China's 2026 spring festival film season shows a shift in cultural consumption: broader access, social viewing, and film-plus spillovers

Editor's note: Liu Xiangyan is an associate researcher at China Tourism Academy. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN. 

Screenings during China's 2026 Spring Festival film season hit a record high

According to publicly available data, China's Spring Festival box office (including pre-sales) exceeded 8 billion yuan ($1.15 billion) in 2026 as of Monday afternoon, with total screenings nearly 4 million, setting a new record for the holiday period.

Notably, even without a phenomenon-level blockbuster on the scale of last year's "Ne Zha 2," this year's performance has still beaten broad market expectations. The results highlight a strong alignment between the supply of content and consumer demand, emphasizing the growing importance of China's Spring Festival consumption market.

Diverse, high-quality releases drove the moviegoing surge. This season is widely seen as the most genre-diverse so far, spanning comedy, martial arts action, animation, science fiction, suspense, and drama. "Pegasus 3" led holiday buzz on the back of an established franchise and a proven genre formula. "Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector" stayed firmly family-oriented and continued to draw steady crowds. "Blades of the Guardians" also gained traction by offering a differentiated option of martial arts action.

A longer holiday helped unlock demand. The nine-day Spring Festival break, among the longest in recent years, gave audiences more time for cultural spending. Average ticket prices also fell to below 50 yuan, the lowest in five years, helping lift admissions. Local policy support, including ticket subsidies, public-benefit screenings, and cross-industry partnerships, further lowered barriers to entry and strengthened the market. Combined, more available time, friendlier pricing, and policy support help explain why the season outperformed expectations.

Film consumption is shifting to lower-tier markets, becoming more community-based, and integrating with other sectors

Moviegoing is moving faster into lower-tier markets. In recent years, wider cinema coverage and improved local screening facilities have made film consumption more accessible, unlocking demand in counties and smaller cities. 

During the 2026 Spring Festival film season, third- and fourth-tier cities accounted for over 50 percent of total box office, a record high for the holiday period. This provided crucial support for overall performance and signals a shift toward a more balanced, multi-tier national market rather than one dominated by top-tier cities.

Compared with audiences in first- and second-tier cities, viewers in lower-tier markets tend to be more price-sensitive and make more measured choices, often guided by word of mouth and audience feedback. This is pushing competition away from holiday marketing tactics and toward content quality, encouraging the industry to strengthen premium production and improve the supply of high-quality films. Over the long term, demand from lower-tier markets is likely to remain a key pillar of stable industry growth.

Community-based consumption is changing how people watch films. Spring Festival reunions increasingly overlap with entertainment spending, shifting moviegoing from mostly individual viewing to family, parent-child, and social outings. 

Cinemas in commercial complexes are also evolving into social consumption spaces, strengthening the social element of moviegoing. This year, group moviegoing accounted for more than one quarter of admissions, setting a new record for the holiday period.

Content is adapting to this shift. "Boonie Bears" returns to a traditional Spring Festival theme, using a Chinese-style fantasy narrative to highlight reunion culture and holiday customs, making it a common choice for families. "Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe" centers on the giant panda blends comedy with adventure, attracting many parent-child households.

Film+ integration is expanding. During the holiday, cross-sector models such as film plus intangible cultural heritage, tourism, dining, and retail became more visible, strengthening spillover effects. Liaoning province promoted heritage-themed cinema initiatives and partnered with heritage venues to offer ticket-stub discounts, extending moviegoing into offline cultural experiences. Hebei province introduced a bundled pass product that combines access to tourist attractions with cinema services. Hunan province strengthened coordination between cinemas and commercial districts, allowing viewers to use ticket stubs for discounts on dining, retail, and experiential spending, helping lift per-customer spending and repeat engagement.

Overall, film consumption is moving beyond a single viewing activity toward a bundled experience that combines culture, leisure, and shopping. It is also becoming a practical channel for energizing commercial districts and supporting deeper integration between culture and tourism.

In sum, the 2026 Spring Festival film season reflects not only a steady market recovery but also a deeper shift in China's cultural consumption. A broader lower-tier audience base, stronger social viewing habits, and faster cross-industry integration suggest the film sector is becoming a key link between cultural supply and real-economy spending. Its role in expanding domestic demand and upgrading service consumption is likely to grow further.