NIGHTLIFE

Novelist

Nineteen-year-old British MC Novelist claims to have invented a new genre, ruff sound – like grime, but sped up to ‘around 152-160bpm’, he says. If you thought grime MCing was impressive enough you’ll want to see this.

Arkham. 10pm. Wed 4. 120RMB; 80RMB (presale).

Kontra-Musik

Displaced Shelter crew VOID team up with Co:Motion to present a label showcase from Swedish imprint Kontra-Musik. Label boss Ulf Eriksson will be doing the honours – expect raw, purposeful techno to deep Detroit tones and beyond. 

Elevator. 10pm. Sat 7. 80RMB; 50RMB (presale).

David Guetta

Pierre David Guetta is a French DJ, record producer, remixer, and songwriter. He co-founded Gum Productions with Lisa Dodgson and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002. Later, he released Guetta Blaster and Pop Life.

Shanghai New International Expo Centre. 8pm. Wed 4. 480-980RMB.

Hudson Mohawke

Hip-hop orientated IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) producer HudMo went from bedroom producer to Kanye West’s in-house guru in a few short years, with a stint rolling out club bangers as one-half of electronic duo TNGHT on the way. Despite causing his fair share of controversy, he's an undisputed master of his craft.

Le Baron. 10pm. Wed 11. Free.

Snap!

The LGBT clubbing scene isn’t exactly booming in Shanghai these days, but this monthly themed night offers unadulterated fun to clubbers of all creeds. It's a night a night for dressing up, dancing and not taking things too seriously.

Daliah. Fri 13. 10pm. Free.

Antidote presents Jon Kennedy

Jon Kennedy really made it as an electronic musician when tru thoughts, one of the most respected independent labels in the world, signed him over 16 years ago. Despite this, he still primarily considers himself a drummer. In addition to releasing tracks under several names – including 777, KRS Jon and Snare Force one – he still regularly plays live with his band. 

DADA. Sat 14. 10pm. Tickets tbc.

Genome: Murlo

The sonic crew relocate to Elevator and bring in British DJ/producer Murlo. He specialises in a unique brand of intricate, colourful dance music – think dancehall, soca, garage, bassline, grime and more. 

Elevator. 10pm. Sat 14. 80RMB; 60RMB (presale).

Osunlade

Founder of Yoruba records and with just the 14 albums to his name, Osunlade is something of a house music legend. He’s seen by many as one of the most gifted producers of soul/funk-infused house. And he got his big break on... Sesame Street. Who knew? 

UNICO. 10pm. Fri 20. 100RMB.

Mr. Ho

DADA regulars 12” of Fun bring Hong Kong native, DJ and music collector Mr. Ho to Shanghai after a seven-year-long hiatus in Europe. He’ll lay down his house and techno releases with support from Lindberg and Tobias Patrick.

DADA. 10pm. Fri 20. Free.

FOOD AND DRINK

New Year's Brunch at Mr & Mrs Bund

Classic weekend brunch spot Mr & Mrs Bund will be offering a special brunch to cater for the 'hangovered'. Expect deliciousness. The usual a la carte menu will be available on request. 

Mr & Mrs Bund. 11.30am-4pm. Sun 1. 

New Year’s Day Brunch at The COOK

On the most celebrated day of the year, The COOK is offering a New Year's Day brunch set in addition to its eclectic spread of international cuisines from 13 live cooking stations. 

The COOK. 11.30am-12.30pm. Sun 1. 298RMB; 149RMB for kids (prices plus 10 percent service charge and 6 percent VAT).

New Year's Day brunch at PHÉNIX

Newly awarded one Michelin Star restaurant PHÉNIX eatery & bar at the PuLi Hotel and Spa will offer guests modern French menus with delicacies not only that please both the eye and the palate. A choice of packages include Moët et Chandon Brut Impérial or Moët et Chandon Rosé Impérial.

PHÉNIX, The PuLi Hotel and Spa. Sun 1. 888-1,088RMB (plus 10 percent service charge).

Lil' Champagne & Oysters NY Brunch at Liquid Laundry

The first brunch of the year at Liquid Laundry's new outpost Lil Laundry at the Shanghai Centre. The deal is classic yet simple: 12 imported fresh oysters free with any bottle of house Champagne. Reservations only.

