It's April: spring is in the air, the weather is getting warmer, the blossoms are blooming and it's time to stop hibernating in your apartment and make the most of living in Shanghai. Luckily, there's a veritable smorgasbord of things to do this month and we've hand-picked the best of them for you right here.
NIGHTLIFE
Taso
Teklife producer Taso returns to Shanghai on the back of new album New Start. He's risen to be one of the big boys in the globetrotting footwork label, and promises Shanghai's many Teklife fans: 'I’m about to fuck your guys’ subwoofers up.' Shanghai dance crews, here's your time to shine.
DADA 115 Xingfu Lu. Apr 6. 10pm. 60RMB; 50RMB (presale).
Hardwell
Grab your glow sticks for 29-year-old Dutch superstar DJ/producer Hardwell’s headliner show at MYST’s Chinese Grand Prix afterparty. A man of international renown, Harwell has placed number one in DJ Mag’s list of the top 100 DJs twice.
MYST 1123 Yanan Zhong Lu. Apr 9. 10pm. 480-580RMB.
Major Lazer
Electronic super-group Major Lazer, comprised of Diplo, Jillionaire and Walshy Fire, are bringing their mix of electro-dancehall and baile funk to Shanghai. An outfit who've collaborated with the likes of Justin Bieber, MØ, DJ Snake, Ariana Grande, Ellie Goulding, 2 Chainz, Nicki Minaj and more, Major Lazer are renowned for their high-octane live shows, featuring huge drops, heavy bass and bomb visuals. If there is a chain around here their Shanghai show ought to be off it.
Myst 1123 Yanan Zhong Lu. Apr 8. 10pm. 280-480RMB.
Wooozy Offline x Genome: Gaika
London-based Gaika Tavares plays powerful, adventurous dancehall, electronic gospel music for the modern church. It’s political, observant, relevant, but also danceable. The Brixton-based producer and singer has been called 'electronic music’s answer to Basquiat', and Pitchfork called him 'Wondrous, variable and strange.'
DADA 115 Xingfu Lu. Apr 15. 10pm. 80RMB.
SVBKVLT present Swimful Pearls EP Release Party
Returning after a four-month hiatus since the closure of The Shelter, SVBKVLT return with this launch party for Pearls, the new EP from Qinpu-based producer Swimful. The EP collects four of the best tracks made by Swimful in the past year and sees the producer going deeper into his sound of nostalgic sino melodies and melancholic atmospheres that he established on 2016’s PM2.5.
DADA 115 Xingfu Lu. Apr 29. 10pm. 50RMB.
The Code 20: The Forbidden City
The Code 20, the people behind avant-garde Grand Prix events, once again collaborate with M1NT for their F1 closing party. Expect lazers, performances with Chinese drums and more extravagance. Red Bull Racing's DJ Erok behind the decks and Dom Perignon providing the bubbly.
M1NT 318 Fuzhou Lu. Apr 9. 9pm. 200RMB.
Co:Motion x Discosmic Adventure: Intergalactic Gary
Described as ‘a quiet master behind the decks’, Intergalactic Gary has been DJing for over three decades and is renowned for his flawless mixing. This is a show to get the DJ nerds excited - expect a masterclass in Detroit techno, Italo and electro.
Elevator 218 Xinle Lu. Apr 30. 10pm. 80RMB.
FOOD & DRINK
Easter brunches
From chocolate bunnies to Champagne, these fancy-ass Easter Sunday hotel brunches will make your holiday a little more special.
Click 'read more' below for more information.
Kitchen X by Time Out Shanghai
We've teamed up with the top minds in Shanghai’s hospitality world to craft an unforgettable culinary journey that combines the key elements that make wining and dining so special: anticipation, mystery, indulgence, spontaneity, flavour and, of course, attention to detail. It promises to be an unforgettable evening. Book your seat now.
Venue details released on the evening. Apr 8. 888RMB.
GIGS
Cloud Nothings
Ohio-formed American rock quartet Cloud Nothings, whose breakthrough came in 2012 with their excellent third LP Attack on Memory, come to Shanghai courtesy of Split Works. Their latest album, Life Without Sound, picked up a score of 7.0 from Pitchfork when it was released at the start of this year.
