Another scorching Shanghai weekend is upon us, but luckily there's plenty of cool stuff to do. See what we did there... T-Pain is at Linx tonight, Hatchery Tastemakers Series is coming to a secret location near People's Square, Ron Josol will be doing his thing at Kung Fu Komedy, Commune Market is back, and Snap! and Social Supply are teaming up for a tiki-themed rooftop party. See below for our full list of weekend picks.
FRIDAY 14
T-Pain
The Tallahassee rapper/singer/producer famous for his use of Auto-Tune is hitting Linx. Founder of record label Nappy Boy Entertainment, T-Pain topped the Billboard charts in 2007 with his second album Epiphany, and won Grammys in 2008 and 2010 for his collaborations with Kanye West and Jamie Foxx respectively.
Linx 98 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Xizang Nan Lu. 10pm. 280RMB.
KFK Frontstage: Ron Josol
Filipino funny man Ron Josol comes to Shanghai for three headline shows. A winner of the Just For Laughs Comedy Competition in Montreal, expect to have your funny bone thoroughly tickled by Kung Fu Komedy’s latest international headliner.
KUNG FU KOMEDY 4/F, 1 Xiangyang Bei Lu, Near Julu Lu Jing'an Shanghai Shanghai. 9pm. 150RMB; 100RMB presale.
La Boum: French National Day party
Honour the storming of the Bastille alongside Shanghai’s favourite French couple. Celebrate French National Day – aka Bastille Day – at Mr & Mrs Bund’s annual blowout: La Boum Friday Night Fever party with live DJs spinning '70s and '80s disco classics.
Mr & Mrs Bund 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu. 11pm. Free entry before midnight; 100RMB after, including one drink.
La Nuit Petillante - Bastille Day Bash
Another Bastille Day option, this time backed by the good people at BottlesXO. Happy hour deals run from 5-7pm and there's the promise of free-flow Champagne for 198RMB.
La Maison 219 Jinxian Lu, near Shanxi Nan Lu. 5pm. Free entry.
Sonnet
A bit of a blast from Shanghai's indie-rock past as Sonnet headline at Yuyintang. And just to make it feel a little bit more like 2011, they're performing with pop-punks Pinkberry, bluesy-rock act Joker and good times rock band Runaway Snail.
Yuyintang 851 Kaixuan Lu, near Yanan Xi Lu. 8.30pm. 90RMB; 60RMB (presale).
Juliana Huxtable and Lotic
Artist and DJ Juliana Huxtable hits Shanghai. Her work explores a range of topics including her experience as a trans woman of colour. Berlin-based producer Lotic joins her with support from Howell and Osheyack.
ALL Second Floor, 17 Xiangyang Bei Lu, near Changle Lu. 10pm. 100RMB.
Mixmag China presents Q'Hey
Masaya Kyuhei, better known as Q'Hey, is a key figure on Japan's club scene, having been dealing quality techno from behind the decks since 1989.
Celia 298 Xingfu Lu, near Pingwu Lu. Midnight. 100RMB (includes one drink).
Triple Happiness: YETI DIS:KO X Timothy J Fairplay
The Yeti Out crew present Crimes of the Future label boss and one half of The Asphodells (the other half being Andrew Weatherall), Timothy J Fairplay. Expect IDM, cosmic disco and jacking house from the critically acclaimed DJ and producer.
Elevator Fourth floor, 218 Xinle Lu, near Fumin Lu. 10pm. 80RMB.
SATURDAY 15
Time Out Presents: Hatchery Tastemakers Series No. 1
Hatchery – China’s first culinary incubator from Beijing – is popping up again to launch Shanghai's first edition of its super-successful 'Tastemakers Series'. Pulling together the movers and shakers from creative industries in Shanghai, Tastemakers Series No. 1 offers a platform to network and connect with the city's biggest innovators.
Secret location 7.30-10pm. 300RMB.
TIKI IN THE SKY
Queer party promoters Snap! are teaming up with SOCIAL SUPPLY for a summer rooftop party with a tropical bend. They'll be transforming Cosmos, the currently-unused rooftop of the McKinnon Hotel, home of immersive performance experience Sleep No More, into an island paradise with all of your tropical requisites.
The McKinnon Hotel Shanghai No. 1013 Beijingxi Lu, near Jiangning Lu. Midday-10pm. 150RMB.
