This study examines the impact of digital progress on the green development of China’s cultural industries, a critical factor in improving their environmental sustainability. We applied the superefficient SBM model, incorporating undesirable outputs, to evaluate the green development efficiency of the cultural industry in 31 Chinese provinces from 2013 to 2021. The research also involved using the ArcGIS tool to investigate spatial patterns and temporal changes in the efficiency of cultural industries across these provinces. Furthermore, we developed an index to measure the digital advancement of Chinese provinces and its influence on the cultural industry’s green development efficiency. Our findings indicate a three-phase evolution of green efficiency in China’s cultural industries: an initial rise, a period of decline, and a recent upswing, reflecting a pattern of fluctuation and recovery. Significant spatial variation in green development efficiency is noted among provinces, with more efficient outcomes in lower-latitude areas. Importantly, our analysis indicates that increasing digitization levels positively affect the green development efficiency of China’s cultural industries.