Yuyintang 851 Kaixuan Lu. Apr 15. 8.30pm. 150RMB; 120RMB (presale).
Rebuilding the Rights of Statues (Re-TROS)
One of China's best live bands, post-punk outfits, Re-TROS make a welcome return to town in the build up to their new album - and first in eight years - Before the Applause, due for release internationally this summer and in China in the autumn. Having begun life as a Joy Division and Bauhaus-indebted post-punk band, their more recent material has seen them incorporate electronic elements. Expect a good turn out for this one.
MAO Livehouse 308 Chongqing Nan Lu. Apr 21. 8.30pm.
Owen Pallett
This hyper-talented composer and songwriter is the go-to string arranger for everyone from Arcade Fire to Taylor Swift. For his first solo show in China, he's going acoustic.
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall 1380 Fuxing Zhong Lu. Apr 22. 7.45pm. 80-180RMB.
FESTIVALS
Shanghai Strawberry Festival 2017
Modern Sky's Strawberry Festival returns to Shanghai once more for the May holiday. There are no officially announced line-up details just yet, but three-day early-bird passes are on sale. Following the cancellation of the organisers' EDM-centric MYTH Festival, expect this edition of Strawberry to come with a more electronic slant than in previous years. You can also expect Modern Sky bands such as New Pants and Hedgehog to help populate the bill, possibly with some of the acts that the company recently signed to their UK offshoot too: Catholic Action, Pixey, Fuss and Violet Youth.
Expo Garden Park Shibo Dadao. Apr 29-May 1. 11am. 559RMB (early bird three-day passes).
Midi Taihu Festival 2017
Midi Festival returns to its lakeside park on the outskirts of Suzhou for the 2017 May holiday with a mix of international and domestic rock, metal and folk bands, plus a host of DJs. If you've seen rumours of the Stereophonics and Mogwai headlining, unfortunately (or not, depending on your music taste) those are derived from a fake line-up poster.
Taihu Midi Camp Qiduzhen. Apr 29-May 1. 1pm. 180RMB a day, 450RMB for three days; 150RMB a day, 400RMB for three days (presale).
THINGS TO DO
Bacardi No Commission
Bacardi No Commission is an event designed to give artists the opportunity to sell their works directly to buyers without having to pay any commission fees to galleries. 'Visitors to No Commission will experience art and music, technology and storytelling, immersion and exploration, and a picture of the future in the present', explained curator Swizz Beatz.
Shanghai Exhibition Centre 1000 Yanan Zhong Lu. Apr 7-Apr 9. 7pm. Free.
China International Comedy Festival 2017
Kung Fu Komedy will be hosting some of the world’s top comedic talent at this year’s China International Comedy Festival. The festival’s main attraction is the stand-up comedy competition that welcomes comedians from across China and internationally.
Kung Fu Komedy Club 1 Xiangyang Bei Lu. Apr 25-29.
Pre-Summer Commune Market
Treat yourself to a little, or a lot of pre-summer goodies. Commune Market brings you a brilliant list of carefully selected local designers and artisans. From the best in Shanghai to the newest discoveries: beautifully hand made leather bags and accessories, organic body products, organic farm produce, honest-to-goodness homemade baked goods and much more.
naked HUB (Xikang Lu) 189 Changshou Lu. Apr 22-23. 11pm. Free.
2017 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix
See the greatest racing show on earth this April as the pinnacle of racing technology hurtles around 5.5 kilometres of China’s finest track at breakneck speeds. Enter our competition to win a pair of Grandstand tickets.
Shanghai International Circuit 2000 Yining Lu, Jiading. Apr 7-9. 9am. 860-2,760RMB.
Shanghai SIPG vs FC Seoul
Shanghai SIPG take on FC Seoul of Korea at Shanghai Stadium in the group stages of the AFC Champions League.
Shanghai Stadium 666 Tianyaoqiao Lu. Until Apr 26. 7.30pm. 50-180RMB.
Fashion for All: Virtual Fashion Charity Auction
Organised by Beyond the Bund and China Fashion Bloggers, Fashion for All brings Shanghai Fashion Week to everyone by livestreaming it at the Conde Nast Center. There will also be a ‘virtual wardrobe’ where attendees can ‘try on’ clothes; a charity auction with limited designer pieces up for grabs; a curated exhibition of pieces from past Fashion Weeks; and plenty of food, drink and music.
