We have full line-ups, ticket info, times and so forth below. We'll also be doing live photo streaming from the festivals. Check the party photo box on the front page for as-it-happens snaps... If we can get the technology to work. OK, flip flops at the ready, we're in...
Strawberry is organized by Modern Sky, a big record label based in Beijing. They also put on Festivals in Wuhan, Xi'an, Zhenjiang and in the capital. This is probably China's number one music festival. Tends to draw a mainly Chinese crowd. Can be full or a bit meh, depending largely on the weather. This year's line-up has a diverse mix of rock, Chinese pop and some folk, plus an electronic stage called the Guava Electro Stage that has some regular Shanghai faces like DJ Doggy, MHP, Drunk Monk and R3, plus a couple of international guests.
The headline bands are Deerhoof from the US, Travis (if you like that kind of thing), and Australian popster Lenka. The Chinese bands are a solid roster of names from BJ and SH, including Re-TROS, Top Floor Circus, New Pants, Brain Failure, Hedgehog, The Gar and Invisible Truth.
Tickets, Times & Getting There
Strawberry starts each day at 12:30pm, with the music getting going around 1pm. They'll kick everyone out at around 9:30pm. Tickets are available on the door for 180rmb per day, or 480rmb for a three-day pass. Expect a queue going in if you weren't smart enough to get cheap presales on SmartTicket (too late now, fool). Expo Park is pretty easy to get to. Take the metro to Yaohua Lu in Pudong and follow the people from the station for about 10 minutes to the site.
Here's the full line-up for each day, for all five stages.
Monday, April 29
Strawberry Stage
1:00-1:40pm -
2:00-2:40pm -
3:00-3:40pm - (Singapore)
4:00-4:40pm - (US)
5:00-6:00pm -
6:20-7:20pm -
8:00-9:00pm -
Love Stage
12:30-1:10pm -
1:30-2:10pm - (Finland)
2:30-3:10pm - (Hong Kong)
3:30-4:10pm - (Hong Kong)
4:30-5:10pm -
5:30-6:30pm - (Finland)
7:00-8:00pm -
Taiwan Stage
2:10-2:50pm -
3:30-4:10pm - Bao Bu
4:50-5:30pm - Tangmu Hake
6:10-6:50pm - Wei Ru Yun
7:30-8:30pm - Chen Chien-Nien
School Stage
2:00-2:30pm - Follow Debater
3:00-3:30pm - Play Vocal Ensemble (Taiwan)
4:00-4:30pm -
5:00-5:30pm -
6:00-6:30pm -
7:00-7:30pm -
Guava Electro Stage
2:00-3:00pm - DJ L-j
3:00-4:00pm -
4:00-5:00pm -
5:00-6:00pm -
6:00-7:00pm -
7:00-8:00pm - Gotama (Belgium)
8:00-9:30pm - (Mexico)
VJ: Tina Sprinkles
Tuesday, May 30
Strawberry Stage
1:00-1:40pm -
2:00-2:40pm -
3:00-3:40pm - (Hong Kong)
4:00-4:40pm -
5:00-6:00pm -
6:20-7:20pm - (Taiwan)
8:00-9:00pm - + Zhang Qiang
Love Stage
12:30-1:10pm - SNH48
1:30-2:10pm - (Netherlands)
2:30-3:10pm -
3:30-4:10pm -
4:30-5:10pm -
5:30-6:30pm - (Sweden)
7:00-8:00pm -
Taiwan Stage
2:10-2:50pm -
3:30-4:10pm - Yi Yiliang
4:50-5:30pm - Ou Kai Choir
6:10-6:50pm - Zhao Yihao
7:30-8:30pm - Quarterback
School Stage
2:00-2:30pm -
3:00-3:30pm - (Singapore)
4:00-4:30pm - (US)
5:00-5:30pm - Magic Lion
6:00-6:30pm -
7:00-7:30pm -
Guava Electro Stage
2:00-3:00pm - MIA
3:00-4:00pm - Yen
4:00-5:00pm -
5:00-6:00pm - DJ Drunk Monk (UK)
6:00-7:00pm - (UK)
7:00-8:00pm - R3 (Australia)
8:00-9:30pm - (UK)
Wednesday, May 1
Strawberry Stage
1:00-1:40pm -
2:00-2:40pm - The Tree
3:00-3:40pm - (France)
4:00-4:40pm -
5:00-6:00pm - (Australia)
6:20-7:20pm -
8:00-9:00pm - (UK)
Love Stage
12:30-1:10pm -
1:30-2:10pm -
2:30-3:10pm - A Si
3:30-4:10pm -
4:30-5:10pm -
5:30-6:10pm -
7:00-8:00pm -
Taiwan Stage
2:10-2:50pm - Ke Min Xun
3:30-4:10pm -
4:50-5:30pm - 929 Orchestra
6:10-6:50pm -
7:30-8:30pm -
School Stage
2:00-2:30pm - Hu Hu Dress
3:00-3:30pm - E.X.I.T. (Korea)
4:00-4:30pm -
5:00-5:30pm -
6:00-6:30pm -
7:00-7:30pm -
Guava Electro Stage
2:00-3:00pm - √2
3:00-4:00pm - Yoko
4:00-5:00pm -
5:00-6:00pm - (UK)
6:00-7:00pm - (UK)
7:00-8:00pm - Dave K
8:00-9:30pm - (Italy)
For an indepth talk with Shen Lihui, the founder of Modern Sky and the man who started this festival, pop over to SmartBeijing right .
