Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, in Orlando, Florida.
Touring Broadway productions are doing more than filling theater seats in Orlando. They are also fueling restaurants, bars, hotels and businesses throughout downtown, according to a newly released national economic impact report from The Broadway League.
The organization’s “Economic Impact of Touring Broadway 2023–2024” report found that touring Broadway productions generate approximately $5.7 billion in economic impact across the United States. In Orlando alone, AdventHealth Broadway in Orlando at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts contributed an estimated $129 million in economic activity.
The report outlines how touring productions create spending that stretches far beyond the theater itself. Producers, presenters and venues generate direct spending through staging and operations, while audiences contribute additional dollars at nearby restaurants, retail shops, parking garages, hotels and transportation services before and after performances.
Nationwide, theatergoers attending touring Broadway productions contribute more than $1.34 billion annually to local economies through dining, shopping, lodging and transportation tied to their theater experience.
For downtown Orlando, those audience patterns have become increasingly visible as crowds gather around the city center before curtain calls and linger long after performances end.
“Every season, we see more people discovering what live Broadway can do for them — the joy, the shared experience, the reason to gather downtown,” said Kathy Ramsberger, president and CEO at Dr. Phillips Center. “We love seeing our community fill the streets, visit local restaurants and be moved by the arts as we grow the impact of Broadway in Orlando.”
Since opening in 2014, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts has become one of the country’s leading touring Broadway markets. The venue has welcomed more than 1 million Broadway guests and has doubled its subscriber base over the past decade, reflecting Orlando’s growing appetite for nationally touring productions.
The center has also become a major anchor for downtown nightlife and entertainment, helping position Orlando as a destination for large-scale live performances beyond its theme park identity. Broadway audiences frequently pair performances with dinners, overnight stays and visits to surrounding venues, creating an ongoing economic ripple effect throughout the city core.
The findings arrive as performing arts organizations nationwide continue rebuilding and expanding audiences following pandemic-era disruptions. In Orlando, the steady growth of Broadway attendance signals a strong demand for shared cultural experiences and reinforces the role arts institutions play in shaping the city’s evolving downtown landscape.