China’s live music boom spreads to smaller cities as consumption drive expands

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Local authorities are using big concerts to attract tourists and revenue, part of broader efforts to boost consumption under new five-year plan

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Sylvia MaPublished: 5:00pm, 2 May 2026Dianjiang, a small county tucked away in southwestern China’s Chongqing, was transformed into a bustling live music hub in April as fans flocked to a concert headlined by Mandopop stars, including Jeff Chang.

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.

As China endeavours to make consumption its main growth driver and targets untapped markets, entertainment spending – along with physical goods from international brands such as Sam’s Club – is rising in areas outside the country’s largest and most developed population centres.Advertisement

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.

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