While the audience has found its way back to, among other things, concerts, Norwegian theater still experienced a significant decline after the pandemic in 2023, according to NRK. The Norwegian Culture Index survey covers ticket sales at 45 Norwegian theaters and opera houses that receive state cultural support.
Before the pandemic, around 1.7 million tickets were sold annually, but in 2023, sales had decreased by 400,000 tickets. At the same time, the number of performances had also decreased.
However, Morten Gjelten, the director of the Norwegian Theater and Orchestra Association, is not worried.
I think it will take longer to get people back to the theater after the pandemic, compared to some other cultural activities, he says to NRK.
Concerts, cinema, museums, and exhibitions can be more accessible, require less preparation and time.
