CHINA: The More Than a Music Festival returned to Hangzhou’s Baima Lake for its 2025 edition on 15–16 November, establishing itself once again as one of the city’s leading outdoor music events. Held across expansive lawn spaces normally used for cultural gatherings, the festival drew around 15,000 attendees over two days and showcased a diverse programme spanning rock, hip-hop, indie and electronic music, with performances from Chinese and Taiwanese artists including Liang Bo, Ma Siwei, MC Pharaoh, Soft Lipa and Sunset Rollercoaster — acts that resonate strongly with younger audiences across the region.

Delivering a consistent, high-quality sonic experience in a completely open-air setting presented a significant acoustic challenge. With no physical barriers to contain or reflect sound, the design had to ensure uniform coverage across the entire esplanade observed at long throw distances, while maintaining clarity and sound pressure even at the rear of the audience area. The surrounding green space’s proximity to residential zones also required careful management of sound propagation to limit rear energy and environmental impact. Wind, humidity and the inherent energy loss of low frequencies in open spaces added further complexity, particularly given the high-dynamic content of the musical styles presented.

To meet these demands, DAS Audio-based systems were deployed by local specialist Hangzhou Qijiang Stage Design Technology, with equipment supplied by Hangzhou Bonney Advertising Planning. The main loudspeaker system was configured in left/right arrays using two lines of 14 units of the LARA powered line array modules per side. Each LARA module – capable of a maximum sound pressure level of 145 dB – delivered the projection and headroom required for such a large-scale open-air event; while cardioid technology integrated into the LARA arrays helped reduce rear emission, a crucial factor in this setting close to sensitive areas.

Lateral reinforcement was achieved with eight additional LARA cabinets serving as side fills to broaden and stabilise lateral coverage outside the main focus of the PA. Low-frequency support came from 16 units of the LARA-SUB subwoofers positioned beneath the stage, ensuring controlled, punchy bass — particularly essential for styles like rock and hip-hop that demand definition down low. For stage monitoring, eight ARA-M210A powered stage monitors were deployed to provide performers with clear reference. To ensure clarity in the front rows, 12 units of the AERO-12A units were installed as front fills, while 24 units of the SARA compact line array cabinets were deployed as delay towers to extend coverage to the back of the audience footprint without sacrificing definition or dynamic consistency.

Speaking on the outcome, Germán Rodríguez, Systems Engineer and Head of Technical Support for DAS Audio in APAC, emphasised the value of system configuration in this type of environment: “The power of LARA as the main system, together with the reinforcement provided by SARA on the delay towers, allowed us to maintain a uniform level and excellent clarity across the entire esplanade, which is particularly demanding at a festival of this size.” Rodríguez also highlighted the importance of dispersion control, noting that “LARA’s cardioid technology was key to keeping the sound under control and reducing rear energy, avoiding disturbance outside the festival area and improving definition in the mix.”