Saturday’s “What the Folkstival” outdoor concert was meant to kick off in the early afternoon in a Beijing suburb near the airport, with 10 live acts, including foreign performers, playing “acoustic music to soothe your soul.”
It never began. Near booths selling barbecue skewers and craft beer, festival-goers had begun to gather on blankets or folding chairs, enjoying the breeze and freedom from Covid-era restrictions, when police officers appeared, lights flashing, to speak with the organizers. Minutes later, a volunteer took to the stage and said the event was being postponed because of unforeseen reasons. Organizers said the police had ordered them to vacate the premises.
The incident is one of an unusual spate of sudden cancellations or shutdowns in the past week across the country that seem unrelated, spanning arts, business and equality. One explanation is a scandal in which authorities fined production company Xiaoguo about $2 million and suspended its performances in two major cities “indefinitely” after comedian Li Haoshi joked about a Xi Jinping military slogan last weekend. Authorities later arrested a woman for defending the comedian’s joke.
Yet some of the cancellations seem to have little to do with perceived criticism of the government, such as a convention for female tech entrepreneurs in Shanghai or a concert by a Japanese band in Guangzhou.
Force Majeure
Organizers of the scrapped events issued apologies that are thin on detail, citing a variation of “unforeseen circumstances,” when writing in English, or “force majeure,” a legal term to waive liability in the event of circumstances outside a supplier’s control. In the Chinese context, it’s considered a euphemism for higher powers — police or other government bodies that enforce rules or apply pressure to stop activities deemed harmful to the state or society.
One Beijing-based musician, who asked for anonymity when discussing politically sensitive issues, said she believes the crackdown on live shows and cultural events is a result of the Xiaoguo incident, but that when such sweeps occur, foreigners and more popular bands and performers often become primary targets.
Read more: China Fines Talk Show Firm $2 Million After Comic Teases PLA
Japanese, Buddhism-influenced chorus group Kissaquo abruptly pulled its show in the southern city of Guangzhou on Wednesday night. A statement on the band’s official Weibo account said the cancellation was ordered by government agencies out of force majeure. Kissaquo did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The Ladies Who Tech convention, scheduled for May 14, also cited force majeure. The women-focused group says its aim is to raise awareness of the lack of females in science, technology, engineering and mathematics industries and to help companies increase diversity.
Its one-day event had some 1,700 sign-ups, according to a person familiar with the organization. The speaker list included both Chinese and foreign nationals, mostly female, who planned to discuss topics ranging from artificial intelligence to entrepreneurship to ESG.
On May 15, the Beijing LGBT Center announced it was shutting down, also citing force majeure.
A musician scheduled to perform at the folk-music event in Beijing said shows in China technically have to be approved ahead of time by the local bureau of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, but in the past enforcement was not so strict and many shows went ahead without prior approval.
The musician, who also asked to remain anonymous discussing politically sensitive issues, attributed the recent cancellations to the comedian’s case and said they expected it to subside eventually.
The Chaoyang District branch of the Beijing Public Security Bureau did not immediately reply to a fax for comment on the cancellation of the concert.
The folk festival organizers also could not be reached immediately for comment. In a WeChat message to ticket holders they said: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have to postpone the event today. We’re very, very sorry!”
--With assistance from Lucille Liu, Dan Murtaugh and Jing Li.
