Glastonbury, Woodstock, Chaoyang Park.... 12,000 lucky music fans will mass in the heart of Beijing on September 17th for the first ever Beijing Pop Festival. Kicking off at 11am, the crowd will be entertained by an eclectic range of world famous musicians, with household names Ian Brown, Common and Derrick May set to headline.

The Festival, centred on a stage in the middle of Chaoyang Park, will feature a total of 12 acts, with 8 local and 4 foreign performers. Supporting Ian Brown, Common and Derrick May will be up-and-coming US hip hop artist and rapper Lex, popular Taiwanese singer/guitarist Zhang Zhen Yue, and Chinese rock bands Tang Dynasty and Overload.

Famous for his wispy singing style, the iconic Ian Brown was front man for the Manchester-based UK mega band Stone Roses, one of the most respected groups of the eighties and early nineties. Since the much-lamented break up of the Stone Roses in 1996, Brown has embarked on a solo career, with the critically acclaimed albums Golden Greats, Music of the Spheres and Solarized released in 1999, 2001 and 2004. Ian Brown tours widely, and has appeared at the UK music festival Glastonbury on numerous occasions. This is his first appearance in China.

The gifted lyricist and Brooklyn-based rap star Common has been heralded by many as the "Bob Dylan" of hip hop. Breaking on to music scene in the early nineties, Common has released a string of albums, and worked with stars such as Lauryn Hill, Macy Gray, Mos Def and Mary J. Blige. Common earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance for the single "The Light" in 2000, and released his latest album "Be" in May 2005. Derrick May, known by many as the father of modern techno, is the festival's electronic music headliner. Derrick has worked with many celebrated artists in his long and innovative career, and together with Kevin Saunderson did much to promote deep house and techno during the late eighties. This is his second trip to Beijing, and he will also be DJing at the festival after-party at the Angel Club on Gongti Xilu.
Organizers hope to expand the festival into a 2 or 3-day event next year, attracting more of the latest names in the music industry, and rivaling other renowned festivals around the globe. Grab tickets while they're still available and finish summer on a musical high.

_Beijing Pop Festival
_Saturday September 17, Chaoyang Park, 11am-10:30pm, YY150
Check: www.beijingpopfestival.com.