We're falling into a few straight months of and public holiday parties in Shanghai, starting with this weekend out in Pudong. MIDI Festival is messy and no one really goes for the lineup, but it's a great time if you leave your pretensions at the door. It's a god damn music festival - life could be worse. This year has some solid Chinese bands and almost every DJ in the Shanghai metropolitan area. Here's everything you need to know, and yes it's happening rain or shine.
TIMES/TICKETS
Originally this festival was set to go all night, with camping for 5,000 people and an electronic stage that had like nine million DJs in the moonlight. Sadly, this is impossible. Now the festival goes from 1pm until midnight on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. You won't be able to stay overnight, unless you hide in the woods or something.
Tickets are 150rmb per day, or 350rmb for a three-day pass. You can buy pre-sale tickets for slightly cheaper .
LOCATION & GETTING THERE
MIDI used to go down in Century Park, a favorite spot for many a Pudong Ayi and uncle. Now it happens at , a 250,000 square meter location about 10km north of Pudong International Airport. That sounds far but actually it's not so bad.
Here's three options for getting there:
Metro
Take Line 2 to Yuan Dong Lu. That's two stops before the airport, and will take about an hour from the center of Puxi. When you get there, go to exit two and look for the buses to take you to the festival. Those are free, and run from 9am–9:45pm. You could also take a cab from this metro station and it probably won't cost too much.
Taxi/Driving
A taxi from Puxi will cost between 150–250rmb. Ask the driver to go to San Jia Gang Hai Bin Le Yuan, or just show him this, because there's a good chance he won't know where that is:
三甲港海滨乐园. 中环上华夏高架往浦东机场方向，川南奉公路出口下，沿华夏东路向东到底，按照路牌指示至音乐节停车场
If you own a car in Shanghai, well…is that really necessary? If you wanna drive to the music festival, take Huaxia Highway towards Pudong Airport, exit at Nanfeng Gong Lu, then take Huaxia Dong Lu east until you get to the end. Follow the MIDI posters. Remember, the MIDI theme this year is "Reduce Horn Honking."
Buses From City Center
Late Bus: Dragon Events, the people behind Pub Crawl Shanghai, have a late bus going to MIDI from the center of hell, Yongkang Lu, at 9pm on Friday and Saturday. This might sound weird, but originally MIDI planned to go all night so they arranged these buses. So you can take a bus at 9pm, pound some beers, get to the festival at 10pm, watch the last two hours of the EDM stage for free, then turn around and take the bus back at 1am. That bus will cost you 50rmb round trip and on Saturday it goes to for the official afterparty on the way back. Not a bad way to spend 50rmb. Tickets available .
WHAT TO BRING
1. Tennis shoes or sandals. Don't be that girl that wears heels to a music festival.
2. Some kind of poncho if you're worried about getting wet. FamilyMart sells some fashionable Ayi rain gear.
3. Earplugs. Loud music can and will destroy your hearing. Your local hardware store will probably have foam earplugs for about 5rmb. They're called er sai/耳塞.
4. Condoms. Love can happen anytime, anyplace. Be safe about it.
5. A flask, preferably plastic. If you're worried about the lead content in flasks from the fake market, a small mouthwash bottle will make a nice substitute.
6. Toilet paper. Actually baby wipes might be a better call. Stay fresh, yo.
7. Water - you probably can't bring it into the festival, but get hydrated before you go and remember to drink water throughout the day. Gatorade and other drinks with electrolytes are good too.
8. Money. Bring twice as much as you think you need. Keep it in a money belt if you have one.
LINEUP
MIDI has three stages – two rock and one electronic. There's no huge international headliners this year, but lots of good local and domestic acts. The names in bold are acts you should definitely check out.
