Indians fiercely consumed live entertainment in 2025: BookMyShow report

This was the year India didn’t just consume entertainment; it chose it, embraced it, and lived it. As 2025 comes to a close, BookMyShow has unveiled #BookMyShowThrowback2025, a celebration of a year where entertainment moved beyond moments to become a movement.

As BookMyShow reflects on 2025, it's evident that India experienced entertainment like never before.

According to the report, India has witnessed a significant shift in entertainment consumption, with people choosing to step out and experience

live events in real earnest. From record-breaking films to thrilling live performances, 2025 demonstrated that for Indians, standing out was not impulsive but necessary.

Cinema remained the most beloved shared ritual, with record-breaking blockbusters, regional triumphs, and re-releases drawing audiences back for a second innings. Regional cinema has taken off, with stories in Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Assamese, Odia, Bengali, Punjabi, and Marathi winning hearts across the country.

As per the report, re-releases attracted 58 lakh moviegoers to cinemas, and Hyderabad emerged as the undisputed re-release capital.

Interstellar became the year's most dramatic comeback story, selling out its February run before returning on public demand in March.

Live entertainment saw a remarkable 17% growth, with 34,086 events across the country turning evenings into memories and weekends into spectacles. The concert economy became mainstream, and India solidified its position on the world touring map.

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Bengaluru established its place as India's ultimate night owl movie city by leading the country in 12 am-6 am screenings for the second consecutive year.

Music tourism became a defining trend, with 5,62,032 fans visiting other cities for concerts, resulting in a financial windfall for hotels, transportation, restaurants, and local businesses nationwide.

Cinema halls experienced unforgettable milestones, with the Dussehra weekend seeing the greatest footfall of the year and 6.8 million tickets sold, followed by the Independence Day weekend. Kantara: A Legend Chapter-1 became the biggest repeat-watch craze, with more than six lakh people returning for a second viewing.

Meanwhile, Coolie had the year's highest advance sales, with 2.4 million tickets sold before its debut. Single-screen cinema thrived, as seen by Hari Hara Veera Mallu-Part 1, which derived more than 55% of its total revenue from these theatres.

Cities like Vishakapatanam, Vadodara, Indore, Shillong, and Rajkot emerged as powerhouses of live entertainment, with remarkable consumption growth. Theatre also enjoyed a resurgence, registering a 45% growth in consumption.

As 2026 steps into the spotlight, the stage is set for another year of entertainment, growth, and memories.

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