It's less than a week until the opening of the 2014 Shenzhen MIDI Music Festival – the Jiayixia New Year’s spectacular. From December 31 to January 2, the Shenzhen Universiade Center will host an extraordinary rock ’n’ roll New Year celebration.
A cross-award New Year’s gala
For the first time, the five-year-old MIDI Awards will be held in Shenzhen, marking the first-ever awards ceremony on a music festival site. The MIDI Awards, truly free from backstage deals, hidden rules, fixed outcomes, or commercial influence – China’s premier rock music prize – will hold its award ceremony on the Tang Stage of the 2014 Shenzhen MIDI Festival on January 1. The event will alternate between band performances and award presentations to reveal the winners of 14 categories, building suspense while adding to the festive “rock year-end party” atmosphere.
This New Year’s countdown will feature synchronized lighting effects from the Universiade Center’s venue, marking the first time such a spectacle has been done in Shenzhen, and indeed all of China, using a Universiade venue. A New Year’s music festival even livelier than the Universiade is now coming to Longgang – you won’t want to miss a countdown party to rival the Games themselves.
Uniquely Star-Studded New Year Performances
The lineup and performance schedules for all five stages have now been announced. Among the highly anticipated performances around the New Year transition, the closing act on the Yuan Stage before midnight will be China’s renowned DJ and influential music critic Zhang Youdai; headlining the Song Stage will be China’s most representative new-school metal band, Yaksa; and on the Tang Stage, Wang Yong & Union will perform to close out 2013. After midnight on January 1, Switzerland’s percussion ensemble Bubble Beatz will kick off the new year with their first performance. In the evening on the Tang Stage, stylish singer-songwriter Mumaa and his band Third Party will deliver their first ever unplugged performance at a music festival – something not to be missed. They’ll be followed by China’s most legendary rock band, Tang Dynasty, who will close the night with a selection of classic hits both old and new. Xie Tianshao, known as China’s “King of Live Rock,” will lend his support to the January 2 performances. That evening, the Tang and Song Stages will respectively feature Painkiller and Cobra as their closing acts.
2014 MIDI Annual Theme: “Reduce Honking”
Since 2002, MIDI has adopted an annual theme, using the festival platform to advocate and promote real action, aiming to inspire and guide the thoughts and behaviors of contemporary Chinese youth. From 2002’s “Salute to the Workers,” 2003’s “Rock for Animal Protection,” 2005’s “Save China’s Rivers,” 2010’s “Low-Carbon Living,” 2011’s “Love the Bears,” to 2012’s “PM2.5,” each year’s MIDI theme has become a hot keyword of the year, drawing attention and support. The 2014 MIDI annual theme is “Reduce Honking,” calling on everyone to focus on environmental pollution and reduce noise pollution. It urges tens of millions of Chinese drivers to control their car horns and prevent the wild, excessive honking that pollutes the public spaces of thousands of towns and disrupts our peaceful personal minds. “Reduce Honking” is not only a mutual reminder for drivers to adopt civilized and polite habits, but also a concrete practice of the harmony, equality, friendship, respect, and tolerance that MIDI has always advocated.
A Warm Home for Music Fans – The MIDI Camp
Starting from the 2009 Yangtze River MIDI Festival, the fan camping area was officially named the MIDI Camp and has since remained a traditional fixture of the MIDI Music Festival each year. The MIDI Camp is no longer just a resting zone or a place to meet friends – it’s a free and open spiritual community. The MIDI Camp has built a village where outdoor enthusiasts dream together. Everyone arrives with simple luggage, away from the noise of the world, gathering to spend a relaxed and enjoyable holiday filled with music, singing, dancing, and games, feeling a transcendent serenity as body and soul reconnect with nature. To ensure music fans can take warm showers during the MIDI Camp, the swimming pool at the Shenzhen Universiade Center will provide hot water showers daily from 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM and 11:00 PM to 2:00 AM (as well as 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM on January 3).
“Kids’ MIDI” New Year Party Held Simultaneously in Two Cities
The “Kids’ MIDI” art project is a youth music culture brand created by the Beijing MIDI Music School. Since 2010, it has organized over ten outdoor music events for children in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. Each Kids’ MIDI stage features performances by child bands from across the country as well as adult role model bands, with performers ranging in age from 5 to 50. This Shenzhen MIDI will open with the Ming Shan Public Welfare Performance, featuring not only the super-cute duo and the Dragon Brothers – a family rock combo – but also young drummers from Shenzhen Drumtown who have prepared a special “Tribute to Metallica” mini drum clinic. Iconic Kids’ MIDI bands like Zuobin will also deliver unforgettable live rock performances for the children. On December 31, 2013, at Beijing’s Ocean Future Plaza (No. 73, Northeast Fourth Ring Road, Chaoyang District), a parallel Kids’ New Year Party will take place simultaneously with the Shenzhen event. Running from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM, it will mirror all the highlights of the Shenzhen Kids’ MIDI: performances by child bands, graffiti, painting and crafts, games, and drumming lessons, and best of all, the Beijing event is free admission.
The Yuan Stage Isn’t Just EDM – It Goes “Hip-Hop” Too
The Yuan Stage at the MIDI Festival has traditionally been associated with electronic music, but this year’s Shenzhen MIDI will feature not only electrifying sets from top domestic and international DJs and EDM crews, but also a dedicated Hip-Hop Day hosted by “Hip-Hop Fusion” on January 1. American hip-hop group Despot, Hong Kong independent label YaGroove (featuring J.Wu/TooPhat/Wuli) and Bakerie, Guangzhou rap crew SMOOKA, Jing Qi Shen (Feibao & Feixuan/Monster/X/PNC/AR), and Beijing-style hip-hop duo Xinjiekou will take the mic, delivering powerful HIP-HOP beats from afternoon through evening alongside trendsetters to ring in the New Year. Notable Guangzhou rappers Yizhi, Xu Zhenzhen, Lecturer, and Er Beile & Yundao will also be on-site to showcase their exceptional rapping skills.
The Ming Stage: Where Modern Music Meets Traditional Arts
Beyond soothing folk music, the Ming Stage will feature musical elements never before seen at the festival – Chinese classical opera. While promoting modern music, the MIDI Festival also honors traditional Chinese performing arts. Each evening, the Ming Stage will transform into a makeshift theater for a special segment featuring Cantonese opera excerpts. Artists from the Shenzhen Bao’an Haixiang Cantonese Opera Troupe will perform classics including “Madame White Snake’s Lake Tour,” “Flower and Fruit Mountain,” and “Face-Changing.”
A Variety of Cultural & Sports Creative Activities Await You On-Site
The Graffiti ART creative activity is an interactive event organized by the Shenzhen Universiade Center 3D Art Training Studio. Near the Kids’ MIDI Stage, children and parents can paint and decorate clothing, hair accessories, hats, and more, showcasing their own creatively designed festival outfits. There will also be a “Graffiti ART” – rock-themed graffiti wall where everyone can freely paint on canvas. The completed giant graffiti wall will be displayed on-site.
The Shenzhen FS West African Drum Ensemble will perform live, with the Shenzhen FS DJEMBE KAN – a troupe founded in 2008 that primarily plays traditional West African drum music. Its members come from various walks of life and frequently participate in music performances and large-scale events in Shenzhen and across the country, earning widespread acclaim. This time, they will showcase ensemble performances and group interactive activities at the Shenzhen MIDI Festival to promote the spread and development of African drum culture. The ensemble performances will run two hours each afternoon, with flexible timing for group interaction sessions.
On-site and within the MIDI Camp, KAILAS is launching the “When Rock Climbing Meets Rock Music” activity, blending the madness of rock with the thrill of climbing, letting eternal youth resonate on the cliffs. The event includes climbing experiences, climbing shows and tutorials, slacklining, and the KAILAS Bouldering Competition. You can not only enjoy technical demonstrations by world champion Zhong Qixin, but also sign up to try it yourself and show off your “climbing STYLE,” climbing onto the SUPERMAN & She-Hero leaderboard.
A Retrospective of the MIDI Photo Exhibition. The Shenzhen MIDI Festival will showcase nearly 100 treasured works by veteran rock photographers Wang Di and Chai Dongxin. “In different years, in the same scene, we need not go anywhere else – here lies our spirit, our youth.” Come revisit those beautiful, heartwarming moments and hear the moving stories behind the images.
Experience Innovative Tech & Fashion Products & Services On-Site
Music festivals have always been hubs for cutting-edge tech and fashion. This Shenzhen MIDI will offer fans the chance to experience the trendiest segways available. Segways utilize state-of-the-art motion balance and human-machine intelligent interaction technologies, combined with features like mobile video, remote control, smart photography, music arrangement, choreography, and app applications – creating the coolest, most futuristic, and tech-forward mode of transport.
The official merchandise area at the Shenzhen MIDI Festival will feature a variety of creative products produced by MIDI, including MIDI calendars, CD compilations, eco-friendly water bottles, hoodies, caps, backpacks, sticker sheets, pins, and more. Fans are welcome to visit the official merchandise area to pick up souvenirs and preserve precious memories. In addition, WeChat Pay has partnered with the 2014 Shenzhen MIDI Festival. Not only can you book discounted tickets in advance, but you can also complete purchases at the official merchandise stalls on-site using WeChat Pay – a convenient, fast, and cutting-edge consumer lifestyle is taking root at MIDI.
A Wealth of Folk Activities to Liven Up the Event
A dragon and lion dance performance team organized by the Longgang Dafen Community Performance Squad will present dragon and qilin dances on January 1. Every evening at 7:00 PM, Kai Shi International Cinema will screen outdoor movies and live rock shows. The 2013 Shenzhen Citizens’ Smile Collection campaign has also begun, with selected smiling faces to be displayed at the festival – stay tuned.
Tickets for the 2014 Shenzhen MIDI Music Festival are now officially on sale, along with specially customized New Year gifts that will be sold in limited quantities with festival packages. Festival ticket prices: single-day pass 120 RMB (presale) / 150 RMB (at the door); three-day package 300 RMB (presale) / 350 RMB (at the door). Tickets can be purchased via Damai.cn – China Ticketing Online http://www.damai.cn/ticket_59087.html or by calling the national booking hotline 400-610-3721.
A fusion and collision of diverse creative elements make the 2014 Shenzhen MIDI Music Festival truly unique. Friends, bring your loved ones and join us from December 31 to January 2 at the Longgang Universiade Center. Let’s walk through 2013 into 2014 together.