Though smaller in scale, MIDI is the longest-running large-scale Chinese music festival. This year they're celebrating the 20th anniversary of their MIDI School, which has been minting young rock musicians and producers since 1993. Many alumni of the MIDI School are on this year's bill, along with the same handful of bands that headline the festival every year — Subs, Nova Heart, Chaos Mind. They have three stages: Tang, Qing and Yuan. Most of it is pretty predictable Beijing and Shanghai rock and punk bands, plus an electronic stage with familiar names from Shanghai's roster of jobbing DJs.
Tickets, Times & Getting There
Friday starts at 5pm and goes to 9:30pm. Saturday and Sunday both get going around 12:30pm and go till 9:30pm. The festival takes place at the south/east part of . The entrance is at Gate 5. Best to get the metro to Huamu Road (Line 7) and follow the crowds from there, or Century Park station (Line 2) but that's a 5-10 minutes walk. If you go there by taxi tell the driver to drop you off at the corner of Huamu Lu and Fangdian Lu, or just say Gate 5 of Century Park. Tickets are 120rmb at the gate, per day. Expect to queue or buy advanced tickets from SmartTicket. At the time of writing, we still have some left for 100rmb per day, or 280rmb for a three-day pass, though due to the holiday, the delivery of those is going to be on Thursday.
And the full line up, day by day:
Friday, May 3
Tang Dynasty Stage
17:00-17:30 Hogan Band
17:50-18:20 Manceau
18:40-19:10 Emergency Gate
19:30-20:00 Amoral
20:30-21:30 D-A-D
Qing Dynasty Stage
17:00-17:20 Marquee 7
17:35-17:55 Fire Scene
18:10-18:30 Magpie (蓝鹊)
18:45-19:15 The Trees (树)
19:30-20:00 From the Red (红色蔓延)
Yuan Stage (electronic music)
17:00-18:15 Yuan
18:15-19:30 Tourettez
19:30-20:30 Weng Weng
20:30-21:30 Sulumi
17:00-21:30 VJ- Mark Stoned
Saturday, May 4
Tang Dynasty Stage
13:00-13:30 Zi Yue Qiu Ye (子曰秋野)
13:50-14:30 Fearless
14:50-15:30 Sybreed
15:50-16:30 Ordnance (巨蟹座)
16:50-17:30 Subs
17:50-18:30 Zhan Fu (战斧)
18:50-19:30 The Ghost Inside
19:50-20:30 Yakasa (夜叉)
20:50-21:30 Escape Plan (逃跑计划)
Qing Dynasty Stage
13:00-13:20 SNC
13:35-13:55 Shi Cha (时刹)
14:10-14:30 Jungle Woods (森林木)
14:45-15:05 Candy Shop (甜品店)
15:20-15:40 Xin Cun (新村)
15:55-16:15 POlastic chocolate (塑料巧克力)
16:30-16:50 Magic Lion (摩术狮)
17:10-17:30 Bigger Xifu (大囍福)
17:45-18:05 Kids' Midi －666(孩子的迷笛环节)
18:10-18:20 Kids' Midi －李梓譞(孩子的迷笛环节)
18:40-19:10 Djizoes
19:30-20:00 Mr Firework (烟火先生)
20:30-21:30 Bubble Beatz
Yuan Stage (electronic music)
13:00-14:30 John Yang
14:30-15:30 Jack Esquire
15:30-16:30 Florian Bo
16:30-17:30 Dave K
17:30-18:30 Charp
18:30-19:30 Verse@ille
19:30-20:30 LLND
20:30-21:30 Ben Huang
13:00-21:30 VJ-Pechou LLNd
Sunday, May 5
Tang Dynasty Stage
13:00-13:30 The Lanterns (蘭亭)
13:50-14:30 Mercy and Sorrow (大悲)
14:50-15:30 The Agency
15:50-16:30 Suffocated (窒息)
16:50-17:30 The Dragon God (龙神道)
17:50-18:30 Nova Heart
18:50-19:30 SMZB (生命之饼)
19:50-20:30 Twisted Machine (扭曲机器)
20:50-21:30 Miserable Faith (痛仰)
Qing Dynasty Stage
13:00-13:20 Prank
13:35-13:55 Memory Pieces (记忆碎片)
14:10-14:30 NAMEUS
14:45-15:15 Rest In Peace
15:30-16:00 5 Pence (五便士)
16:15-16:45 Tang Trio (唐趣)
17:00-17:30 Chaos Mind
17:45-18:05 The RouleTe
18:10-18:20 Kids' Midi (李梓譞)
18:40-19:10 Day Dreamer (空想家)
19:30-20:00 Old Doll
20:30-21:30 Bubble Beatz
Yuan Stage (electronic music)
13:00-14:30 Kaka
14:30-15:30 Lao Bang
15:30-16:30 Donn Wong
16:30-17:30 Adrien Gee
17:30-18:30 Conrank
18:30-19:30 Roo
19:30-20:30 Siesta
20:30-21:30 Steven Lorenz
That's it. We're out of here until Thursday. See you in the drum circle, man. See you down the front for Chaos Mind. I'm be the gurning muppet having it to Florian Bo. Or, for MP3s from some of these acts and DJ Sacco's take on all this balls, read this.
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