Performing Arts Fair

Open, inclusive, and working together toward shared progress. The 22nd China Shanghai International Arts Festival Performing Arts Fair (hereinafter referred to as the “ChinaSPAF”) was held from 19 to 23 October 2023 at venues including the The Grand Halls at the intersection of the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek in North Bund, as well as the BOCOM NEW BUND 31 Performing Arts Center in Shanghai.

After a three-year absence, the performing arts market continued to demonstrate strong vitality, with an increasingly urgent demand for high-quality productions. In 2023, the scale of the Fair reached a new record high, attracting over 560 professional institutions and organizations from 44 countries and regions, including top 20 global arts festivals, with approximately 1,700 Chinese and international guests in attendance. More than 560 cooperation intentions were reached, and the number of exhibition booths totaled 139. Among them, there were over 370 domestic institutions, 133 overseas institutions, and more than 60 member organizations of the Stage Design Association of the China Association of Performing Arts; domestic attendees exceeded 1,500, while overseas guests numbered nearly 200.

In 2023, the ChinaSPAF was themed “Connecting Hearts through Arts, Linking the World,” with a focus on the key concepts of “tracing origins, connectivity, and innovation.” Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative and the 5th anniversary of the Yangtze River Delta integrated development strategy, the ChinaSPAF’s network of partners continued to expand. The clustering effect of Shanghai as a “major cultural hub” was further strengthened, and the professional capacity of the industry platform continued to advance. Two-way exchanges of outstanding Chinese and international performing arts works—both “going global” and “bringing in”—were highly active, jointly shaping a new landscape of cultural exchange along the “Silk Road of Arts and Culture.” Original works from diverse cultures around the world converged in Shanghai, where Chinese aesthetics, international perspectives, and future-oriented creativity resonated together.

With over two decades of development, the Performing Arts Fair of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival has continuously enhanced its international influence, strengthened its professional service capacity, improved the quality and efficiency of transactions, and promoted the sustainable development of the industry. It has contributed to mutual learning among global civilizations, the development of a high-level open cultural cooperation hub in the Asia-Pacific region, the deep integration of culture and tourism, the dissemination of China’s voice and stories, and the establishment of a best-practice “Shanghai model” for cultural confidence and self-strengthening.

【Schedule】：

【Exhibitor List】：