Tickets are priced up to €143, with revenues reaching €150,000 per evening. This business scale raises sensitive questions about the influence of financial interests on cultural decisions.
In Turin, Il Ponte – ODV, the Italian representative of the Shen Yun Performing Arts, has been removed from the National Single Register of the Third Sector (RUNTS) due to non-compliance, pursuant to Article 48, paragraph 4, of Legislative Decree 117/2017. The measure was issued through the Regional Executive Decree of Tuscany No. 19322 on September 9, 2025 (Prot. 2025AD021759) and published in the official database of the Tuscany Region.
Il Ponte was included in the RUNTS through automatic migration under the Third Sector reform but never submitted the mandatory documentation: information on governing bodies, updated statutes, articles of incorporation, and financial statements for 2021–2024. Despite a formal warning sent on July 30, 2025, the association remained non-compliant, leading to its permanent removal. According to the decree, once removed from RUNTS, the organization can no longer use the ETS/ODV qualifications, under penalty of administrative sanction (Art. 91, para. 3 CTS). If it chooses to continue operating outside the Register, it is obliged to donate any asset growth accrued during its years of registration (Arts. 9 and 50 CTS).
For years, Il Ponte – ODV promoted Shen Yun performances in some of Italy’s major theaters, from Teatro Regio in Turin to the Rome Opera, from Maggio Musicale Fiorentino to Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari, from Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo to Teatro delle Muse in Ancona, and even Teatro Giovanni da Udine. In Milan, TAM – Teatro Arcimboldi, though a private venue, hosted the event multiple times under the patronage of the Lombardy Region.
While theaters are not legally obliged to verify the RUNTS status of hosting organizations, one would at least expect adequate administrative checks on promoters by those managing public venues or operating under institutional sponsorship. In practice, for all these years, legitimacy was granted to a non-compliant entity, with inevitable reputational consequences. The cancellation in Italy is part of a broader international controversy. Academics and media have debated the role and nature of Shen Yun. For instance, the New York Times published articles on August 16 and 19, 2024, highlighting its darker aspects. The investigation revealed that the group has long subjected performers to psychological abuse and manipulative practices. Interviewees also reported that Shen Yun discourages dancers from seeking medical treatment for injuries and enforces strict performance schedules. Moreover, when some artists attempted to leave the company, the organization allegedly threatened them, claiming they would end up in hell or face deadly consequences.
Another critical element concerns the financial aspect. In Italy, Shen Yun tickets average around €100, ranging from about €77 to €143 depending on seating. Considering that the theaters involved have a capacity of approximately 1,600 seats, a sold-out performance can generate revenues of around €150,000. Multiplied across dozens of scheduled shows, this amounts to a business of several million euros. Such enormous financial stakes highlight the influence of monetary interests on theaters’ and institutions’ decisions to provide space, sponsorship, and legitimacy to Shen Yun.
