"In China, the government's attitude is still a very important factor," says Zhang Fan, founder and director of the Midi Music Festival. "Now the governments of more places are discovering that a music festival is not only harmless but also contributes to the place's publicity and cultural life. This may help the growth of music festivals in China."

Even governmental support cannot guarantee a festival's success, however. Most organizers find it hard to make ends meet due to their lack of experience. Some festivals, like the Erdos Grassland Rock Music Festival in 2007, claimed it would become an annual event but it was never held again.

"I want to tell other festival organizers not to expect too much from a festival," says Zhang. "I think we (Midi) and 'Modern Sky' are the only two who don't lose money."

Such caution is not evident right now. More and more outdoor music festivals are popping up in various parts of this huge country and organizers appear buoyed by people's readiness to give them a try. This is just what Liu expects. "Chinese people have so much enthusiasm but not that many ways to let it out," he says.

By Mu Qian