China's most influential music festival 2023 music season of Haikou Midi Festival is set to come back in Haikou, South China's Hainan Province during March 17 to March 19, 2023. Photo: Courtesy of Haikou Midi Festival

China's most influential music festival is set to come back in Haikou, South China's Hainan Province in mid-March.

The lineup of the 2023 music season of Haikou Midi Festival has just released recently as the festival will see a total of 40 Chinese singers and rock and roll bands showing up in Haikou including popular Chinese artists like rock musician Xuwei, heavy metal pioneers Tang Dynasty, and unique art rock band Soundtoy.

Midi Festival, which will be hosted from March 17 to March 19, rooted in Beijing Midi School of Music, has a history of 30 years.

Known as the "Republic of China Military Academy" in music industry, the school was founded in 1993, first modern music school that ever established in China after it was approved by Beijing Haidian District Education Commission.

And the music festival was also born there. A celebration of its establishment is planned during this year's festival season in Haikou.

The entertainment industry in China has been bouncing back, with numerous performances, including music festivals and concerts, scheduled across the country.

The business insiders have been expecting a "competitive market" for the industry.
Data from Damai, a Chinese ticketing platform, shows that there are over 1,000 online music-related performances happening, and popular Chinese singers like Xue Zhiqian, Li Ronghao, and Zhang Shaohan have been planning events to meet with their fans. 

The music festivals also boost with full power. Many Chinese music festivals, including the Strawberry Music Festival and Rye Music Festival, are making a comeback this year, with events mainly scheduled during March and May 2023.

While the industry warmed up in 2021, COVID-19 resurgences in 2022 posed challenges to its stable operation and threatened its cash flow. 

In order to help revive the once hard-hit concerts market, the cultural and tourism departments of the local governments across the country have introduced policies and  funding to encourage music-related activities.

The Hainan government has set up a special fund of 110 million yuan ($15.8 million) to support the development of the cultural and creative industries, including the music industry, in the province.