Sunday Commune Market
Get your hands on an array of jewellery, accessories, fashion, leather bags, creative housewares, children’s clothing, green products, farm produce, artisan foods and craft beer at this monthly market. Fresh takes, new innovations, delicious gourmet food and passionate artisans – all that good stuff.
Zhang Yuan 99 (Taixing Square) 99 Taixing Lu, near Wujiang Lu. 11am-6pm. Free.
DJ Koco aka SHIMOKITA
Crate diggers Daily Vinyl present eclectic Japanese turntablesmith DJ Koco at Elevator. Expect everything from jazzy hip-hop to breaks and more.
Elevator Fourth floor, 218 Xinle Lu, near Fumin Lu. 10pm. 100RMB.
Miami Nights
Hop in your DeLorean and head back to the '80s as Mike Ward and Beardslap take you on a tour of synth pop, electro, new wave and more. This month's edition will feature a special performance of Kate Bush classic 'Wuthering Heights' featuring the performative dance talents of Morgan, Sacco and Frau.
Smash 685 Dingxi Lu, near Niuqiao Lu. 9pm. Free.
Push & Pull: Mr Mitch
Through Mr Mitch's label Gobstopper Records and as a founding member of cult London grime event Boxed, Mr Mitch has been at the heart of the resurgence of grime in the last five years.
ALL Second Floor, 17 Xiangyang Bei Lu, near Changle Lu. 10pm. 80RMB.
Rossetto: The Last B̶e̶a̶c̶h̶ Bitch
Prepare for one final take-over by the last-remaining members of the Rossetto crew – the city's best purveyors of the classic Italian trash-chic party – at Daliah this weekend.
Daliah 408 Shaanxi Bei Lu, near Beijing Xi Lu. 10pm. Free.
All Japan Idol Festival
Something a little different here as Japanese idol groups including 9Nine, ATF, Idol School and Party Rockets GT hit Shanghai.
Bandai Namco Shanghai Base (formerly Qianshuiwan Creative Arts Centre) 179 Yichang Lu, near Jiangning Lu. 4-7pm. 280-580RMB.
Hebe
One third of SHE and a big name pop star in her own right, Hebe Tien brings her solo pop hits to Pudong.
Mercedes-Benz Arena 1200 Expo Avenue, near Gaoke Xi Lu, Pudong. 7.30pm. 380-1,280RMB.
Shake's One Year Anniversary Party
Cherry Brown, Tarra Conner Jones (in one of her last shows here before returning to the US), Redic, Denise Minnifield, Smokey and The Soul Shakers come together for Shake's first birthday party.
Shake Third Floor, 120 Jinxian Lu, near Maoming Nan Lu. 10pm. 100RMB.
Shanghai Summer Splash
This summer, cool yourself down at the very first water gun party at Zeitgeist. It's not just a water gun party, there'll also be craft beers, Bloody Marys, margaritas, wine and all sorts of food. You can look forward to sausages from Palmetto, burgers, hotdogs and wraps from Porky's and grilled cheese from Hot Box.
Zeitgeist 537 Haifang Lu, near Xikang Lu. 11am. 50RMB.
SUNDAY 16
Time Out's Film Screenings: City of Life and Death
Every month, Time Out Shanghai shows one of the greatest Chinese films of all time for free at Glam, M on the Bund, with free popcorn and specially tailored drinks. This month, we're showing number 47 on our list, Lu Chuan's City of Life and Death.
Glam Seventh Floor, Five on the Bund, 20 Guangdong Lu, near Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu. 4.15-7.15pm. Free.
Entangled in Duality
Hu Weiqi makes an attempt to unveil how deep of an imprint China's eye-catching and lightning-fast social, political and cultural transition has left on the mentalities, conscious and beliefs of the country's people.
Art + Shanghai Gallery 191 Suzhou Nan Lu, near Sichuan Bei Lu. Until Jul 30. Free.
Midsummer
Qu Fengguo's new solo exhibition Midsummer, his third at Don Gallery, presents the paintings that belong to the series Four Seasons composed between 2015 and 2017.
Don Gallery West Bund Building 302, 2879 Longteng Dadao. Until Jul 23. Free.
Body·Media II
Continuing the theme of 2007's Body Media exhibition, this new edition re-discusses the close ties between new media and body within the new era context totally revolutionised by advancing technologies.
Power Station of Art 200 Huayuangang Lu, near Miaojiang Lu. Until Jul 30. 20RMB.