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Cinema attendance in Türkiye fell by 15% in 2025, dropping to 27.7 million viewers, while theater audiences reached 8.18 million in the 2024-2025 season, according to official data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute.
The figures, published in the 2025 Cinema and Performing Arts Statistics bulletin, show a mixed picture for Türkiye's cultural scene, with cinemas losing viewers while several branches of the performing arts continued to draw audiences.
According to data from the General Directorate of Cinema, 771 films were screened in movie theaters across Türkiye last year, including 417 films shown for the first time.
Among the newly released films, 159 were domestic productions, and 258 were foreign films. The number of cinema halls stood at 2,161, with a total seating capacity of 253,364.
Despite this broad screening network, cinema attendance fell to 27.7 million viewers, marking a 15% decline from the previous year. Domestic films brought in just over 15 million viewers, while foreign films drew 12.6 million. Both categories posted declines, with local films seeing the sharper fall.
Theater attendance reached 8.18 million during the 2024-2025 season, supported by 1,101 theater halls and nearly half a million seats across the country.
The number of plays staged in theater halls rose by 4.8% compared with the previous season, reaching 10,216. Audiences for translated works increased by 14% to 2.46 million, while attendance for original works fell slightly to 5.72 million.
Children's theater also gained ground during the season. The number of children's performances rose by 5.5%, while adult performances declined by 5.7%. Audience numbers increased in both categories, with children's productions recording the stronger rise.
State Theaters, Türkiye's public theater institution, staged 237 works during the 2024-2025 season. Of these, 99 were original works, and 138 were translated plays.
The institution put on 6,667 performances during the season, including 5,055 performances for adults and 1,612 for children. State Theater audiences reached 1.95 million.
Opera and ballet performances under the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet were held in six provinces during the 2024-2025 season.
Attendance for opera and ballet rose by 16.5% from the previous season to 511,376, while the number of performances increased by 21.8%.
Meanwhile, institutions under the General Directorate of Fine Arts, including six orchestras, 11 choirs, and 11 ensembles, recorded 436,227 viewers. This marked an 11% decline compared with the previous season.
Orchestra audiences fell by 15.3%, while choir attendance rose by 27.6%. Ensemble audiences also declined, dropping by 25.5% to 142,766.
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