Music festival marred with wave of thefts

The 2023 Central China Midi Festival, one of China's largest outdoor rock music festivals, held during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday in Henan Province, experienced a wave of thefts in its camping areas.

The festival, which featured over 80 musicians and drew more than 150,000 concertgoers from September 29 to October 2 in Nanyang City, took a dark turn as festival attendees reported rampant thefts, including looted tents.

Stolen items included festival wristbands, mobile phones, and various personal belongings. The thefts were primarily concentrated within the festival venue and the camping areas used by festival-goers. Some musicians also fell victim to theft. In a video circulated on social media, one individual was heard saying, "I only took things that nobody claimed."

Local authorities received a total of 73 reports of theft, confirming 65 cases thus far. Festival organizers announced on October 5 that they had already returned 79 ID cards, three laptops, and 17 mobile phones to their owners, with ongoing efforts to verify and return other stolen items.

On the same day, a local television news station released mug shots of seven suspects, including images of them rummaging through the camping areas and transporting stolen goods in vans.

The festival's organizing committee partially attributed the mass thefts to a netizen named Chen, who irresponsibly spread false information claiming that the event had concluded and encouraging nearby villagers to seize what remained, sparking the widespread thefts.

In response, both the municipal and district-level governments in Nanyang, in collaboration with the festival organizers, are actively working to compensate affected festival-goers.