Conde Nast Center of Fashion & Design 398-1 Huaihai Zhong Lu. Apr 7-14. 2pm. 88RMB (one-day pass on the door); 200RMB (three-day pass on the door); 60RMB (one-day pass presale); 140RMB (three-day pass presale).
Bingo night at Mr & Mrs Bund
The monthly bingo night at Bund-side institution Mr & Mrs Bund is a rowdy booze-fuelled affair that’s a far cry from the stereotypical bingo hall. This time they're celebrating an auspicious eight years of bonkers bingo. It's a fun alternative night out, and bingo cards are provided with any of the dinner or drinks packages on offer.
Mr & Mrs Bund 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu. Apr 13. 11pm. Free.
Shanghai Running Tianmashan Classic - 3rd Running
A challenging multi-terrain cross country race that winds its way through the countryside and villages surrounding Tianmashan before concluding in Tianmashan Park with a run up Shanghai’s largest hill. There’s a choice of either a five- or ten-mile race.
Tianmashan 78 Laile Dong Lu. Apr 16. 8.30am.
Crazy Lotus Festival
Five music stages covering a variety of genres such as hip-hop, reggae and electronic; an outdoor swimming pool; a sauna and even an organised pillow fight. All access tickets include a Shanghai nightlife pass that grants entry to more than 15 events across the city at venues such as Celia, The Mansion and Reel to Reel. There is also the SMART Conference, featuring an interactive classroom and a rooftop networking lounge.
The Bunker Warehouse 181 Bocheng Lu. Apr 29-30. 11am. 180-450RMB.
ART
KAWS: WHERE THE END STARTS
This summer, the Yuz Museum welcomes pop and graffiti art master Brian Donnelly, aka KAWS, from Brooklyn NYC. The illustrator, painter, sculptor, designer, and toymaker recently helped envision the latest version of the Air Jordan Retro 4 sneakers, with the sole of the shoe accented by one of KAWS’ signature art works.
Yuz Museum 35 Fenggu Lu. Until Aug 13. 150RMB.
Trilogy: The Other World of Zhang Wen
Zhang Wen graduated from post-graduate study in June 2016, receiving her degree from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Chinese Ink faculty. The selection of Zhang’s works created since, and featured in this solo exhibition, can be broadly divided into three themes: daily life, celebration, and archaeology. A promising emerging talent in Chinese Ink.
Art+ Shanghai Gallery 191 South Suzhou Road. Until Apr 16. Free.
Paradox of Reality: Latest Works by Shen Hua
Including a unique series of painted images on mirrors, this exhibition sees Sichuan-based artist Shen Hua present his pictorial conclusions of recent reflections on realism. With minimalistic abstract works and themes including post-modernity and the relationship between language and reality, it's a heavy and thought-provoking show.
Art+ Shanghai Gallery 191 South Suzhou Road. Apr 23-Jun 4. Free.
Collage: The Cards Players
This Pinterest-ready show examines the popular craft of the collage - the process of overlapping and combining readymade products to create something new. In the sophisticated surroundings of Shanghai Gallery of Art, the exhibition presents the works of 18 artists from China and Europe.
Shanghai Gallery of Art 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu. Apr 1-Jun 3. Free.
James Turrell: Immersive Light
World-renowned Californian artist James Turrell exhibits his works of epic proportions at the Long Museum, showcasing a lifetime of experimentation with light, space and perspective.
Long Museum West Bund 3398 Longteng Dadao. Until May 21. 200RMB.
Shadow of the Wind
Artist Zhou Li has spent her career working with a variety of fascinating media, attracting the close attention of the Chinese contemporary art scene. In this, her first solo exhibition since a show at the National Art Museum of China in 2001, Li presents a striking new series of abstract paintings created over the past two years.
Yuz Museum 35 Fenggu Lu. Until Jan 4. 60RMB.
