China’s film market posted a solid performance during the 2026 May Day holiday, with total box office revenue reaching 758 million yuan (about $111 million) over the five-day break, according to the China Film Administration.
Compared with the same holiday period last year, revenue rose 1.41%, while total ticket sales climbed much faster—up 10.23% year-on-year to 20.84 million tickets sold. This suggests stronger audience turnout, helped partly by more affordable pricing.
A total of 2.376 million screenings were held nationwide during the holiday, up 2% from last year, showing theaters expanded capacity to meet demand.
Meanwhile, the average ticket price dropped to 36.3 yuan, down 8% year-on-year. Lower prices likely encouraged more moviegoers, helping boost admissions even though revenue growth was relatively modest compared with ticket growth.
Overall, the numbers point to a continuing recovery and expansion of China’s cultural consumption sector: more people are going to cinemas, ticket prices are becoming slightly more accessible, and holiday moviegoing remains a major leisure activity during long breaks like May Day.
Credit : CGTN
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