2023 was a blockbuster year, with 2.8 million tickets sold in a single day and 16 lakh moviegoers seeing six films

For many Indians, going to the movies was the go-to form of outdoor entertainment, so 2023 was a record-breaking year for the movie theater industry. Millions of Indians chose to watch the impressive lineup of theatrical content on big screens. This spike in demand broke previous records, with August 13 selling the most tickets in a single day. A staggering 2.8 million movie tickets were sold on BookMyShow, an online ticketing and entertainment platform, demonstrating the enormous popularity and success of cinema in the nation.

A movie at the theater, along with other recreational pursuits, was the preferred choice for an out-of-home experience for ninety percent of Indians. The biggest attendance of 10.9 million people in Indian theaters during the Independence Day celebration weekend served as further evidence of this.

A devoted cinephile from Hyderabad broke a staggering record by seeing 99 movies in theaters this year alone. Furthermore, a significant 16.48 lakh moviegoers enjoyed the big screen experience by attending at least six films a year. These moviegoers showed a strong and enduring interest in watching movies on the big screen, as evidenced by their frequent attendance at theaters, which occurred at least once every two months.

Mega-blockbusters like Jawan, Pathaan, Gadar 2: The Katha Continues, Jailer, Animal (Hindi), Leo, The Kerala Story, Adipurush (Hindi), Ponniyan Selvan: Part 2 (Tamil), Tiger 3, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, and OMG 2 were among the most widely watched films of the year due to the year of sequels, the timeless charm of Shah Rukh Khan, and the joy of drama.

This year, single-screen theaters and multiplexes led the box office revenue, with single screens accounting for about 40% of total box office receipts.

Although watching a movie in a theater on the weekends was one of the most popular times for moviegoers, weekday visits to movie theaters were also quite common this year. On Sunday afternoons, about 22.7 million moviegoers attended films in theaters, and 37% of BookMyShow users saw a movie during the workweek, which runs from Monday through Thursday.

After the industry suffered during the Covid years, live events took center stage this year. 13.5 million people attended more than 26,350 live events in 250 cities.

Indians opted for high-end live entertainment and enhanced their experience this year, as evidenced by an 82 percent increase in specially designed international live events over the previous year and a 2.3 times increase in the passionate consumer cohort of premium event attendees on BookMyShow Live.

Furthermore, more than 9.4 lakh individuals went alone to live entertainment events.

For on-site live events, more than 4 lakh people made the long trip from their hometowns. With a 225 percent increase in ticket sales over the previous year, audiences from Tier II towns like Lucknow, Bhubaneswar, and Nagpur were among those who demonstrated a strong preference for live event experiences.

Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Hyderabad were the top metropolises for movies, live entertainment, and on-demand video content. This year, live entertainment and movies saw significant growth in non-metropolitan and Tier II markets as well as beyond, with Ahmedabad emerging as the non-metro market’s enduring legend.

Several international performers graced the Indian stage this year as well. Performers from around the world, including Lollapalooza India 2023, Jay Shetty, MotoGP, Backstreet Boys, Daniel Sloss, Trevor Noah, and Westlife, made their debut in India. Live events are now a common inclusion on travel itineraries, increasing tourism in the host cities and becoming a staple of Indian audiences’ travel schedules.