A music festival is held in Binzhou, East China’s Shandong Province in April 2021. Photo: CFP

Twenty music festivals are set to be held during the upcoming five-day May Day holidays in the Chinese mainland, which has ignited the excitement of Chinese music fans as well as that of local business owners who see these festivals as a means to promote local tourism.

The music festival explosion, which includes the well known Midi Festival, Strawberry Music Festival and Sunflower Music Festival, is considered a great reward for the sacrifices that were made to strictly prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 in China. To celebrate the achievement, the Midi Festival's theme will be "New Journey."

Music fans in East China's Shandong Province will be able to enjoy three music festivals from May 1 to 4, one in the provincial capital Jinan, one in Binzhou and another in Zibo.

Although some places like Taiyuan, North China's Shanxi Province, and Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, will only have a single music festival each, the musicians that will take the stage have fans cheering.

Popular band Tongyang and Chinese singer Chen Li will perform at Wuhan's Strawberry Music Festival, which moved online in 2020 due to the pandemic.

The music festival will be held outdoors at the Wuhan Garden Expo Park. Several restrictions have been announced such as no tents due to limited space and the large number of people. Camping is also not allowed on site, so audiences must leave the venue in an orderly manner after the end of the day. It is also recommended that hotels be booked in advance.

The owner of a rental property near the Wuhan Garden Expo Park said that they have seen an increase in bookings for the holiday period. 

Many music fans have said they can't wait to enjoy the music festival. A 27-year-old woman surnamed Yang, who lives in Taiyuan, told the Global Times on Sunday that she attended the Strawberry Music Festival in Beijing a few years ago and still cannot forget the atmosphere at the site. 

"A music festival is a best place you can experience the charm of music," Yang said. She said that she has bought tickets for the StarNest Mystery Music Festival that will be held in Taiyuan and that she was excited to enjoy the music event near her home.

Details of the Beijing Strawberry Music Festival have not been announced officially, but insiders predict that the guest bands will be amazing.

Based on leading indicators such as search volume of tourist destinations, flight and hotel bookings, this year's May Day holiday is expected to be the hottest Golden Week in history, with about 200 million travelers expected, as People's Daily reported.