Polar [mirrored]
This collaborative project by Slovenian theatre and radio director Marco Peljhan and German artist and musician Carsten Nicolai sees the creators question the relevance of the audience and the reality of art in an infinite universe. Showcasing a series of sci-fi fantastic objects, including a cloud chamber, high frequency radio receivers and Geiger counters. It's gon' get weird.
Chronus Art Center 50 Moganshan Lu. Until Jun 18.
FILM
The Fate of the Furious
Big tough bald men drive cars fast and make them go boom in the eighth(!) instalment of the Fast and the Furious series. The perfect movie to see if you feel like turning your brain off for a couple of hours and letting the spectacle wash over you. Starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Kurt Russell and Helen Mirren.
Cinemas around Shanghai. Apr 14-May 30.
Battle of Memories
Leste Chan’s sci-fi thriller about a near-future world where memory-manipulation has become commonplace boasts Huang Bo in the lead role and a surprisingly large budget for a Chinese film. The film follows Feng, a prestigious novelist (Huang Bo) who uses memory manipulation technology to delete memories of his failed marriage. However, after regretting the operation and attempting to recover his lost memories, he finds himself in the mind of a serial killer. Reaching out to police officer Shen (Duan Yihong) for help, the pair soon find themselves in the middle of a vast conspiracy.
Cinemas around Shanghai. Apr 28-May 30.
Beauty and the Beast
The virtue of courage is high up on the list of Disney princess must-haves (just below kindness, beauty and a strapping prince in tight trousers). And three cheers for director Bill Condon and star Emma Watson for having the courage to make a live-action musical adaptation of the adored 1991 animation with 2017 gender politics and a diverse cast. Not only is Belle the most feminist Disney princess ever, Beauty and the Beast also features the first (and second) ever interracial kiss in a live-action Disney movie and the first openly gay character in a Disney movie fullstop. And it's all done with a lovely feeling of integrity too.
Cinemas around Shanghai. Until Apr 8.
The Pearl Movie Night - Dirty Dancing (1987)
For the 30th anniversary of one of the most the famous romantic dance drama film Dirty Dancing, the Pearl will be screening the movie for their weekly movie night.
The Pearl Theatre 471 Zhapu Lu. Apr 5. 8pm. Free.
King Kong: Skull Island
Overblown in almost every respect (not only its giant ape), Kong: Skull Island is the kind of Hollywood fever dream that, in its first few minutes alone, throws at you a WWII bomber crash, a sizzling montage of Cold War nuclear escalation and a wide-eyed John Goodman gushing about a 'place where myth and science meet'. (He should be a screenwriter.) It’s 1973 and his character, a government-funded conspiracy nut, is talking about weather-shrouded Skull Island, deep in the South Pacific and only recently discovered by satellite.
Cinemas around Shanghai. Until Apr 6.
CLASSICAL & STAGE
Wicked
This musical prequel to The Wizard of Oz, the critically acclaimed hit show Wicked looks at what happened in the Land of Oz from a different angle. It tells the story of the witches of Oz, whose initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships until the world decides to call one 'good' and the other one 'wicked'.
Shanghai Culture Square 36 Yongjia Lu. Apr 11-May 14. 2pm; 7.15pm. 200-780RMB.
Shanghai Ballet: Swan Lake Grand Version
Onstage love, death and dance all come together in an engrossingly beautiful vortex. This ballet takes us deep into the classically Romantic heart of what ballet itself is all about.
Shanghai International Dance Center 1650 Hongqiao Rd. Apr 8-Apr 12. 7.30pm. 180-680RMB.
NT Live: No Man's Land (Filmed)
Harold Pinter’s classic about head games, confused identities and the perils of drinking, Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart play two aging writers who may or may not be old friends. Don’t miss this cast in anything.
Shanghai Grand Theatre 300 People's Avenue. Apr 16. 2pm; 7.15pm. 150RMB.
Ute Lemper and SSO Chamber Orchestra Perform The Nine Secrets
Ute Lemper's career is vast and varied. She has made her mark on the stage, in films, in concert and as a unique recording artist. She has been universally praised for her interpretations of Berlin Cabaret Songs, the works of Kurt Weill and Berthold Brecht and the French chanson as well as her portrayals on Broadway, in Paris and in London's West End.
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall 1380 Fuxing Zhong Lu. Apr 11. 8pm. 80-580RMB.
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