The capital's May Day holiday packed in record-high tourists with its music, sports and fun events.
Music led the charge. The city hosted more than 330 commercial performances over the holiday, generating roughly 260 million yuan ($38 million) in ticket sales.
Mayday, a rock band from Taiwan, drew more than 150,000 fans across three shows. Meanwhile, veteran crooner Wakin Chau — whose ballads have serenaded Chinese families for three decades — sold out so quickly that organizers hastily added an extra date.
That harmony helped the capital smash tourism records. From May 1 to 5, Beijing welcomed 18.83 million visitors, up 5.1 percent year-on-year, who spent 22.36 billion yuan, a 6.6 percent increase, according to the Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau. Inbound tourism also surged, as 128,000 international visitors arrived, up 22.3 percent, spending 1.38 billion yuan, a 22.6 percent jump.
Beyond the arenas, the Beijing Super Strawberry Music Festival pulled in 91,000 revelers over three days in the northwestern Yanqing district. Even the National Tennis Center's Diamond Stadium joined the party, hosting an electronic music festival under its retractable roof — offering both indoor comfort and open-air energy.
But the holiday wasn't just about decibels. Beijing's parks welcomed over 10.58 million visitors, up 13.6 percent, as families traded passive sightseeing for hands-on discovery. At the Summer Palace, visitors unlocked the acoustic secrets of ancient opera stages. At Yuanmingyuan, children tried their hand at traditional cloisonne. At Yuyuantan Park, families learned the centuries-old custom of balancing eggs on the first day of summer.
Sports provided another powerful draw. Beijing hosted 33 major events, including the FINA Diving World Cup finals at the Water Cube, with Canadian divers spotted marveling at the Great Wall. Shougang Park, a former steel mill reborn as an esports and extreme sports hub, hosted the Valorant Champions Tour and Beijing Extreme Sports Festival that helped attract over 405,000 visitors in just three days, a staggering 113 percent surge from last year. More than 40 percent of attendees were aged 18 to 30, with the 18-to-24 college crowd growing fastest.
Commercial districts also rode the wave. Sixty key business hubs logged 43.7 million visits and 11.18 billion yuan in sales. A manga exhibition at Chaoyang Joy City helped boost revenue by 1.4 percent, while restaurant spending across the city rose 4.6 percent.
