American singer Charlie Puth performs at the Wuyuanhe Stadium in Haikou, Hainan Province, on November 21, 2024. Photo: VCG

The vibrancy of China's consumer market and an unprecedented enthusiasm for cultural experiences were, once again, on display during the Spring Festival holiday.

The Chinese box office led the global film market, with total cinema admissions surpassing 170 million, setting a new record for Spring Festival film attendance in the country. Meanwhile, the country's total box office revenue in 2025 reached more than 10 billion yuan ($1.39 billion), according to Chinese ticketing platform Dengta. 

Fueled by supportive policies, this dynamic environment is also drawing the attention of global performers. Following the Chinese New Year, iconic American punk rock band Green Day will take to the stage in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Sunday. Later this month, British singer Ed Sheeran - affectionately known as "Yellow Boss" among Chinese fans - will hold six concerts in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province.

In recent years, many cities in China have been striving to establish themselves as global performing arts hubs. Previously, the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism responded to inquiries about hosting a concert by Taylor Swift, confirming that preliminary discussions with the organizers had taken place. The authority also hinted at the possibility of the highly anticipated show occurring later this year, as reported by the Shanghai-based news outlet The Paper.

Meanwhile, Haikou, which hosted the buzz-worthy Kanye West concerts earlier in 2024, in South China's Hainan Province, announced plans to accelerate the city's transformation into an "international performing arts capital."

Beyond Shanghai and Haikou, other cities like Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, and Macao are also seeing a surge in live performances. As more international artists choose China as a key stop on their tours, the country's performing arts market is showcasing its growing appeal and openness to the world.

A-list concerts

As Kanye West and his wife Bianca Censori made a striking appearance at the 2025 Grammy Awards, many Chinese fans still reminisce about the couple's time in South China's Hainan in 2024.

In September 2024, in Haikou, Kanye West's "listening party" was held. The stadium, which can hold over 40,000 people, was packed to capacity.

At the start of the performance, Kanye, dressed in a black hoodie with the red Chinese phrase "Told you," slowly walked to the center of the golden wheat-field stage.

The atmosphere throughout the entire show was intense, with many fans describing the experience as "more perfect beyond expectations."

Although Haikou had been severely affected by a typhoon just a short time before, the concert boosted the local economy by generating tourism revenue, according to official information from Haikou's cultural and tourism department, providing significant economic support for post-disaster reconstruction.

When Kanye shouted, "I LOVE U Haikou" during the concert, it seemed to symbolize the city's ascent to the global stage of the music world.

According to a report sent to the Global Times by Haikou's Bureau of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television, and Sports, since 2023, Haikou has hosted a total of 25 large-scale concerts and music festivals, welcoming 531,000 attendees. The total spending by spectators reached approximately 2.998 billion yuan.

Kanye West performs at a world tour listening session in Haikou, South China's Hainan Province, on September 15, 2024. Photo: VCG

On September 15 and 28, 2024, American singer Kanye West's world tour preview concert was successfully held in Haikou, attracting about 80,000 spectators. The two concerts generated nearly 100 million yuan in box office revenue, with 95 percent of the audience coming from outside the province, driving a tourism consumption boom of 730 million yuan, read the report. 

As more and more international artists take to the stage in China, fans have begun to anticipate performances by more big names. One of the hottest topics among fans has been whether Taylor Swift will perform in China in 2025.

"We can only say that we have had preliminary communication with Taylor Swift's team about bringing a performance to Shanghai. As for whether it will happen, it still depends on the market and the attractiveness of Shanghai as a city," Zhang Qi, deputy director of Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, stated on January 14, according to The Paper. 

"We are optimistic and believe there's a possibility this year," Zhang said.

American rock band OneRepublic recently wrapped up its China tour, performing not only in top-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai, but also in cities like Hangzhou and Wuhan in Central China's Hubei Province, and engaged deeply with local fans on social media.

Notably, OneRepublic performed on this year's CCTV Spring Festival Gala stage in Wuhan.

The Global Times learned from a music industry insider that several foreign artists are set to expand their presence in China in 2025, including Singaporean signer Stefanie Sun, as well as international performers such as Grammy-winning jazz singer Samara Joy, Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora, and rising stars like Gracie Abrams and Keshi, all scheduled to perform in China.

Inclusive atmosphere

Compared to popular mainstream performances, more refined or "niche" art forms can also gain widespread attention, as foreign performance groups continuously return to China to witness the passion of the fans and the potential in the market.

Sun, a theater enthusiast in Shanghai, finds herself caught in a delightful dilemma. She has multiple shows to choose from, with The Phantom of the Opera, Elisabeth, and Lady M the Musical all happening in Shanghai at the same time.

