Circuses of Russia

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Chronicle

2023: Circus ticket sales up 4 times over the year

The number of tickets sold to Russian circuses in 2023 increased 3.9 times compared to 2019, reaching 194.7 thousand units. This significant growth in the winter of 2024 was recorded by one of the largest aggregators of tickets for entertainment events Yandex Afisha.

According to RBC, in 2022, 112.8 thousand tickets to circuses were sold through the aggregator, and in 2019 - only 50.8 thousand. The lowest indicator over the past five years was noted in 2020 - only 9 thousand tickets, which is directly related to the beginning of the pandemic and the introduction of restrictive measures.

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Yandex Afisha Content Director Enrico Mazavrishvili noted that the circus entertainment segment has been growing steadily over the past five years, despite a temporary decline during the pandemic. The growth in popularity of this genre in the regions, in particular, in Krasnodar and Kazan, is especially noticeable.

General Director of the Greater Moscow Circus Edgard Zapashny confirmed the growth in ticket sales, linking this to the recovery of the industry after pandemic downtime, improving the quality of circus programs and intensifying domestic tourism.

The head of the InterMedia agency, Yevgeny Safronov, explained the increase in attendance at circuses by a number of factors, including a decrease in the anxiety of the population, the absence of a significant number of competitors in the form of Hollywood cinema and concerts of foreign stars, as well as the availability of ticket prices.

Despite the growth in sales, the average check for an order in 2023 amounted to ₽5,9 thousand, which is lower than in 2019 (₽6,2 thousand). Experts attribute this decrease, among other things, to the lack of tours by foreign artists.

Statistics show 69% of circus ticket buyers are women. Most visitors come from families, with an average of one purchase including 2.7 tickets. The largest share of sales falls on Moscow (42%) and St. Petersburg (16%).^[1]

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