Such scenes are no longer unusual. Once the preserve of megacities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, high-profile concerts are now breathing life into lesser-known venues.
Large-scale performances in smaller cities have become increasingly common, according to a report released at the Music China Expo 2025, as reported by Sichuan Daily.
The report – by the Music Industry Promotion Committee of the China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association – showed that 45.6 per cent of multi-artist concerts took place in third-tier cities and below in 2025. Lower-tier cities also accounted for more than 40 per cent of China’s total music festivals, it added.
“Consumption downshifting into lower-tier markets is a key component of China’s push to expand domestic demand under the 15th five-year plan,” said Xu Tianchen, senior economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit.