Full Guide To This Weekend’s Music Festivals

Even though we have four music festivals lining up over the same days this long weekend, only one of them – the Chaoyang Pop Music Festival – is actually in the city. Struggling to look for ways to get out to the other three? Here are some tips that might help:

Midi Music Festival:
By car – click here for location on Google Maps, and set your GPS to Jinglangdao Park (京浪岛公园)
Closest subway station – Pingguoyuan (苹果园) on Line 1. Last train departs at 10.55pm daily
Shuttle bus – Pingguoyuan subway station to Midi Festival, 10am-7pm
Midi Festival to Pingguoyuan subway station, 8-10pm
Price: RMB 5 (one way)

Strawberry Music Festival:
By car – click here for location on Google Maps, and set your GPS to Tongzhou Canal Park (通州运河公园)
Closest subway station – Tongzhou Beiyuan (通州北苑) on Batong Line. Last train departs at 10.52pm daily
Shuttle bus (free) – Tongzhou Beiyuan to Strawberry Festival, 10am-3pm
Strawberry Festival to Tongzhou Beiyuan, 7-10.30pm
Or take bus 322, 342 or 738 from Tongzhou Beiyuan to Dongguan Daqiao (东关大桥) then follow the music.

Food and Accommodation:
From past experience, both Midi and Strawberry festivals have traditions of serving good but pricy chuan'r, noodles, Cantonese-style meatballs, awkward Western food, terrible ice-cream and some other snacks (including muffins and donuts). Our tip: Have a big breakfast.
Many hotels near the festivals are already sold out, but here are a few hotels that still have rooms near Strawberry Festival, and here's a list of hotels provided by Midi Festival. You might need a Chinese friend to help you on this if you don’t speak the language.

Drinks:
Variety of drinks – Midi Festival has a better reputation for organization, especially when it comes to drinks. A 300-sqm Jägermeister tent will once again be set up at Midi; Tiger beer will also set up a “beer garden" next to the festival's Tang Stage.
On the east side of the city at Strawberry, there will be special “Absolut Strawberries.” Be prepared for some vodka.

Cheap drinks – try different beer booths, as prices often differ. A beer can cost RMB 20 or only RMB 5. I don’t think you need me to teach you how to sneak a bottle or two in, though your drinks will be confiscated if your ruse is uncovered by security.

Free drinks – Yes, there are often free drinks, and I'm not talking about offers from creepy guys, or girls. My friends and I spotted a tiny booth with a “Free Beer” sign (in English) on it at a music festival once, and there was indeed real, free beer. Another way to get free drinks is to gatecrash the VIP zones – sometimes they are private, sometimes they are just there to walk straight in and you’ll even discover staff waiting just to serve you. Good luck!

Camping:
Forget about it. Feel free to bring your tent, but you are not allowed to stay overnight at any of the festivals.

Music Valley Music Festival
Full information is available at the festival’s official website.

PS. If you’re as conscious of color-coding as our Style Editor, make sure you bring a jacket to match your daytime outfit – you’ll likely need it after dark. Beijing can be really cold at night – especially out in the suburbs.

Now have fun. Be stupid by all means, but be safe. Enjoy yourselves!

Photos from Matt Gambo and Midi Music Festival