It's a big week for women in Shanghai, with International Women's Day this Wednesday and the return of the brilliant Ladyfest Shanghai with art installations, performances, and workshops at the weekend. Plus Shanghai Restaurant Week continues, a host of musical acts come through town and one of the most exciting ballet troupes in the world come to wow the Shanghai Grand Theatre. See our picks for this week below.
MUSIC
Festivus
This show at On Stage brings together Braids, Shigeto, Nonku Phiri and Faded Ghost as part of a 'micro music festival for the rest of us' from promoters Spectacles of Sound.
On Stage Huaihai Xi Lu. March 10. 9pm. 180RMB; 140RMB (presale).
Chinese Football
Whatever your take on the beautiful game in China, there's a lot to like about Wuhan band Chinese Football. They're bringing their melodic, math-rockish indie sound to Shanghai in celebration of a new EP, Here Comes a New Challenger!
Yuyintang 851 Kaixuan Lu. March 11. 9pm. 80RMB; 60RMB (presale).
Sleepmakeswaves
Having toured with post-rock luminaries such as 65daysofstatic, Tortoise and Mono, Australia's Sleepmakeswaves return to Shanghai as part of a nine city tour of China to promote their brand new album. According to the band, China will be the first country to experience the new record and the accompanying new live show.
MAO Livehouse 308 Chongqing Nan Lu. March 10. 9pm. 150RMB; 120RMB (presale).
FOOD & DRINK
Restaurant Week
The tenth edition of Shanghai Restaurant Week continues, the time of year when you can snag awesome deals at some of the city's best joints. Until March 12 participating restaurants will have set lunch and dinner menus where you can sample a selection of their bites for super stellar prices.
Long press and extract the QR code above for more information.
NIGHTLIFE
Goth Trad
Antidote bring the Japanese dubstep and bass music pioneer to town on the back of his 2016 full-length Psionics. He’s been running Tokyo party Back To Chill (now also a label) for over a decade and has been described as a ‘modern standard-bearer for dubstep’.
DADA 115 Xingfu Lu. March 9. 10pm. 50RMB.
Dannic
Dannic, the prodigious DJ and producer, is one of the fiercest acts to emerge from the latest generation of Dutch artists, cementing himself as a go-to name that delivers within the world of big-room, grooving house. Dannic’s long-running stance behind the radio airwaves including his recently-rebranded Fonk Radio venture, also demonstrates a producer that is well and truly tapped into the most vital and important industry trends that appeal to his ever-expanding audience.
Fusion 123 Xingye Lu. March 10. 10.30pm. 150RMB. Long press and extract the QR code above to buy tickets.
FILM
Lego Batman
The breakout star of 2014’s The Lego Movie now gets his own action-packed, completely batshit superhero spinoff. For Batman's solo debut, the plot may draw on another creaky comic cliché – Batman inadvertently adopts adorable orphan Robin (Michael Cera) and has no idea what to do with him – but The Lego Batman Movie is so jam-packed with ideas, asides and barmy cameos (Lego Bane! Lego Marlon Brando! Lego gremlins!) that there’s barely time to notice.
Cinemas around Shanghai. Long press and extract the QR code above to buy tickets.
Logan
In what may be his final film as Wolverine, Hugh Jackman takes it deeper and darker in an appropriately apocalyptic superhero movie. Jackman has repeatedly suggested that Logan will mark his farewell to a character he's been tied to for 17 years and seven films. If so, it's a fitting swansong: in stark contrast to most Marvel movies, particularly last year's peppy but pointless X-Men: Apocalypse, this feels more like a wake than a party. Overall, Logan is something rather special: a moving and mournful story of life at the end of the line, and the perfect blockbuster for these embittered times.
Cinemas around Shanghai. Long press and extract the QR code above to buy tickets.
Sing
This delightful animated feature from the studio behind the Minions movies is a fun, toe-tapping animated musical about various animals living in the city and pursuing their dream to be singers. It takes a tired idea – a comedy set around a talent contest – and turns it into something winning and witty.
Cinemas around Shanghai. Long press and extract the QR code above to buy tickets.
THINGS TO DO
Ladyfest: This is it
Ladyfest Shanghai is a grassroots, nonprofit organisation formulated by a group of women with the mission to celebrate female empowerment and promote a dialogue for gender equality through hosting an annual event held close to International Women’s Day. The annual event calls upon the local community to join in supporting freedom of self-expression through a wide diversity of skills and to create an open environment which fosters mutual inspiration, exchange of experiences and visions of femininity and equality.
