Plays post their best third quarter in five years even as Korea’s overall ticket sales slip

Korea’s performing arts market sold fewer tickets in the third quarter, but straight plays had their strongest July-September stretch in at least five years, according to the latest data from the Korea Arts Management Service.

Ticket sales came to about 427.4 billion won ($320.5 million) in the third quarter, down 7.5 percent from a year earlier, KAMS said in its quarterly report based on the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System.

Tickets sold fell 4.6 percent to about 6.25 million, even as the number of productions rose 2.7 percent to 6,663 and the number of performances climbed 5.4 percent to 37,077. The average ticket price slipped by 2,198 won to 68,395 won.

Plays were the clear exception. Ticket sales for plays jumped 42.8 percent to 26.2 billion won and tickets sold rose 22.1 percent, with all four key indicators hitting a five-year high for the quarter. Demand grew even as the average ticket price rose from 24,040 won to 28,114 won. Productions in Daehangno, Seoul’s theater district, accounted for about 70 percent of the gain, and venues with fewer than 300 seats for about half.

Gugak, Korean traditional music, also grew, with sales up 68.3 percent, driven by a 77.5 percent rise in vocal performances.

Other genres struggled. Musical sales fell 14.1 percent to 119.2 billion won, and classical music dropped 10.4 percent as instrumental concerts declined 15.8 percent. Dance sales plunged 34 percent on fewer visiting foreign productions.

Popular music, popular dance, circus and magic made up 21.3 percent of productions but 60.4 percent of sales.

The market also became more concentrated. The Seoul metropolitan area took 83.8 percent of sales, up 7.5 percentage points, while Busan’s sales fell 53 percent without last year’s large licensed musical and foreign circus. The top 10 shows earned 28.5 percent of all sales, up from 25.1 percent.

Musicals and K-pop concerts filled the quarter’s top 10. “Dracula” at LG Arts Center Seoul led the list, followed by Big Bang’s world tour and Lim Young-woong’s “I'm Hero: The Stadium 2,” both at Goyang Stadium. Psy’s “Summer Swag” took three of the 10 spots with its Busan, Suwon and Gwacheon stops, and all six of the tour’s stops made the top 20. Rounding out the top 10 were the musicals “Beethoven,” “Elisabeth” and “Frozen” and Stray Kids’ “Run It” world tour at KSPO Dome.