Friday, April 25
Mini-Tang Stage
2.00-2.30: Forget and Forgive
2.50-3.20: Velvet Highway
3.40-4.10: Red Robe
4.30-5.10: Mosey Sub Poetry
5.40-6.20: Masterplan
6.50-7.30: Top Floor Circus
8.00-8.40: Bubble Beatz
9.20-10.00: Xie Tian Xiao
Un Stage
2.20-2.50: The Bennies
3.10-3.40: Jungle Woods
4.00–4:30: Midi Kids
4.50-5.20: Won
5.40-6.30: Wang Weima
6.40-7.20: Cold Fairyland
7.40-8.20: Sound Toy
8.40-9.20: Reflector
Yuan Electronic Stage
1.15–1.45: DJ T-Meum
1.45–2.15: DJ Bad Azz Frizahh
2.15–3.00 DJ One
3.00–3.45: Dj Gotama
3.45–4.30: Theo-man
4.30–5.15: DJ Kaka
5.15–6:00: Will A
6:00–6:45: Ivan Oliva
6:45–7:30: Max Shen
7:30–8:15: Lose Your Face
8:15–9:00: El'se (Acid Pony Club)
9:00–9:45: Thoma Cher
9:45–10:30: Jasmine Li
10:30–11:15: The Uhhh
11:15–Midnight: Ben Huang
Saturday, April 26
Mini-Tang Stage
2.00–2.30pm: Bubble Beatz
2.50–3.20pm: Truth Corroded
3.40–4.10pm: Nine Treasures
4.30–5.10pm: Duck Fight Goose
5.40–6.20pm: Yaksa
6.50–7.30pm: Queen Sea Big Shark
8.00–9.00pm: Larry Graham and Graham Central Station
9.20–10.00pm: Miserable Faith
Un Stage
2.20-2.50: Friend Or Foe
3.10-3.40: Broke
3.40-4.30: Midi Kids
4.50-5.20: Emergency Gate
5.40-6.20: Toy Captain
6.40-7.20: Muma (unplugged)
7.40-8.20: Orphaned Land
8.40-9.20: Twisted Machine
Yuan Electronic Stage
1.00pm–1.30: DJ Shaba
1.30–2.00: DJ Shak
2.00–2.30: DJ Rix
2.30–3.15: The Jokers
3.15–4.00: T.Denis & KDO
4.00–4.45: DJ Catchomi
4.45 –5.30: DJ Punx
5.30–6.15: Kamikaze Kids
6.15–7.00: Michelle Grant
7.00–7.45: Chris Jobs
7.45–8.30: Dexter
8.30–9.15: DJ VERS@ILLE
9.15–10.00: Siesta
10.00–10.45: DJ Email
10.45–11.30: Dave K
11.30–Midnight: Florian Bo
Sunday, April 27th
Mini-Tang Stage
2.00-2:30: Chaos Mind
2.50-3.20: Lys
3.40-4.10: IGU
4.30-5.10: Subs
5.40-6.20: AK-47
6.40-7.20: Lacrimas Profundere
7.40-8.20: Escape Plan
9.00–10pm: Suede
Un Stage
2.20-2.50: Tinderbox
3.10-3.40: Loulan Box
3.40-4.30: Midi Kids
4.50-5.20: Island Mood
5.40-6.20: Dawanggang
6.40-7.20: LMT Connection
7.40-8.20: Tomahawk
8.40-9.20: Noukilla
Yuan Electronic Stage
1.00–1.30: DJ Pressplay
1.30–2.00: Dj Lina K
2.00–2.30: Dj Rainbow High
2.30–3.00: Dj Tacosone
3.00–3.45: Dj Asuka
3.45–4.30: Dj Renjah
4.30–5.15: Misloop & Q-Kraft (Rankadank)
5.15–6.00: Love Bang Soundsystem
6.00–6.45: Hip Hop Hijack
6.45–7.30: Roo, MC Pedro, VJ Joi
7.30–8.15: Conrank
8.15–9.00: Dj Electronail
9.00–9.45: Nasty Nate
9.45–10.30: DJ Dio
10.30–11.15: Ivan Barbero
11.15–Midnight: DJ Yang Bing
GETTING HOME
Since you can't camp at MIDI, you'll probably want to know how to get back to civilization. Here's some options:
MIDI Buses
From 10pm–12:30am each night, MIDI has buses going from the festival location to various spots around town. Tickets cost 20rmb and you need to buy those beforehand at Yuan Dong Lu Metro Exit 2, the MIDI Festival bus parking spot, vendors inside the festival, or the information tent inside the main festival entrance.
Back to Puxi: MIDI to Luban Lu in Xujiahui > People's Square > Shanghai Railway Station
Back To Pudong: MIDI to Longyang Lu metro station station > Pujian Lu/Yanggao Lu > Ba Bai Ban
Pub Crawl Buses
Pub Crawl Shanghai has buses going from MIDI to both People's Square and the official after-party at The Mansion. These buses both cost 50rmb, including two beers. You can buy tickets .
Friday night 1am - Pub Crawl bus from MIDI to People's Square
Saturday night 1am - Pub Crawl bus from MIDI to the official after-party at The Mansion and People's Square.
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Have a good time, play it safe, and stay hydrated.
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