More visits to Saxony's cultural institutions again

After the restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic, the number of visits to cultural institutions in Saxony has risen again. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the number of visits to cinemas rose to 4.4 million in 2023, an increase of around 19 percent compared to 2022. This corresponds to 1.1 visits per inhabitant, which is in line with the national average. However, the level did not yet reach the 2013 figure, when there were 5.3 million cinema visits or 1.3 visits per capita.

Significant increase for museums

For museums, only the attendance figures for 2022 are available. They recorded an increase in visits of more than 80% compared to the previous year. While only 3.1 million museum visits were counted in 2021, the figure for 2022 was already 5.6 million. This equated to 1.4 visits per inhabitant and was therefore slightly above the national average of one museum visit per capita. However, the figure was significantly higher in 2012, with an average of 2.3 visits per inhabitant.

No current figures for theaters

Attendance figures for public and private theaters are only available for the 2021/2022 season. Compared to the previous season (2020/2021), there was an increase of around 115 percent. While only 353 million visits were counted in the 2020/2021 season, the number of visits rose to a total of 760 million in the following season. In terms of theater visits per 1,000 inhabitants, the Free State is above the national average in fourth place behind Hamburg, Berlin and Bremen.

Culture remains a priority in Saxony

The Free State continues to invest heavily in culture. With 237.38 euros per inhabitant in 2021, Saxony ranked second in Germany in terms of cultural expenditure. Only Berlin spent more per capita at 264.50 euros.

Saxony was also ahead in terms of the number of orchestras: in the 2021/2022 season, the Free State had 14 orchestras, putting it in second place in Germany behind North Rhine-Westphalia (18).