Starting from November 2024, Shanghai's major theaters has been staging grand year-end performances for three months. 

"I have been watching plays non-stop for three months," she told the Global Times. "It is a test of willpower and physical endurance, but I am also proud to see the inclusiveness of the Chinese market."

Another reflection of this is the children's music market.

One example is the Italian children's choir, Little Choir of Antoniano, which just celebrated its 10th year of performing in China and delivered seven spectacular, sold-out performances in Shanghai and Nanjing in Jiangsu Province in January.

During the Spring Festival, clips of the choir's performances of the trending Chinese song "Little Bliss" and folk song "Hong Yan" went viral on Chinese social media.

The choir is famous for performing Italian children's songs and regularly appears in the well-known local children's song competition Zecchino d'Oro. 

Children of Little Choir of Antoniano from Bologna, Italy perform at their New Year's concert in Shanghai on January 1, 2025. Photo: Shan Jie/GT

The choir's success in China has been remarkable, with nearly 1.3 million followers on Chinese social media, with some videos garnering close to 5 million views. The choir's concert tickets often sell out within minutes.

As a gift, this year, the choir also brought a new song titled "Marco Polo's magical journey," commemorating the adventurer who paved the way for China-Italy friendship more than 700 years ago.

"Over the last 10 years, what I have felt the most is that China is a friendly place where children can connect across countries through music. Music can serve as an important bond between different ethnicities," Giampaolo Cavalli, director of the Antoniano Institute, told the Global Times.

"We have also built friendships. The children now have 'families' in China, and we have formed connections with the audience. These are the motivations that keep bringing us back," he said.

Meanwhile, the US-based One Voice Children's Choir, along with European choirs such as the Vienna Boys' Choir, have also made China a regular stop on their tour circuits. These art groups have further connected with local music education in China in various forms, integrating into and contributing to the development of local cultural and artistic scenes.

For instance, inspired and influenced by the Little Choir of Antoniano, the Little Choir of Hydrangea was founded in Shanghai. Through learning and exploration, the choir has been aiming to find more suitable songs for Chinese children, thereby contributing to the creation of original Chinese children's music.

Favorable policies

The growth of the live performance market is also driven by the country's supportive policies. The State Council recently issued a directive on promoting cultural and tourism consumption. The measures aim to enhance consumer benefits, cater to different age groups, increase the supply of high-quality cultural products, and create diverse entertainment experiences, the Xinhua News Agency reported on January 13.

In the face of such a promising situation, various cities are also pulling out the stops, offering support in the race to become a hub of performance arts in China, and even the rest of the world.

"Haikou is positioning itself as a prominent international performing arts hub, leveraging its strategic location and supportive policies," Ma Haotian, section chief of Haikou's Bureau of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television, and Sports, told the Global Times, adding that the city is enhancing international cultural exchanges to achieve this goal.

To further promote the performing arts, Haikou offers substantial financial incentives for large-scale events. Organizers of major concerts and festivals can earn rewards based on ticket sales, with bonuses of up to 3 million yuan for events attracting over 100,000 attendees, especially those from outside the island, according to Ma.

At the municipal level, Haikou has streamlined its approval process, offering a "one-stop" service model to enhance operational efficiency and ensure full support from government departments.

Haikou's "Fan-Friendly" initiative improves visitor experiences during major events, with local hotels, restaurants, and attractions offering exclusive discounts. 

Meanwhile, in Macao, the trend of "exploring attractions during the day and enjoying performances at night" is becoming increasingly popular. 

Buddy Lam, director of corporate affairs at Galaxy Entertainment Group, told the Global Times that these events have not only attracted countless tourists to Macao, but have also supported extended visitor stays as they explore the charm of Macao's diverse tourism offerings.

Children of Little Choir of Antoniano from Bologna, Italy perform at their New Year's concert in Shanghai on January 1, 2025. Photo: Shan Jie/GT

The Macao SAR government committed to building a "City of Performing Arts" in its 2024 policy address.

Yao Feng, a professor at the University of Macao, believes that Macao possesses unique advantages when it comes to hosting concerts. Transportation is convenient, and the quality of performance venues in Macao is exceptional. Many of these venues are operated by large international companies with substantial financial resources and extensive operational experience, Yao said.

For theater enthusiast Sun, she is looking forward to a new year filled with exciting performances. She is particularly eager to see Les Misérables at the Shanghai Grand Theatre, a show she has been passionate about for years. 

"I hope the vibrant performing arts scene in China continues to thrive, offering great delights not only to Chinese audiences but also to global tourists," she said.