Mapping China: Music - PRC Festivals

Since 2007, outdoor music festivals have become the major source of income for the PRC music industry. Partly due to the support of local governments, festivals have enabled the professionalization of dozens of bands, some of whom had been struggling for a decade or so. That said, the support of local governments and state-owned enterprises (mainly real estate) also creates certain particularities.

Timing

The outdoor festivals season runs from April to November, with regional differences due to climate. North China starts later but slows down only briefly during the dog days of July and August. South China has a rainy season in the fall. Around Chinese New Year (late January / early February) the whole music industry stops for about a month. The busiest week is after Labor Day (May 1st), and secondly the week after National Day (October 1st) holidays.

Beijing Festival Brands Go Nationwide

The concept of yearly, outdoor open-air music festivals gradually took root in Beijing and Shanghai in the early 2000s. After 2010 Beijing festivals branched out to other cities in China. In many of these places support by local governments and state-owned or state-aligned real estate developers plays a decisive role. This support is substantial (free use of locations, help with permits, security, subsidies) but fickle, prompting Beijing-based music companies to develop festival brands with no connection to any particular location, and that can move around (even in Beijing they have been forced to relocate frequently). Rather than consistent quality, flexibility and size are behind the success of festival brands such as Midi, Strawberry and Hengda. However, wherever local governments have committed themselves long term, such as Zhangbei or West Lake, festivals with stronger ties to the local community have emerged.

Midi Festival. Since 2000. Beijing-based Midi School for Modern Music organized reunion night of its alumni that grew out into China’s first yearly music festivals. Midi now presents itself as the bearer of the rock spirit. This upholding of unwavering principles fits its educational standards. Now does around 15 festivals per year, each with several stages, including for folk, EDM and so on, but focusing on metal and rock.

Strawberry Festival and Modern Sky Festival. Since 2007. Modern Sky is an indie record company that entered after Midi’s success. Although Modern Sky Festival is organized to reflect the international ambitions of the company, it is actually its more affordable sister, Strawberry, that has become China’s most successful festival brand. Rather than die-hard rock fans (a niche market in China), Strawberry targets urban hipsters, and it quickly turned out local governments and (international) sponsors are quite keen to be associated with this demography. In 2010 they were criticized for being overly commercial after having sponsored cars on each side of the stage, and they have toned down a little. Now does around 20 festivals per year, each with several stages, including for metal, EDM, school bands, but focusing on indie bands and occasionally pop singers.
Evergrande Starlight Festival (aka Hengda 恒大). Since 2012. Bankrolled by a major real estate company and led by veterans from the PRC pop music scene, Evergrande Starlight stepped into the festival market after Strawberry’s success. It promised a festival experience at the price of a cinema ticket, and has been able to do so by cutting into costs and making as many sponsorship deals as possible. Usually with only one stage, commercials are played on video screens in between sets. Now does around 30 festivals per year, mainly with a slightly older headliner and a number of talent show finalists, rarely international acts.

Shanghai Pioneering New Trends

The norm for the above-mentioned festival brands is to cater to local authorities and investors. Shanghai’s more liberal market results in more competition for audiences, which industry insiders herald as a healthy development. This has prompted festivals to diversify into EDM, jazz, world music, international artists, and so on. Some of these festivals are considering expanding into the rest of China, others focus on the Shanghai market.

JZ爵士上海音乐节 for jazz and world music. Since 2005. By JZ Music, which also owns a number of jazz clubs and live venues. From its second year major rock bands and pop stars started performing at the festival. There are no signs that JZ is going to branch out to other cities. The festival takes place across town in late September or October, with a weekend of open air concerts and usually separate tickets for international headliners playing indoor venues. These international headliners include Pat Metheny, Bootsy Collins, Marcus Miller, Snarky Puppy, Victor Wooten and Joss Stone.
Storm 风暴for EDM. Since 2013. By A2Live, whose mission it is ‘to become the leading vertically integrated electronic music platform in Greater China bringing destination electronic music experiences, music, video, news, and culture.’ To this end they started organizing pre-parties in 21 cities in 2014, and organized an edition of the festival in Shenzhen in November 2015. Additionally, A2Live arranges collaboration between Chinese pop singers and international EDM producers. In 2014 Wang Leehom and Avicii produced a song together, and in 2015 Jane Zhang and Tiesto. Finally, the 2015 edition came with a one-day music conference, in collaboration with International Music Summit. The line-up of 2015 contains Tiesto, Skrillex, DVBBS, Yellow-Claw, Avicii, Above & Beyond, and many others.
Echo Park Festival is organized by Split Works, offering young and upcoming Western artists a chance to play in China. In 2011 Split Works organized Black Rabbit in Beijing and Shanghai, with western acts such as Thirty Seconds to Mars, Ludacris, and Grandmaster Flash, and a number of Chinese pop singers and bands. Perhaps the market wasn’t ready yet, and the festival didn’t return the next year and Split Works focused on its indoor festival Jue, as well as tours of individual artists. However in late 2014 Britton Archie Hamilton cum suis feel ready for the outdoor festival market again, bringing Black Star, Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance), Kelis, Chase & Status, Pennywise, Bok Bok, Star Slinger, Howie Lee, We Are Wolves, Nick Monaco, Skinny Brown, Damacha.
Simple Life 简单生活节with Taiwanese artists. Since 2006 in Taiwan, since 2014 in Shanghai. Starting by Taiwanese veteran singer Jonathan Lee as a vintage market and cultural event, Simple Life grew into a mainstream festival. Given the popularity of Taiwanese popular culture in the PRC, precisely for its perceived sunny, cutesy simplicity, the brand has a huge appeal in Shanghai. In its first two editions the festival brought a few Western acts, including Television and Macy Gray.
Spring Wave Music and Art Festival 春浪with Taiwanese artists. In 2006 the local music company Friendly Dog友善的狗started organizing Spring Wave in Kenting, a beach holiday location at the southernmost tip of Taiwan. Next to Kenting, in 2013 Friendly Dog organized editions in Hong Kong and Singapore, in 2014 in Singapore and Taipei, and in 2015 an edition for Shanghai was announced, and failed to get a permit (Singapore was cancelled due to haze). There are also plans for EDM editions of the festival.

