Get groovy at China's flourishing music festivals

Get some fresh air and groovy tunes at China's flourishing music festivals.

As the traditional record industry has seemingly been in decline in recent times, many music companies have shifted their focus to the profitability of outdoor music festivals – and over the past few years, these gatherings have become a fashionable statement for the younger generation in China. Unlike some countries that have a long tradition of outdoor festivals, China is relatively new to the game, with a boom in the late 2000s coming in the form of a few standout events. Last year, the country hosted 269 such festivals.

Held in the spring, the Strawberry Music Festival has been staged since 2009 and hits multiple cities every year. For the 2018 incarnation, musicians from China and around the globe – with headliners including the UK's Alt-J, Taiwan's Tsai Chin and Japan's Wednesday Campanella – joined the party, representing more than 100 bands across several themed stages.