Young people’s passion for live performances is redefining the concept of “Night Shanghai” as they spend their nights immersed in theatres, where they socialise with friends or collect show-related items.
“I haven’t seen another city where you can walk just a few steps in the city centre and find a theatre,” said 22-year-old Shanghai resident Cindy Huang.
Spending around 300 yuan (US$41.77) per show, the university student allocates nearly 80 per cent of her living expenses to attending three to four performances a week and related activities.
The city government announced a series of events dubbed “Wonderful Night Shanghai” late last month, in its latest Night Economy 2.0 initiative.
Building on the supportive measures announced in April 2019 for Night Economy 1.0, it added four new initiatives to bolster the night economy, including “optimising the approval and filing process for nighttime activities” and “enriching nighttime neighbourhood cultural and entertainment activities”.
The authorities view boosting the night economy as a powerful engine that could give a considerable boost to consumption as China prioritises stronger demand-side stimulus in the hope of offsetting the negative impacts brought about by the trade war with the United States. It is also eager to stimulate the domestic economy, which has been hit by a reluctance to spend amid deflationary pressures.
