Country Profile: China

A vast and exciting market, China’s live industry grew by 46.6% to CNY38.7bn in 2024, according to the government-funded China Music Industry Development Annual Report, and is increasingly opening its doors to international talent.

“Live music in China is very much back in full swing post-pandemic, but the landscape has shifted,” says Archie Hamilton, managing director at Split Works.

“Tours in smaller venues (<500 cap) are difficult now due to the financial barriers to entry (venue hire, permit, and visa application costs), but carefully routed headline tours in the 500–2,000-cap range are doing well in the main.

“And there are some big artists coming through – at arena level this year, so far, Ed…