London's world-famous theater district is going from strength to strength, with more than 17 million people watching shows in the West End in 2024 – rising 11% above pre-pandemic levels and outpacing New York’s Broadway. #uk #theater
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00:00The theatre capital of the world.
00:12The streets of London's West End buzzing with visitors, many ready to catch a show.
00:18Whether it's a classic like the longest running musical Les Miserables,
00:23or a newer smash hit like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, tickets are being snapped up.
00:28But when someone goes, I've got tickets to Hamilton, suddenly it's like, yeah, good for you, you're going to have a great time, do you know what I mean?
00:35It's more of an experience than just a purchase.
00:37There's so much choice and there's a wide range of different things from family things to serious things, musicals.
00:44I love the West End and I love all the shows that I've experienced here.
00:49I just experience the culture of everything right here and all those people, even in the show of their dressing,
00:55all the things is like, came from the movie, where I see from the London.
01:00Theatre attendances in London's West End are up 11% on pre-pandemic levels.
01:05And this comes at a time where other areas of what is known as the experiencing sector are not performing as well.
01:13Cinema, for example, is down 28%.
01:16Last year, the West End attracted 5 million more visitors than New York's famed Broadway.
01:22London's theatre is booming because it's a lot cheaper to host a production here.
01:26So we attract a lot of the new theatre shows so they can come and test things here and then grow worldwide.
01:31And if you're a theatre producer, you've got the talent here in London as well.
01:35So the storytellers, the artists, the actors as well, who just bring these amazing stories to life.
01:41Theatre is also providing a boost to London's businesses, including restaurants, bars and hotels.
01:46For every $1.30 spent on a theatre ticket, an additional $1.67 is spent in local businesses.
01:55This theatre ecosystem brings in $3.2 billion to London's economy every year.
02:01And the West End supports 230,000 full-time jobs.
02:06One of the key reasons London's theatre land is popular is tourists.
02:10Almost one in four international visitors to the city see a West End performance.
02:14It's part of their bucket list, essentially.
02:17So all of those amazing, iconic attractions in London, the Tower of London, the London Eye, and theatres are part of that as well.
02:25It's predicted that London will get a further boost from theatre-goers and tourists
02:29who are boycotting the United States amid the ongoing trade turmoil.
02:33But industry experts are also warning that the boom in the sector can't be taken for granted
02:38and say factors like rising costs, outpacing inflation and concerns about future funding could hold it back.
02:46Siobhan McCall, CGTN, London.