Suzhou Creek Warehouse 1295 Nan Suzhou Lu. March 11. 12pm. Free.
Women Up! kNOw Violence
Women Up! Is a resource-sharing and networking platform for women. In conjunction with International Women's Day, this event hopes to increase awareness of domestic violence especially among women within the lesbian and queer community. The event will showcase women in leadership positions who are conducting work or projects related to domestic violence. Swing by and be inspired by what these women have achieved and the people they have helped.
XSPACE 77 Jiangning Lu. March 9. 7pm. Free.
ART
Shanghai Biennale 2016
This is the final week of the mighty Shanghai Biennale, and that means the final three new artists taking the stage of the Power Station of Art to put forward their ideas. Follow Yancongpsa on WeChat for up-to-date information on what to see this week.
Power Station of Art 200 Huayuangang Lu. Until Mar 12. 20RMB.
James Turrell: Immersive Light
World-renowned Californian artist James Turrell exhibits works of epic proportions at the Long Museum, showcasing a lifetime of experimentation with light, space and perspective. Having spent 50 years learning how to shape light into art, Turrell's exhibition is mesmerising and inspiring in equal measure. Presenting 13 works of art including three immersive light experiences, the show also displays photographs of the artist's work with the distinct Roden Crater in northern Arizona.
Long Museum West Bund 3398 Longteng Avenue. Until May 21. 200RMB.
Eternal Return
Capsule Shanghai presents young artist Gao Yuan's first Shanghai solo exhibition. The show is comprised of two parts, the first taking the form of an animation entitled Lunar Dial, which received critical acclaim at the 2017 International Film Festival Rotterdam and will be screened at the Hong Kong International Film Festival in April 2017. The second part of the exhibition is a selection of Yuan's paintings, realised over a period of six years and used as background in the artist's animation.
Capsule Gallery 275 Anfu Lu. Until Apr 30. Free.
PERFORMANCE
Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal: Modern Times
An internationally renowned repertory company, BJM has continued to grow with all the energy and spirit of exploration for which it has been known since its birth in 1972. Thanks to the enduring faith of Geneviève Salbaing and co-founders Eva Von Gencsy and Eddy Toussaint, this vitality has made its mark through the years. Since Louis Robitaille was nominated Artistic Director in 1998, BJM is now, more than ever, in tune with the times. While preserving the essence of the company, BJM works today with some of the most prestigious figures in the world of dance and contemporary ballet.
Shanghai Grand Theatre 300 Renmin Avenue. Mar 7. 7.30 pm. 180-680RMB. Long press and extract the QR code above to buy tickets.
Concerto Italiano Performs L'Orfeo
Ancient Greek myth Orpheus was once the favourite theme for the Western early opera composers, the love story that Orfeo rescued Euridice in the nether world was inspiring. L'Orfeo was written in 1607 for a court performance during the annual Carnival at Mantua by Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi. It was accompanied by a complete orchestra in the premiere, which gave birth to modern opera. The Concerto Italiano offers a unique interpretation of Monteverdi and Vivaldi’s music. Established in 1984, this orchestra has so far won three prestigious Gramophone awards.
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall 1380 Fuxing Zhong Lu. Mar 9. 8pm. 80-380RMB. Long press and extract the QR code above to buy tickets.
FAMILY
Time Out Shanghai Family's Next Generation Day
Join Time Out Shanghai Family on Saturday 11 March for our Next Generation event at SOHO Fuxing Plaza. Head down to check out talks on the latest technology, healthcare and lifestyle news, in addition to fabulous family entertainment like bouncy castles, children's activities and more. The event is free and open to all, so do drop by for a great family day out!
Soho Fuxing Plaza 388 Madang Lu. March 11. 11am. Free.
Shanghai University Fest
Yew Chung International School (YCIS), the only Asian school obtaining the Cambridge Award for Excellence in Education, will be hosting an international university fair at their Gubei campus on March 12. Some featured universities include King's College London, Fordham University, the University of Edinburgh, as well as other world-class institutions from Europe, Asia, and Australia. Prospective students will receive advice on the application process and experience a unique taste of college life through arts and sports-focused activities that will take place throughout the day.
YCIS Gubei Campus 18 Rong Hua Xi Dao. Mar 12. 11am. Free.
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