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Broadway attendance rises to 83% of pre-COVID numbers: Report

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Updated  December 11, 2023 5:55pm EST
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FOX 5 NY
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 8: (L-R) Katie Rose Clarke, Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez, Krystal Joy Brown Reg Rogers and cast during the opening night curtain call for Stephen Sondheims "Merrily We Roll Along" on Broadway at The Hu

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NEW YORK - According to a new report, audience attendance on Broadway is back to over 80% of its pre-COVID numbers.

The report by the Broadway League says that the 2022-2023 season saw 12.3 million people take in a show on the Great White Way, just 16.8% shy of the record-breaking 2018-19 season, the last complete season before COVID-19 shutdowns.

"While we are not yet back to pre-COVID attendance levels, audiences are returning," said Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League. 

According to the report, audience diversity numbers also hit a new high, with 29% of attendees identifying as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or people of color).

"This is likely from a combination of outreach efforts as well as more shows being written and/or starring people of color," St. Martin said.

 A few other show-stopping key stats from the report:

  • Just 35% of attendances were from people from the New York City metropolitan area (21.7% from New York City and 13.6% from the surrounding suburbs)
  • 17% of Broadway theatergoers (or 2.1 million admissions) were from countries outside the U.S.
  • The average age of the Broadway theatergoers was 40.4 years old, the youngest demographic in 20 years
  • The average number of attendances by the Broadway theatergoer was four in the past year. The devoted fans who attended 15 or more performances comprised only 4.9% of the audience but accounted for 30.2% of all tickets (3.7 million admissions).
  • Music and personal recommendations were the strongest motivating factors for show selection
  • Most theatergoers preferred company, with many attending in pairs or small groups of family and friends
  • A resounding 95% of attendees pledged their undying love for Broadway, planning to catch another show in the future