Outdoor music festivals ready to rock again

Big attraction

On April 8 and 9, the Nanjing Yangtze River Wave Music Festival, featuring more than 30 groups and musicians, is due to be staged at a large ecological park in the Jiangsu provincial capital.

Li Dongyu, the festival's founder and general manager, said it was launched in 2015, when a two-day event attracted 60,000 people. Second Hand Rose and rock singer-songwriters Zheng Jun and Xu Wei were among the performers.

"The location of the festival is a big draw for tourists, as it features an open view of the Yangtze River," Li said, adding that the pandemic meant the event had to be canceled in 2021 and last year.

Li said the festival is mainly attended by fans from Shanghai and cities in Zhejiang, Anhui and Shandong provinces.

"This year, China's performing arts market will be dominated by outdoor music festivals, which is a good sign for the music industry. We also look forward to the appearance of foreign artists," Li added.

In addition to outdoor music festivals, large-scale concerts will be staged nationwide this year, led by artists such as pop icon Jay Chou, pop-rock band Mayday, and pop stars Li Yuchun, Zhang Jie and Xue Zhiqian.

Last month, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the resumption of approval for artists from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan applying to perform on the Chinese mainland.

More than 10 of these artists have announced plans to hold large-scale concerts on the mainland this year, the China Association of Performing Arts said.

Before the pandemic emerged, China's performing arts market attracted many artists from home and abroad. For example, Taiwan pop-rock band Mayday staged concerts at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, in Beijing every summer, starting in 2012. These shows usually sold out within minutes of tickets becoming available.