Lil Laundry. 10.30am-3pm. Sun 1.

Shanghai Supper Club x Naked Stables

Shanghai Supper Club ventures outside of the city for the first time with a trip to Naked Stables in the mountains of Moganshan. A delicious meal is the highlight of the package, with courses served from locations around the resort. Each package includes accommodation, round-trip transportation, dinner and breakfast. 

Naked Stables. Sat 7-8. 3,800RMB for two (1,900RMB per person); 8,800RMB for four (2,200RMB per person); 13,200 for six (2,200RMB per person).

MUSIC

Elephant Gym

Taiwanese math-rockers Elephant Gym come to town touring a new EP, their first activity following a two-year hiatus while members undertook military service in their homeland. Shanghai post-rock bands 21 Grams and GriffO provide support.

MAO Livehouse. 8.30pm. Mon 2. 150RMB; 100RMB (presale).

Vieux Farka Touré 

One of Africa’s most celebrated living musicians, Malian maestro Vieux Farka Touré brings his energetic sound to Shanghai.

Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall. 7.45pm. Fri 13. From 80RMB (available through Time Out Tickets).

The Prodigal Son Returns 

Grunge band frontman-turned-folkie Bai Yu joins fellow multi-instrumentalist Annie Hsu for a show to mark the release of the latter’s new album, Colour Blind. Both specialise in sultry, carefully crafted folk music that shifts between sparse acoustic numbers and lushly produced emotive sounds.

On Stage. 8pm. Fri 20. 100RMB; 80RMB (presale).

Sandy Lam

Hong Kong diva Sandy Lam – who delivers her pop ballads in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese and English – comes to Shanghai as part of a tour to commemorate 30 years since she entered the music industry.

Mercedes-Benz Arena. 7.30pm. Sat 14. 280-1,380RMB.

Metallica 

Heavy metal legends return to Shanghai for their Worldwired Tour. Unsurprisingly, tickets for this show sold out within hours; if you don’t have one already, do what you can to get one.

Mercedes-Benz Arena. 7.30pm. Mon 16. Tickets have sold out.

FILM

Railroad Tigers

Jackie Chan teams up with director Ding Sheng for this action-comedy. The film’s story, set in occupied China in 1941, is clearly playing on Chan’s populist appeal, casting him as a railroad worker leading a ragtag group robbing the Japanese (boo! hiss!) to feed starving Chinese citizens. 

In cinemas now.

The Great Wall

The biggest production in Chinese history, The Great Wall imagines that Beijing’s most famous monument was built to keep out monsters rather than marauding nomads. Besides a controversial starring role for Matt Damon, it also boasts plenty of other stars and direction from Zhang Yimou.

In cinemas now.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Coming a month later to China than the rest of the world, Rogue One is a side story from the Star Wars juggernaut, focusing on a crew tasked with stealing the plans for the original Death Star. The movie has inspired a range of critical reaction from adoring to derisive, but all note the film’s strong visuals and sense of scale.

In cinemas from Fri 6.

They Will Have to Kill Us First

This award-winning documentary follows the lives of Malian musicians in their struggle against Islamist extremists who banned music after taking control over cities in northern Mali in 2012. It explores Mali’s exciting music culture, and the people’s determination to keep it alive. 

DADA. 6pm. Sat 7. Free.

Drug War

Every month, Time Out Shanghai shows one of the greatest Chinese films of all time at Glam, M on the Bund, with complimentary gourmet popcorn and specially-tailored drinks. This month it's Drug War. The first of Hong Kong director Johnnie To’s films to have won approval from Mainland censors (the film is also entirely set in, and partially funded by, the Mainland) in this drug-trafficking thriller all roads converge in a climactic shoot-out that is as exhilarating as it is caustic – a ballet of bullets that effectively obliterates the line separating do-gooders and devils. To reserve your spot, send 'Film' to our WeChat.

Glam, M on the Bund. 4.15pm. Sun 8. Free (RSVP required).

Kubo and the Two Strings

Animation studio Laika (Coraline, Paranorman) is responsible for this typically gorgeous 3D stop-motion cartoon about a young boy in ancient Japan with magical powers.

In cinemas from Fri 13.

ART

OVERPOP

OVERPOP takes the form of a curatorial conversation between Jeffrey Deitch and Karen Smith, examining the genre of Pop Art and its influence on the art world today. 

