China eases music ban, Travis Scott heads to Hainan, Macau

What happened China is loosening its censorship of music artists in a bid to boost soft power tourism. Following controversial artist Kanye West’s performance in Shanghai in July, one of the world’s most influential hip-hop stars, Travis Scott, is bringing his “Circus Maximus” tour to China this fall. The 10-time-nominated Grammy artist is preparing for performances in Macau (October 29) and Hainan (November 11), marking his first shows in the region. Organized by Live Nation, the concerts are part of the tour’s Asia leg, which includes stops in South Korea, Japan, and India. Scott’s appearances highlight China’s growing pull for international stars. Other acts performing there include South Korea’s Blackpink, and the U.K.’s Ed Sheeran. Scott’s shows reflect a broader push by local governments in China. Hainan, which hosted Kanye West in September 2024, is courting global talent; both Scott and Cardi B were invited to perform there earlier this year. While Cardi B has yet to perform, Hainan officials have promoted concerts and festivals as key to boosting the island’s reputation as a free-trade port. Sheeran made a highly anticipated return to mainland China earlier this year, staging six sold-out concerts at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium between February 24 and March 2. They were his first shows in the country in nearly a decade. On July 6, pop star Charlie Puth drew fans to Shenzhen with his “Something New II” tour, followed days later by Kanye West, who headlined a large-scale performance at Shanghai Stadium on July 12. Hainan Governor Liu Xiaoming even flagged the rise of “concert tourism” in his January 2025 government work report, underscoring how large-scale performances are reshaping Hainan’s positioning as both a leisure destination and an international free-trade hub. Liu said that concerts, music festivals, and branded cultural events have become a fast-growing driver of tourism, attracting both domestic travelers and overseas visitors. This aligns with Hainan’s broader strategy to diversify beyond its traditional beach and duty-free retail appeal, turning the island into a cultural destination capable of hosting headline global acts. The Jing Take Scott’s upcoming performances in Macau and Hainan reflect both China’s evolving cultural landscape, and local governments’ strategic use of global stars to drive tourism. After all, the American music artist commands a vast, devoted fanbase in Mainland China. On local social media, his following illustrates that: #travisscott has 210 million views on Weibo, and #circusmaximustour has 2.78 million impressions, at the time of writing. On Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote), the hashtag #travisscott has 44.6 million views, underscoring his resonance with younger audiences. The Macau stop on October 29 comes amid a deliberate push by the SAR to diversify its economy beyond gambling and retail. Tourism initiatives include the current “Pop Mart Macao Citywalk,” capitalizing on Labubu mania, which runs June 6 to September 21, and has already drawn hundreds of thousands. Scott’s show aligns with this strategy. His November 1 concert in Sanya, Hainan, fits into the province’s broader ambition to brand itself as a cultural hub. Hainan exceeded 97 million tourist visits in 2024, and officials openly link concerts to economic growth. September 2024 saw Kanye West hold the “Vultures Listening Experience” concert in Haikou, the capital of Hainan, on September 15, 2024. The event drove a sharp rise in both holiday travel and consumer spending across the region. Of the 42,000 available tickets, 95% were purchased by visitors from outside Hainan province. Local media reports estimate the concert boosted tourism revenue by around 373 million RMB ($52.3 million usd). Scott’s tour thus illustrates how China selectively embraces global hip-hop despite past censorship, using mega-concerts as tools of soft power, tourism promotion, and cultural integration. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

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China eases music ban, Travis Scott heads to Hainan, Macau