market to gradually return to a value orientation centered on performance quality and audience experience.
Considering the cost-effectiveness, some young people even began to go abroad to watch concerts. Xiaobai, a junior student at Xi’an University of Electronic Science and Technology, told a reporter from Beiqing Daily that he has gone to South Korea many times to watch performances this year. “The consumption is similar to that of going to first-tier cities in China. I traveled by the way, and the price/performance ratio is also suitable.”
Observe
Performance Market in 2024 Three new changes
Compared with the "extremely hot" performance market in 2023, what are the new changes and trends in this year's performance market?
One of the changes
Focuses on content rather than lineup
A new change in the domestic performance market this year is that many concerts and music festivals are increasingly focusing on content rather than lineup. In addition to the Mayday concert, some music festivals have begun to change the direction of selecting guests. The lineup is no longer the usual well-known singers, but some independent musicians or bands. This approach has also won praise from many audiences.
Independent musicians are highly sought after, and niche cultural performances also bring a unique viewing experience to the audience with their unique artistic styles and profound cultural connotations. Xiaofei said that in 2024, the performance market will present a new pattern in which "mainstream and independent coexist, and both sinking and foreign companies are promoted." “On the one hand, the frequency and scale of tours by mainstream singers and performance groups continue to increase, and they continue to occupy the dominant position in the market; on the other hand, independent musicians and niche cultural performances are gradually emerging, attracting more and more people with their unique artistic charm and cultural value. More and more audiences are coming.”
Change 2
The market is gradually sinking
This year’s performance market is no longer just a solo dance in first-tier cities. Second-tier, third-tier and even fourth-tier and fifth-tier cities have gradually become a popular choice for performances, such as Hohhot, Zunyi, Audiences in Taizhou, Quanzhou, Hengyang...these cities have an increasingly strong demand for high-quality performances. Their enthusiasm and support have made the performance market more diverse. "This not only shows that leisure and entertainment consumption has gradually become a 'soft and rigid demand' for the public, but also reflects that China's performance market is gradually achieving balanced regional development." Xiaofei believes.
Change Three
Cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries have increased
The biggest highlight of the performance market this year is the increase in foreign performances and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries. This year’s performance lineup of Bubble Island Music and Art Festival includes overseas musicians such as Yoasobi and Tatsuyakitani, while Cactus Music Festival and MDSK Music Festival invited American rock band Falloutboy and popular Japanese girl group XG respectively. In some music festivals, overseas artists account for even more than 50%, which has gradually solved the "homogeneity" problem of music festival lineups reported by previous audiences, and further improved the performance quality of music festivals and the audience's viewing experience.
In addition to participating in music festivals, many well-known overseas musicians have also begun to officially announce their China tour schedule: Westlife, American singer-songwriter lauv, American singer tinashe, etc. have all confirmed to start a China tour. The addition of these singers from different types and countries will make the performance market more diversified, and also means that a new wave of "involution" in the performance market is about to hit in the second half of the year.
Xiaofei pointed out that more and more foreign performance groups choose to tour in China, which not only enriches the domestic audience’s viewing options, but also promotes exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign cultures. She specifically mentioned that this year's variety show "Singer 2024" invited many powerful foreign singers and well-known singers, which is a positive change in the performance industry's increasing demand for artistic aesthetics from the audience. "Such a market situation is deepening this year. The embodiment of people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.”
Text/Reporter Shoupenghuan Intern Wang Jiayi
Coordinator/Liu Jianghua
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