AS the flowers bloom, so have the crowds. Music fans across China have moved from one music festival to another since the first day of the May Day holiday, bringing new life to China’s offline entertainment industry after the epidemic was brought under control.

Nearly 20 music festivals were held during the five-day holiday in China; at most, there were eight festivals within a single day in various cities. Besides longstanding events like the Strawberry and Midi music festivals, a batch of new music festivals welcomed audiences.

The Strawberry Music Festival was successively held in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Nanjing during the holiday, with a profound theme this year: “RE,” which could be interpreted as “restart, reward, recover,” after everyone went through the epidemic last year.

Founded in 2009 by Chinese recording company Modern Sky, the Strawberry Music Festival has become a springtime outdoor music feast for young people across the country and one of the most iconic music festivals in China. “Strawberry” not only refers to the fruit, but also a life attitude, according to its organizer, and the festival is redefining the definition of entertainment.

From May 2 to 4, Strawberry Music Festival was held at Beijing Expo Park, which had 51 groups of bands and musicians perform at three stages. Bestselling rock bands and singer-songwriters like Pu Shu, Escape Plan, Miserable Faith and Queen Sea Big Shark were featured in the festival.

On May 1 and 2, 34 Chinese rock bands and indie musicians, headlined by Miserable Faith, Big Wave, Dada and Chen Li, performed during the Strawberry Music Festival in Wuhan Garden Expo Park. On May 3 and 4, the music festival was held in Nanjing’s Fangshan Music Valley, featuring similar lineups. On May 1 and 2, Strawberry Seeds Music Festival, another outdoor music festival brand by Modern Sky, which appeals to families, especially children, was held at Agile Clearwater Bay, a beach resort in Hainan. From May 1 to 3, more than 50 bands performed during the festival in Shanghai’s Oriental Land.

“It’s been a long time since Strawberry Music Festival comes to Beijing and though it’s a two-hour drive from downtown, I will go with my friends,” says a fan leaving a message on Modern Sky’s social media platform after the company announced the lineups of the Strawberry Music Festival in Beijing on April 19. “I cannot wait to dance to the music and spend a great day with my friends.”

Last year, when COVID-19 hit, Modern Sky had to cancel all of its performances in the first half of 2020, including 50 outdoor music festivals. Modern Sky then launched online programs, either singer-songwriters performing from their bedrooms or bands playing acoustic versions of their hits, to keep in touch with their fans. From February to May 2020, more than 30 online shows were held, which gathered 270 musicians and bands and attracted in excess of 42 million people, according to Shen Lihui, founder of Modern Sky.

The Midi Music Festival, dubbed as “China’s Woodstock,” is among the country’s largest rock music festivals. From May 1 to 4 this year, rock singer-songwriters Cui Jian and Xu Wei, and rock band Second Hand Rose hit the stage in Jinan and Binzhou cities in Shandong Province respectively. The festival was also held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, from May 3 to 5.

The first Midi Music Festival was launched at the Midi School of Music in Shangdi in northern Beijing’s Haidian District in 2000, and it was the first official music festival in China. During the past two decades, the festival has been staged more than 40 times across the country. Nearly all the country’s rock stars have performed at the event, including rock star Cui Jian and Tang Dynasty, one of the first Chinese heavy metal bands.

“The pandemic was a major blow to indie musicians since touring and performing at outdoor music festivals plays a big part in their lives,” says Shan Wei, director of Midi Music Festival. “For the fans, who enjoy going to outdoor music festivals, it was also a great disappointment since all live entertainment was seen on a digital screen. Now we are bringing the outdoor music back.”

Apart from these two iconic music festivals, new music festivals in small cities – such as the Sunflower Music Festival in Zibo, Shandong Province — brought the charm of music to a wider range of audiences.

Live music has been one of the hottest categories in the offline performance market. With the epidemic effectively under control, offline performances have increasingly reopened.

Higher ticket prices for music festivals are becoming a trend. For example, a single-day ticket to the StarNest Mystery Music Festival cost 888 yuan (US$137), and a VIP ticket was 1,088 yuan per day. Compared with last year, the price of a Strawberry Music Festival ticket in Beijing this year went up by 40 yuan. Even so, these tickets still sold out immediately.

The high prices didn’t deter people from attending those musical festivals, as the offline entertainment industry is welcoming a full recovery.

“It’s true that people are embracing the return of outdoor music events. Amid the pandemic, we’ve implemented necessary safety precautions and followed local health guidelines while preparing for the music festival,” says Cao Kai, organizer of an outdoor music festival held April 17 and 18 in Yishui County, Linyi City, Shandong Province. In its first year, the two-day outdoor music festival attracted about 10,000 people and 12 Chinese rock bands and musicians, including Hanggai, The Face, and singer-songwriter Laolang. (SD-Agencies)