About 85 percent of tickets were sold for 71 performances during this year's Shanghai International Arts Festival, which concluded at the weekend.

The festival came to a close on Saturday night with a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream by Italy's Teatro alla Scala Ballet.

The percentage of tickets sold for this year's event was about the same as last year, indicating "a mature art performance market is gradually being established in Shanghai," said Yao Mingbao, chairman of the event's organizing committee.

Next year's event will feature a concert by Icelandic Bjork. It will also include A Midsummer Night's Dream again but performed by a French ballet troupe.

Organizers said over 200 performance contracts were signed during this year's festival, double the number those inked last year. Yao said the Inner Mongolia Cultural Week and Mexican Cultural Week were two of the highlights of this year's arts festival.

(CRI.com November 21, 2006)