The Agenda takes a sweeping look at the next month in Shanghai and selects the big events in the respective categories of dining, music, art, and more, more, more. Here’s your socio-culture calendar for the next month in Shanghai.




For almost a year now, Brad Turley, chef and owner of one of Shanghai’s most popular and well-received restaurants in Shanghai, Goga, has been saying he’ll be opening his second restaurant Hai “in the next few weeks.” But, September, people, is finally the month. Really. Turley promised us. We swear. In the past few weeks he’s shifted the pre-opening process into overdrive, hiring a manager for the front of the house, a sous chef, a new kitchen crew, and a bar chief. The last order of business is gathering up all of those recipe ideas in his head and condensing them into a coherent menu. Expect something along the same lines of Goga, Cali-style and Pacific Rim type stuff -- the stuff he does best. He’s also planning on putting in a raw bar, which sounds pretty awesome. If you haven’t been in for one of his private events, the space is quite promising. Perched on the seventh floor of that hotel just behind the original Goga, it boasts sweeping views of the Concession. About half of it is al-fresco seating too. We expect things to be up and running by mid-month, which is basically… um… “in the next few weeks.”

And also… Just months after opening The Food Central, the folks at The Apartment are primed to open their third concept in Shanghai, The Geisha. The concept, in their words, is “a play on a modern upscale West Coast influenced Japanese Restaurant, Sushi Bar and Sake Lounge.” Each floor will house a different concept. At the ground floor you’ve got a 50-seat restaurant with an open kitchen run by a recruit from Japan named Hatch, who apparently has a leg up, genetically speaking; he comes from a whole family of chefs. Upstairs from that will be a “Vegas style boutique club with a central bar, lush velvets and silks, with private and intimate booths” and, supposedly, dancing geishas. Crowning it all will be an exclusive sake lounge. Expect an opening September 5.




Art lovers are spoiled for choice this month, as SHContemporary sets up shop once again at the Shanghai Exhibition Center from September 8 - 10, bringing with it a dazzling array of local and international artists, special events, and openings aplenty. This year, the fair's 5th edition, will be one to watch, as new director Massimo Torrigiani takes over the reigns, with the notable shift from previous fairs being an emphasis on photography. You've got the inaugural Asia Pacific Photography Prize, specialized gallery showcases, as well as round table event, Photography Update: The New Generation. Check the website here for more details.

And also... Well, the SHContemporary is very much a city-wide she-bang, with tons of gallery events taking place across Shanghai. Our pick, however, is “M50 Joint Openings” on September 6. Head over to the Moganshan Lu hub for a bevvy of venues hosting evening-time showcases -- check individual galleries for details, but to name a few, Laurent Friquet's performance piece at StageBack is worth a gander; then perhaps wander over to island6, who'll be celebrating two decades of Red Gate gallery in China; before meandering over to photographer Yang Yong's solo exhibition at m97.

But yeah, what's more, there'll likely be free booze, should that be a deal maker.

All Upcoming and Ongoing Art Exhibitions in Shanghai on SmartShanghai's Art Calendar here.




Years, decades, a lifetime, to be sure, in the making, local promoters Split Works’ big music festival, “Black Rabbit”, finally kicks off in Shanghai, with a day-long music festival event spread across four stages and basically all music genres on September 18. Although large-scale music festivals in China have been a frequent occurrence for a few years now, Black Rabbit separates itself somewhat based on the sheer number of international acts making their China debut at it. And it's still somewhat new for Shanghai...

But whatever with all that, Ludacris is one of the headliners. LUDA.

And if you needed more, it’s a very populist-orientated program -- at least one act per discernible demographic seems to be the mandate -- with American alt pop group, 30 Seconds to Mars and Chinese pop star, Hebe sharing headling duties with the aformentioned hip hop star of stage and screen. Click here for the festival webpage for the full-line of acts and for more background on all the important, important music they make. Should be a proper spectacle. A fun day out.

Logistical details are thus: venue is the Shanghai Rugby Club. Tickets will be available on SmartTicket on September 5, so come on back then and double down on those..

And also… There's no shortage of music in Shanghai in September, but here's a couple more we’re looking forward to in particular: Legacy garage punks Black Rebel Motor Cycle Club making their Shanghai debut at Mao Livehouse, keeping it red-lined on evil for September 13 and local shitrock two-piece, Pairs unleash their latest album at Yuyintang, recorded up there yon in the Beijing, on September 30. Both should be good-uns.




