Showbiz is booming in live entertainment hub

There were 351 musicals staged in 45 theaters across Shanghai between January and August 2018, accounting for about 7.4 percent of the total number of live performances in the city, according to an annual report by Shanghai Culture Square. These musicals were viewed by 323,000 people and generated more than 50.8 million yuan ($7.5 million) in sales, a significant 166 percent higher than in the same period the previous year.

According to a survey by China's performing trade association, the live entertainment sector has been growing steadily every year, with the theater category taking up about 40 percent of the market.

This success has in turn encouraged more musical productions to be shown in Shanghai. According to the performing schedules of major theaters in the city, 2019 will again see a large number of musical shows.