Locations and Travel

For an overview of the cities in which festivals take place, see “National Tours Overview” above.

Most outdoor music festivals in China take place in remote locations. In Beijing and Shanghai, organizers only get permission for relatively remote parks. In other cities events are often sponsored by local real estate developers that want to promote suburban construction projects. Expect travel for at least an hour to the nearest airport. Musicians are usually housed in hotels half an hour or more driving away from the venue.

Showcase Festivals and Industry Meetings

Slowly, as the music industry is developing, showcase festivals and industry meetings emerge at which the industry discusses the latest developments and explores ‘the rule of the game’. Unlike in for instance Europe, these events do not have government backing. As a result they are forced to rely even more on the goodwill of participating artists and companies.

Great for networking and meeting potential partners that can help you enter the Chinese market.
The showcases are also great for overseas bookers and promotors that are interested in Chinese artists. If you are seriously considering booking one or more Chinese artists, the organization will roll out a red carpet. Artists are eager and know that deals have been made in the past.
However, Western artists should know that Chinese promotors rarely book bands they see at showcases (if they go to showcases at all). Festivals are the ideal entry into the market, but do not compete on discovering the next foreign talent. Unless you are a top band, you will be a ‘foreign face’ to give the festival an aura of cosmopolitanism and that can be interchanged for any (embassy-sponsored) band.

Major showcase festivals and industry meetings

Sound of the Xity. Since 2012. Yearly industry meeting and showcase festival in Beijing (in April), usually two days of panels, three days of music, around 100 participants. Bought by Modern Sky in 2014. Collaborating with Womex.
Dongdong. Since 2013. Industry meeting and showcase festival in Beijing (in October) by the French-Chinese company Kaiguan. Yearly, but not in 2015. Slightly smaller than Sound of the Xity, but perhaps more international. Partnership with Mama in Paris.
A2Live sees it as its mission to promote EDM across China, and to this end they collaborated with International Music Summit (IMS) for a one-day conference during Storm festival for the first time in 2015.
Ears is a Finnish music conference that has organized single day discussions in Beijing, Shanghai and Helsinki.
Communications University in Beijing yearly organizes the Music Industry Forum in November. These and similar more official events are good for getting to know the industry, including educational institutions, regulatory agencies (MCSC, IRCS) and (state-owned) investors (China Culture Industrial Investment Fund). However, if you don’t speak Chinese it is wise to bring your own interpreter.
Music Matters in Singapore is the largest music industry event in Asia, including panels on China. South Korea also hosts music industry events that include panels on China.

Disclaimer: I have been involved in Sound of the Xity since 2012.

Indoor Festivals for Western Artists

Although the following events are not technically showcases and there is no industry meeting, they offer something similar to foreign artist, namely a chance to perform in China as part of a larger event, test the waters and interact with the organizers and other participants about future possibilities.

Jue and Echo Festival. Jue is a yearly (since 2009) two week-long festival in Beijing and Shanghai venues by (British-led) Split Works that explores the latest sounds, and collaborations between music, art and film. In 2016 Split Works focuses on its outdoor festival Echo instead.

Beme, the Beijing Electronic Music Exchange. Yearly indoor festival during one weekend with dance and experimental electronic music, organized in Beijing by (German-led) Sinotronics.

China Drifting is travelling festival (one evening) by (Swiss-led) Miro China in various Chinese and European cities.

Back to Index page Mapping China: Music

Mapping China: Music - PRC Festivals