This month in nnn tsst, nnn tsst, nnn tsst is the much-anticipated return of Paul Van Dyk to Shanghai, a city with a never-abating thirst for big-name DJ Mag Top 100 DJs. You get one of these guys on town and it can get pretty cray-zay. What’s Pauly been up to since the last two and a half years since we saw him? Just kicking it with the whole DJ list thing, occupying a Top 10 position -- 6th to be specific. And with that placement in 2010, he was awarded the “Longest Running DJ In Top 10 Of DJ's Mag Top 100 DJ's” at 13 years straight. An achievement indeed. Ranking things makes it easier when trying to ascertain worth, we find, so good job, someone, for doing it.

So yeah, there’s that, and he’s also doing a world tour behind his latest studio album, Evolution, which sees the German trance DJ dialing back the bpms a bit, while maintaining the same catchy, driving rhythms he’s known for. In addition to the new material off the album, Van Dyk’s “Evolution Tour" sees him working with a state-of-the-art lights and visual show to match the music, some variation of which, he will be presenting in Shanghai. He debuted the Evolution show at Cochella a few months back -- have a look. Looks sufficiently mind BLOWING. Always a big party when Paul comes to town. Should be a rammed and euphoric evening for the trance kids.

The details: Paul Van Dyk. Evolution World Tour Shanghai Stop. September 16. Richbaby. Tickets here.

And also… Hip hop luminaries decend on Shanghai -- DJ Shadow returns to town, joined by local rising star, SIG at the Mercedes Benz Arena on September 30, as well as turntablist extraordinaire, DJ Vadim, back in town at Mao Livehouse on September 17.




If you’re not familiar with Cirque du Soleil, it’s basically Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat combined with a Slayer concert.

Or maybe not.

Yeah, it’s really not that at all. But it should be generating the same level of excitement as if it were that, I’m telling you. Really, though, Cirque du Soleil is the world’s premier circus and street performance arts company, triumphantly returning to Shanghai with their longest-running touring production, Saltimbanco from September 21 to 25 at the Mercedes Benz Arena. Saltimbanco is a narrative-based stage production dealing with themes of -- no joke -- "cosmopolitan urbanism". Expect a mix of traditional and contemporary circus arts performed according to a rubric that explores the "opposites and contradictions located within a cityscape".

Basically, people flipping around all crazy-like, off poles and platforms and things, wearing zany costumes, with a central message of “be yourself in the global village and love will join us together” or something like that. Actually, same thing as a Slayer concert. Tickets for this are going fast -- it shall sell out -- we beseech you, get yours here.




The acronym FNO, refers to, YES, "Fashion’s Night Out", taking place in our very city on September 11. Shanghai joins the likes of Paris, Milan, NYC, and London in a celebration of fashion, self-expression, and extravagant retail therapy.

Fashion’s Night Out was started by Vogue three years ago as the ultimate “shopper’s night out”, where celebrities, designers, and models make appearances at fashion-frequented destinations, stores stay open extra late with special promotions, and shoppers go out to splurge the night away.

In Shanghai, that translates to a Huaihai Lu-centered festival of consumerism. All the expected name brands are participating, as are the likes of Zara, H&M, and a bunch of malls in the area, albeit to varying degrees. Coach is selling a special edition handbag made just for the event -- only 50 total available, in 3 colors -- on that night. Salvatore Ferragamo is opening exclusive early sales of their fall 2011 line. MANGO is hiring a DJ and offering M.A.C. makeovers to anyone who spends over 800rmb. Zara will have a DJ too, but theirs comes with Polaroid photo ops and champagne. Xintiandi is giving out a limited supply of designer dresses to all shoppers who spend over 1588rmb. You get the idea. Countdown and more details at the official site.

And also… Kind of the opposite of FNO’s global consumerfest, nana & bird is a Singapore-based pop up shop brand that’s flown into Shanghai for just six months. Hidden in an alley also (ironically-ish) on Huaihai Lu, they’re super craftsy, alternative, and sure to satisfy all your cute indie trinket needs. Check out their feature on CreativeHunt for more details.

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