Entertainment · Film · 15 hrs ago
Chinese cinemas add VR, sports and other experiences beyond film screenings
During China’s 2026 National Day holiday, cinemas offered activities such as VR games and sports broadcasts alongside film screenings.
Some venues use the same hall for different purposes at different times, including team events and technology experiences.
The shift comes as cinemas look for ways to offer more than films that people can also watch online.
China’s holiday box office reached 1.165 billion yuan, and domestic films accounted for 78.7% of ticket sales.
The article says cinemas also offer a shared place to watch and react with other people, an experience online viewing may not provide.
By the end of September, China had added 438 cinemas and 2,632 screens this year, bringing the total close to 96,000.
In June, national authorities issued a notice calling for more varied cinema operations to meet changing demand and support cinema culture.
The change points toward cinemas combining film screenings with social, cultural and other experiences.
Chinese cinemas are expanding beyond film screenings by using their venues for virtual reality games, sports broadcasts and other cultural experiences.
Some cinemas have replaced traditional screens with LED displays that can host daytime events and return to film screenings at night.
The shift aims to make cinemas social and cultural spaces as well as places to watch films.
China’s National Film Administration and market regulator called in June for more diversified cinema operations.
The article says the change reflects consumers’ growing interest in experiences, social settings and shared moments.
- Who
- Chinese cinemas are adding activities beyond film screenings.
- What
- Some venues offer VR games, sports broadcasts and other experiences alongside films.
- When
- The changes were especially visible during the 2026 National Day holiday; a government notice supporting diversified operations was issued in June 2026.
- Where
- Cinemas in China.
- Why
- Cinemas are responding to changing consumer demand and seeking to move beyond a single-purpose, ticket-based business model.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The goal of cinemas is to shift from the single mode of traditional films to diversified cultural experience spaces.
The National Film Administration and the State Administration for Market Regulation issued a notice calling for more diversified cinema operations.
Cinemas showed uses beyond film screenings, including VR games, daytime events and sports broadcasts.
- 2026 National Day box office
- 1.165 billion yuan
- National Day holiday admissions
- 31.9959 million
- Cinema increase through September
- 438 net new cinemas
- Screen increase through September
- 2,632 screens
- Total screens
- Nearly 96,000 at the end of September
Sources
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