(Montreal) Attendance at Quebec cinemas continued to rise last year after falling dramatically in 2020, but it still remains below pre-pandemic levels.
Last year, theaters attracted 14.6 million spectators, according to data from the Observatory of Culture and Communications of the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ), published Wednesday.
This represents a 29% jump from 2022, but a 22% decline when compared with 2019, before the pandemic.
“The number of screenings, which has not returned to pre-pandemic levels (-13% compared to 2019), the drop in the number of active cinemas between 2019 and 2023 (96 to 93) and changes in film consumption habits could explain this decrease,” the ISQ said in a press release.
In 2023, more than 827,000 screenings and 537 new releases were presented in Quebec movie theaters. These indicators are up compared to 2022, which “is partly explained by the opening of movie theaters throughout the year, a first since 2019,” notes the institute.
Last year, Quebec films also gained in popularity, with the number of admissions reaching 1.8 million, up 76% and 18.6%, respectively, compared to 2022 and 2019.