Photo of the Day: Grammy Festival

China’s music festival market has exploded in recent years, with events encompassing rock, jazz, EDM, and more being held across the country almost every week of the year. The traditional period for festivals has always been the public holiday to mark International Labor Day however, and so this week’s photo theme is China Music Festivals. We’ll be bringing you shots from some of this season’s major music fests — traversing punk, jazz, pop, and electronic music.

The debut outing for this Academy-approved crossover saw big names and big crowds.

So big in fact, that it felt more like a succession of arena shows (complete with security staff bizarrely blocking off entry to stage areas once a band started) than a “festival.”

Grammy Festival Beijing (photo by Yan Cong)

Grammy Festival Beijing (photo by Yan Cong)

Best views went to the VIP and VVIP areas, and beer, food and other distractions were clear afterthoughts. That said, it’s hard to beat a price tag of 580RMB (about $90 USD) to see OneRepublic, Pharrell, Carly Rae Jepsen AND Phoenix, and plenty of punters were more than happy with warm beers and hot superstars.