The New Year has found its audience – Newspaper Kommersant No. 5 (7450) dated 01/13/2023

During the New Year holidays in 2023, ticket sales for entertainment events were higher for most operators than in January 2022. Market participants explain the situation by the low base of last year, when anti-COVID restrictions were maintained, as well as by domestic tourism. In 2023, the entertainment market will be mainly affected by a decrease in supply: scheduled events, according to ticket operators, are 45% less than a year ago.

“Kommersant” interviewed ticket operators for events on the results of sales during the New Year holidays. At the windows of MTS Live and Ticketland, tickets were sold by 26.5% more year-on-year, according to MTS Entertainment. Absolute numbers are not disclosed. In Moscow, there was an increase of 23.8%, in St. Petersburg – by 48%, in the regions, excluding the two largest cities – by 23.9%. The number of tickets sold between January 1–8, 2023 and January 1–8, 2022 was compared. Among the entertainment, seasonal events were the most popular among Russians: skating rinks, ice and New Year’s shows, MTS specified.

The main factor in the growth of sales in MTS is the low base of 2022: then, during the holidays, most regions still had restrictions on the occupancy of halls and a system of passes for events using QR codes. The increase in money, according to the operator’s services, was almost the same: the average cost of a ticket for New Year’s events was 1,772 rubles, which is only 3.3% higher than in 2022.

Egor Egerev, founder and CEO of Ticketscloud, said that sales of this service grew by 1.8 times. In addition to the complete lifting of restrictions during the pandemic period, the growth was facilitated by the development of domestic tourism, he explains: “Going abroad for the holidays has become expensive and logistically difficult for many, so the demand for entertainment events around the country has increased.”

Afisha showed a 142% increase in turnover during the holidays compared to last year, excluding movie tickets, says Ilya Altshuler, general director of the service. In the Yandex.Afisha service, Russians spent more than 600 million rubles during the holidays, which is twice as much year on year, the company said: “At the same time, the average check in Russia grew by less than 100 rubles.”

However, for example, in Timepad they talk about a decrease in sales during the holidays compared to 2022 by 20%. “Still, purchasing power is falling, people prefer free events more,” says Varvara Semenikhina, CEO of the platform. However, according to her, a large drawdown was expected compared to the previous year, as the number of events became less: “The main growth occurred in the segments of events for children – there the turnover on events grew by 50%. Compared to the level of 2019, at the same time, Timepad is seeing an increase in sales, and it is precisely due to the number of tickets sold, and not inflation, which Varvara Semenikhina estimates at 15% compared to 2019.

In general, in the Russian Federation, sales during the holidays have returned to the pre-Covid level of 2020, they say in all surveyed services. According to MTS, compared to 2020, sales growth in units amounted to 20.7%. At the same time, in Moscow, sales in terms of the number of tickets did not reach the level before the pandemic due to a reduction in the number of concerts, the company says.

The concert segment was influenced by the emigration of Russian artists and the almost complete absence of foreign ones, notes Yegor Egerev. There are fewer concerts in general both in Moscow and throughout Russia, adds Sergey Babich, producer of the Colisium International Music Forum: “I think about 30-40% of the names have gone, which are now being replaced by new faces.”

Growth is generally constrained by a drop in supply – event organizers stop their activities in Russia: planned events in 2023 are 45% less than a year ago, Varvara Semenikhina notes. The general information background, including partial mobilization, also affects sales, says Yegor Egerev: “The figures would be higher if it weren’t for this factor.” At the same time, according to him, the audience’s planning horizon remains “confident”: during the holidays they actively purchased tickets for summer festivals.

Valeria Lebedeva