SIAE figures

At the box office, Milan takes in as much as the whole of Southern Italy

The regional capital, with 735 million, outperforms the southern regions, where spending rose by +9.2 per cent. Bologna tops the list for average show revenue

by Pietro Spotorno

16 July 2026

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3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

“They set off together, bound for San Siro,” sang Antonello Venditti, recounting Piero and Cinzia’s journey to Bob Marley’s historic concert in 1980. Today, more than 40 years later, Milan remains the entertainment capital: the capital of Lombardy – which this weekend hosted Max Pezzali’s two sold-out shows at San Siro – recorded 28 million attendees in 2025 across 277,000 events, including concerts, theatre performances, cinema screenings, stadiums, exhibitions and nightclubs. This influx generated 735 million in box-office takings: more than the combined takings of all the provinces in Southern Italy.

SUL TERRITORIO

Incassi per macroarea. In milioni di euro e in % sul totale

This is the picture that emerges from the SIAE 2025 Report: a single province is worth more than eight regions. “The North,” explains SIAE Director-General Matteo Fedeli, “is home to infrastructure, major venues, promoters, sponsors, more efficient transport, greater accommodation capacity and a continuous programme of events throughout the year. Southern Italy, on the other hand, suffers from structural challenges, with fewer venues suitable for major events and greater seasonality.”

Geography

Milan isn’t the only hub. The city with the most events is Rome, where 360,000 events are recorded, almost a thousand a day. The capital, however, hosts relatively smaller shows, with an average audience of 74 and average takings of 1,492 euros, well below Milan’s 2,651 euros. Together, the two provinces account for almost 30 per cent of national spending on performances.

Whilst Milan and Rome lead the way in terms of volume, Bologna comes out on top in terms of performance, with the highest average number of spectators per show (116) and the highest average box office takings (2,895 euros) – almost double that of the capital. Bringing up the rear, however, is Cagliari, which ranks last among the major cities in terms of the number of events on offer (just 41,715 events throughout the year), with an average of 46 spectators and average takings of 622 euros.

NELLE GRANDI CITTÀ

Introiti per spettacolo e spettatori. Dati medi nel 2025

The North and South follow two very different models: in northern cities, performances are on average larger (average of 88.6 audience members) and the average ticket price is high (18 euros), whilst in southern cities the average audience is 58.5 and the ticket price does not exceed 14.2 euros. The combination of these two factors means that every event organised in the North generates almost twice as much revenue as those in the South: 1,595 euros per performance compared with 832 euros.

There is, however, one positive note for Southern Italy: it is the region with the highest growth at the box office (+9.2 per cent) and the only one to record increases in both the number of screenings (+1.5 per cent) and the number of cinema-goers (+1.2 per cent). The biggest contribution comes from Sicily, which saw its annual box office takings rise by 25 million euros (+16.2%). This result was driven primarily by the rise in the average ticket price, which increased by 10% on the island. ‘In the South,’ adds Fedeli, ‘demand is not weak: the South accounts for 26.2 per cent of performances and 20.3 per cent of audience numbers, yet generates only 17 per cent of spending; it is the ability to transform supply and participation into economic value that is lacking.’

Prices

The cost of admission is rising in almost all regions and is the main factor driving growth across the entire system: in 2025, the number of events fell (-0.78 per cent) and audience numbers remained virtually stable (-0.05 per cent), but total expenditure rose by 6.95 per cent. As Siae points out, this increase far exceeds inflation, which stood at 1.5 per cent between 2024 and 2025.

PER TIPOLOGIA DI SPETTACOLO

Incassi per settore e per macroarea. Dati in milioni di euro e in % sul totale

Growth is being driven primarily by concerts, which have exceeded one billion euros in takings for the first time (+17.5% on 2024; see the article on the right). Theatre is also enjoying a positive spell (+10.8% at the box office, +5.3% in audience numbers), whilstcinemas continue to suffer from competition from digital streaming: audience figures are still falling (-2.3%), but the rise in ticket prices is keeping the overall balance stable. Finally, in the cinema sector, over half of spending and admissions are concentrated in the North, but by 2025 the South will be the only macro-region to show growth in both spending (+3.8%) and infrastructure (+40 screens)

More generally, according to Fedeli, the main factors behind the rise in ticket prices are increased costs, artists’ fees, logistics and energy costs (in the case of concerts, demand often outstrips supply). The price trend therefore confirms the sector’s ability to add value to events, without – for the time being – any reduction in audience numbers.