Shanghai's night economy gets festival shot in the arm

Shanghai's night economy continues to flourish, with the latest data showing a robust increase in night-time customer traffic during the 2023 Shanghai Night Festival.

The festival has been a major attraction for residents as well as visitors to Shanghai. According to data from key monitored sample companies, night-time customer traffic during the festival increased by 23.1 percent compared with the same festival period in 2022.

The night-time offline consumption amount, meanwhile, accounted for nearly 30 percent of the day's offline consumption during the first week of the festival, the highest in nearly three years. As of June 25, the city's night-time offline consumption totaled 42.746 billion yuan (US$5.91 billion) in June, with the festival contributing significantly to this figure.

The night economy has also been a significant contributor to the city's economy, with Shanghai maintaining its position to rank first in the country in terms of the comprehensive strength index of its night economy. The index takes into account six key areas, namely night-time traffic, bars, live music, nightlife lighting, night-time cinema, and night-time public transportation.

Data shows that Shanghai's night-time economy is thriving in every aspect, from its extensive public transportation to its diverse range of entertainment options. For example, the city ranks first in the country for night-time light intensity, with over 2,300 bars and 140 live houses, and more than 13.57 million night-time movies screened in 2022.

In terms of transportation, Shanghai's average daily night-time travel population exceeded 1.77 million people in 2022.

As of March 2023, the city had 405 subway stations operating after 10pm, an increase of nearly 30 from the previous year, and the number of active subway stations at night ranks first in the country.

Also, there are over 1,200 night-time bus routes in Shanghai, accounting for more than 80 percent of the city's total bus routes, with the number ranking first in the country.

The growth of Shanghai's night-time economy is also driven by the entrepreneurship of local businesses.

Since the Shanghai Commission of Commerce and other departments jointly issued guidelines on promoting the development of the local night-time economy, 16 night-time district chiefs and more than 130 nightlife CEOs have been appointed in the city.

The first Shanghai Nightlife CEO Council was officially established on Wednesday night with nearly 30 representatives from various industries, including commerce, culture, tourism and sports. The council aims to promote cross-industry cooperation and improve collaborative governance of the city's night-time economy.