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MUMBAI: Movie nights and live shows in Mumbai could become more expensive if a proposed revision of the city’s <a href="https://comicvibe.com/is-it-possible-to-leave-politics-out-of-entertainment-anymore/” title=”Is it possible to leave politics out of entertainment anymore?”>entertainment tax gets the go-ahead, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) seeking steep increases across cinema halls and performing arts venues.
According to media reports, the civic body’s proposal includes a 570 per cent increase in the entertainment tax for air-conditioned cinema halls and multiplexes, taking the levy from Rs 60 to Rs 400 per ticket.
The proposal is yet to receive approval from the state government’s Urban Development Department. Until the revised rates are sanctioned and notified, the existing tax structure will continue to apply.
Under the proposed structure, non-AC cinema halls could see the entertainment tax rise from Rs 45 to Rs 200 per ticket, representing a 400 per cent increase.
For performing arts events such as plays and concerts, the proposed tax would rise from Rs 50 to Rs 100. The levy for other entertainment programmes is proposed to increase from Rs 25 to Rs 75.
The proposal also introduces a new Rs 90-per-ticket tax for mini theatres and venues screening videos, a category that has not previously attracted the levy.
The proposed rates are intended to take effect from the 2027-28 financial year, subject to the required approvals and notification. Media reports said the revised structure was discussed by the civic body’s law committee, but the proposal was referred back for further consideration.
The proposed tax structure also includes a 100 per cent exemption for cinema halls, multiplexes and theatres screening Marathi and Gujarati films, plays and concerts.
The exemption is intended to support regional cinema and cultural programming. The existing six per cent concession for taxpayers who pay their monthly theatre tax by the fifth of the month is also proposed to continue.
Despite the proposed increases, Mumbai’s current entertainment tax rates remain in force until the revised structure is approved and formally notified.
Under the existing system, AC cinemas are charged Rs 60 per show, while non-AC cinemas pay Rs 45. Drama and other entertainment programmes attract a Rs 25 levy, while circuses and funfairs are taxed at Rs 50 per day.
The proposed revision has been pending with the state government, with the revised rates requiring formal notification before they can take effect.
The BMC’s entertainment tax proposal is part of its efforts to revise rates that have remained unchanged for decades, while the immediate impact on ticket prices would depend on how exhibitors and event organisers pass on any additional cost to consumers.
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