Chennai: Indians chose entertainment with purpose in 2025, marking a clear cultural shift from impulse to intention, according to BookMyShow's year-end report, #BookMyShowThrowback2025.

The report noted that stepping out for movies, concerts, theatre and live experiences became a routine choice, reflecting a maturing audience seeking curated, global-scale experiences within the country. Cinema remained the most popular shared ritual, driven by blockbuster releases, strong regional cinema performance and a surge in re-releases that drew 58 lakh viewers back to theatres.

Regional films across languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Marathi, recorded strong nationwide traction. The Dussehra weekend saw the highest footfall of the year with 6.8 million tickets sold. Bengaluru led late-night movie screenings, while Hyderabad emerged as the re-release capital.

Live entertainment recorded a 17% growth with over 34,000 events nationwide. The concert economy expanded rapidly, aided by Memorandums of Understanding between BookMyShow and several state tourism departments to strengthen infrastructure and attract global acts. Over 5.6 lakh fans travelled across cities for concerts, boosting local economies.

Theatre consumption grew 45%, while premium and solo experiences gained traction. BookMyShow said 2025 marked a year when entertainment was not just consumed, but lived, setting the stage for a larger cultural movement ahead.