You know it's a good month when there are two long weekends squeezed in - and luckily there are plenty of ways to make the most of the holidays, and the rest of the month too. From Iron Maiden to Shanghai Fashion Week, these are the best things to do in Shanghai this month.
Footwork at RP Boo
The groundbreaking Chicago producer, known as 'the Godfather of footwork', comes to town for a big night at The Shelter. Kilo-Vee, Howell, Aivilox and Downstate are in support - this is bound to be a good time.
RP Boo plays The Shelter on Saturday April 9, entry 60RMB.
Shanghai Fashion Week
The bi-annual Shanghai Fashion Week in Xintiandi is back from April 8-16. This time, the theme for the week-long fashion extravaganza is ‘Flourishing City Events’. While it's not technically open to the hoi polloi, huang niu are sure to be flogging tickets outside, so there might be the chance to catch designers such as Moti Bai of Black Spoon and Prolivon strut their stuff down the catwalk while crowd favourites Zhang Da of Boundless, Zhang Xiaowen of HIUMAN and Momo Wang of Museum of Friendship hold presentations where you can get a close-up look at their collections.
Shanghai Fashion Week is at Taipinghu Park from Friday 8 to Saturday 16.
Have a good time
This quirky little café may seem a little haphazard - and it can be at times - but its charm has won us over this month. The menu here is short and slightly chaotic, but again, this adds to the appeal. There are sandwiches, including the likes of a fresh and tasty avocado, mayonnaise and soft boiled egg open sandwich with whole-grain mustard (50RMB), and rice dishes including beef curry (60RMB) and omelette (from 50RMB) offerings. Don’t expect the world from this little newcomer, but enjoy its relaxed service, cool tunes, hodgepodge menu and tasty coffee. And maybe even buy a hoodie. And, of course, have a good time.
Have a Good Time is at 318 Julu Lu, near Maoming Lu.
Techno master Richie Hawtin
Techno master Richie Hawtin, aka Plastikman, performs at MAO Livehouse as part of his latest Asia tour. We spoke to the man himself in 2014 about touring Asia, his new material and jellied fish soup - read the interview on our music page.
Richie Hawtin plays MAO Livehouse on Sat 9, entry 200-380RMB.
The Chinese Grand Prix
Formula 1 returns to Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix this month, with this season's opening exchanges hinting that we might have the title fight between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton that we're all hoping for. Practice and qualifying is on the Friday and Saturday, the big race is on the Sunday - tickets cover all three days.
The Chinese Grand Prix is at the Shanghai Circuit from Friday 15 - Sunday 17. Tickets from 380RMB.
Nothingness is Nothing At All
Just down the road from the Yuz’s Giacometti Retrospective and Shanghai Center of Photography’s dual Magnum Masters show, Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson has taken over two floors of the cavernous Long Museum West Bund to present a masterclass in experiments with refraction, reflection and colour. See this show - you won't regret it.
Nothingness is Nothing At All is at the Long Museum until June 19.
Queen Sea Big Shark
It's been a long time since Beijing dance-punk-turned-electro-pop act Queen Sea Big Shark came to Shanghai for an appearance that wasn't at a festival or a corporate gig, but they're hitting MAO Livehouse for a dedicated gig mid-April and are plugging a new album to boot. They're in town as part of their first nationwide tour in years, promoting new all-out pop album LP Beijing Surfers' Adventure. Frontwoman Fu Han told us at Time Out how world travel and translating their foreign influences into Chinese culture got them there - read the full interview online.
Queen Sea Big Shark play MAO Livehouse on Saturday April 16.
Walk the old racecourse
If you didn't already know, Shanghai's old racecourse once stood on the ground now occupied by People's Square. If you want to learn more, take this walking tour around old Shanghai’s playground – the nightclubs and ballrooms, the cinemas and cabarets, the shopping palaces and swimming pools – and learn about the fascinating characters who peopled them.
Book Walk: Around the Racecourse is on Saturday 23, 350RMB, location details TBA. Tour price includes the book. RSVP: info@historic-shanghai.com.
Baton Serpent III
Huang Yongping's hugely impressive Bâton Serpent III, a continuation of sorts from exhibitions shown in Rome (Bâton Serpent in 2014) and Beijing (last year’s Bâton Serpent II), presents two dozen of Huang’s works dating back to 1995, including some that have been modified specifically for the Power Station of Art’s colossal space. Highlights include 'Head', a menagerie of decapitated taxidermy animals that spill out over railway tracks from a train carriage suspended at a 30 degree angle.
Bâton Serpent III is on at the Power Station of Art until June 19, entry 20RMB.
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden have a back catalogue almost as big as the jumbo jet their lead singer pilots around the world. They come to the Mercedes-Benz Arena on their Book of Souls world tour - expect a theatrical spectacle, new material along with some old classics. Tickets are on sale now, plus we're giving away two tickets to Iron Maiden (baby) - see our competition on our homepage for your chance to win.
Iron Maiden play the Merces-Benz Arena on Tuesday 26, tickets 380-1,380RMB.
The May holiday festivals
British groups The Prodigy and Modestep are the first international bands to be announced for Strawberry Festival which is taking place at the end of April, once again at the Expo Garden Park. It's one of a slew of music festivals set to be held in the area over the May holiday period, with JZ Spring also due to return for 2016, plus a new EDM Festival from Strawberry organisers Modern Sky, MYST. Strawberry Festival, JZ Spring and Spring Wave Festival (at Crowne Plaza Shanghai Harbour) are on Sat April 30 - Mon May 2. Music fans, take your pick.