Yuz Museum. Until Sun 15. 80RMB.

Masterpieces from the Centre Pompidou

Showcasing a panorama of original artworks from France circa 1906-1977, including world famous masters such as Picasso and Matisse, through to lesser-known names.

Shanghai Exhibition Centre. Until Sun 15. 150RMB.

Sun Xun: Prediction Laboratory

This exhibition offers a stimulating look at a utopian future, through the eyes of China’s emerging contemporary art scene.

Yuz Museum. Until Sun 15. 40RMB.

Journey to the West

Legendary and provocative contemporary Chinese artist Gu Wenda returns to his homeland with an epic installation of 25,000 lanterns hanging by the Huangpu. Inside the museum, the exhibition looks back on his lifetime of work. 

M21-Shanghai 21st Century Minsheng Art Museum. Until Feb 15. Free.

Into the Heart of the City: Building the Future

In this solo exhibition by French photographer Nathalie Perakis-Valat, the artist met with a group of men working on construction sites in Shanghai, in order to collect their stories and create portrait shots, encouraging a deeper understanding of the people around us. 

Art+ Shanghai Gallery. Until Feb 26. Free.

Vivienne Westwood: GET A LIFE

Shanghai K11 Art Mall and K11 Art Foundation introduce Vivienne Westwood's GET A LIFE, a fusion of fashion and art through the lens of activism. On display are looks from Westwood’s latest campaigns as well as important archive collections including Save The Rainforest and Mirror The World.

chi k11 Art Space. Until Feb 27. 50-80RMB.

Shanghai Biennale 2016

The exciting arrival of the 11th Shanghai Biennale brings with it the works of

a whopping 92 participating artists and artist groups from 40 countries worldwide, as well as a host of educational talks, lectures and events across the city. See timeoutshanghai.com/art for more info. 

Power Station of Art. Until Mar 12. 20RMB.

STAGE

Salina (The Last Vertebra)

Brazilian company Amok Teatro presents a riot of colour and culture, setting award-winning French author Laurent Gaudé’s play Salina ablaze. Amok’s version, Salina (The Last Vertebra), tells of a rebellious, mysterious orphan girl rescued and raised by a tribe. 

Shanghai Huangpu Theatre. 7.30pm. Thu 5-Sun 8. 50-500RMB (available through Time Out Tickets).

Paris Opera Ballet Gala 

The Paris Opera Ballet presents a refreshing, varied programme for duets, trios and ensemble that illustrates decades of what has made this company special.

SHOAC. 7.15pm. Fri 6 and Sat 7. 80RMB (available through Time Out Tickets).

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Conductor Daniele Gatti leads one of the world’s best orchestras playing a programme of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 (Romantic) and Berg’s Violin Concerto (Wed 18); and Debussy’s Afternoon of a Faun and La Mer, and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring (Thu 19). With violinist Janine Jansen.

SHOAC. 7.30pm. Wed 18 and Thu 19. 80-2,280RMB.

Martin Stadfeld Piano Recital

A known Bach interpreter, Martin Stadfeld won the 2002 Leipzig Bach Competition, and released an acclaimed Bach CD two years later. The programme includes Chaconne (Stadfeld trans), Bach’s Goldberg Variations with 14 integrated canons and others. 

Shanghai Concert Hall. 7.30pm. Sun 22. 180-480RMB.

Alice Sara Ott Piano Recital

Pianist Alice Sara Ott’s Grieg in Wonderland concert includes a selection of Grieg’s lyric pieces from Peer Gynt, and his Ballade in G minor. Also on the programme is the famously difficult Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor.

SHOAC. 7.30pm. Fri 13. Tickets tbc.

Ballet Flamenco de Madrid: Carmen

The story of the seductive gypsy and an honourable man torn between duty and desire, Carmen is perfect flamenco material. 

Shanghai Grand Theatre. 7.15pm. Sat 21-Sun 22. 80-580RMB.

Manfred Honeck and the SSO Concert

Part of the Isaac Stern competition winner series, this time second-place winner Sergei Dogadin plays the ever-popular Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Then Honeck leads the SSO in Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. For more concerts from the Isaac Stern Competition winner showcase, see timeoutshanghai.com/stage.

Shanghai Symphony Hall. 8pm. Wed 4. 80-580RMB.

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