SmartShanghai's Essential Guide to

Nightlife & Clubbing in Shanghai

By , Last updated

In Markus Schulz at M2, by Kosuke Sato © SmartShanghai.com

The majority of bars and clubs in Shanghai, like many other Southeast Asian metropolises, are grouped on bar streets and nightlife districts, and sometimes a night out can entail bar hopping up and down a given street to several different venues in an evening. This tourist mentality to nightlife, originating in the Shanghai nightlife boom in the mid 1990s, is fading somewhat, as the industry matures, local tastes change, and more and more young expats are adopting Shanghai as a semi-permanent residence. The current clubbing scene is characterized by a handful of clubs -- both large and small -- that have staked their claim on a given night and demographic. Also in recent years, the clubbing scene has become more events-based, as competition-conscious club owners and promoters try to stay one step ahead of the pack, offering new theme-nights, international or local celebrity DJs, more elaborate one-off parties, and better drink deals.

These factors have contributed to a nightlife scene in which the avid club-goer must stay well-informed to suss out the best party on a given night. With few exceptions, a club could be rammed one night and completely deserted the next, and the question to ask is not "where" to go, but rather "when" to go. Click here to be redirected to our events listings for the latest information on Shanghai's clubbing events.

Hang the DJ

Shanghai is one of the world's most frequented cities for "Top 100" DJs. In the past few years Above and Beyond, Deep Dish, DJ Dan, Sven Vath, Carl Cox, Tiesto, and John Digweed, to name a few, have all played sets in Shangers. If big name international DJs are your thing, check out whose playing at Muse and M2 -- the Muse empire has in recent years emerged at the head on the pack for big-name booking. Other options are G Plus, TanghuiVIP, and Babyface.

Bund Life

In Pacha at Bar Rouge, by Charlie Xia © SmartShanghai.com

Arguably the face of Shanghai clubbing is presented by Shanghai's Bund district and the handful of upscale venues located therein. Catering both to tourists looking to sample what they've been told is the epitome of Shanghai nightlife and local moneyed residents, the spectrum of nightlife options on the Bund tilts to the high-end with the standouts being The Glamour Bar and Lounge18. The former, located in the Shanghai-famous "5 on the Bund" building is more of a mature cocktail lounge -- Cuban/art deco in theme -- with drinks to match. It pulls in a swanky, older crowd on the weekends, but also check out their Sunday afternoon cultural events which include book launches, guest lectures, and table discussions. In recent months, Glamour Bar has make overtures to a younger crowd as well, with new music from international DJs and bands, and gay-friendly nights.

Other points of interest include the D&G Bar, popular with a European in-crowd for it's cocktails and intimate vibe, and Vault Bar at Laris, especially on Thursdays, their two-for-one martini night, which attracts that jet-setting, metrosexual crowd that Shanghai is known for. Don't forget your pointy shoes. And why don't you go ahead and unbutton that fake Armani shirt a few notches while you're at it.

And of course, there is Bar Rouge, which is indeed red. Bar Rouge is the most famous bar in Shanghai and offers a camera-friendly backdrop for clubbers resident and visiting, looking for their Shanghai "memories." Recently, they've been pushing local DJ talent with their SMS (Shanghai Music Society) parties.

New(er) kid on the block? M1NT is still pulling them about a year after opening, and looks like it's going to be a long-term fixture on Shanghai's Bund.

And if you're looking for that Bund view and you don't feel up for spending you life savings to get it, head to Captain's Bar, the bar at the roof of Captain's Hostel. It's a more low-key but welcoming atmosphere, and a couple of pints won't break the bank.

In Jon White at M1nt, by Kosuke Sato © SmartShanghai.com

Bars/Pubs

As an alternate to the thump-thump-thump intensity of Shanghai's clubs, Shanghai's pub/bar scene is fairly well-developed in terms of offering a few long-established staple pubs and an interesting mix of more idiosyncratic dives and bars. The city caters to the pub crowd quite well, in the form of the standard UK and American imports. Bars and pubs in Shanghai are separated by country genres and the type of clientele that frequent them. In terms of the classic British pub, Oscar's on Hengshan in a safe bet, as is the Bulldog. Also in that area is the Blarney Stone, The Beaver, and Abbey Road, all of which are fine for pints. If you're looking for a sports bar, the Big Bamboo on Tongren Lu is the reigning king of all things sports-related, but also try Malone's down the road a bit for an American slant.

Also, no trip to Shanghai is complete without a visit to I Love Shanghai for a few, so make sure you slot that in on your list as well.

After Hours

Most clubs and bars in Shanghai have a loose closing time of 4am but usually stay open as long as people are in them buying drinks. In terms of clubs that pick up when the others leave off, despite many pretenders to the crown, Dragon Club has been, for the last couple years, the go-to destination for clubbers looking to get serious with their nights out, and keep them going well into the next day. Another noteworthy mention is MAO, a relatively newer and larger club that stays open and hopping late. If you're looking for a ritzy all-night crowd, stop by Velvet Lounge -- another venue that never stops. Other places that keep things going, perhaps because they are cheaper and good ways to cap off the night, are LOgO and YY's -- YY's never, ever closes, and attracts an eclectic gang of the loyal who keep it up well into the next afternoon.

In Club Sky Opening

The Local Scene

Visitors to Shanghai might be surprised to discover that the vast majority of clubs are filled with expats and tend to be Western in theme. Even though you're in China, on a given night you could walk into a diluted version of an Ohio State frat party, an Ibiza rave, a London pub, a New York hipster dive, or a French lounge. With the local Chinese, KTV is king (as the saying goes) in terms of nightlife recreation, and the amount of KTV (Karaoke TV) bars dwarfs any other genre of club. KTV caters to a vast demographic, from couples, to business colleagues, to friends, and even families -- groups not necessarily interested in consuming vast amounts of alcohol and narcotics

In recent years, though -- and with the world financial crisis creating a mass exodus of expats -- Chinese clubbers have become the dominant purchasing demographic, and the Shanghai nightlife industry has responded accordingly. Clubbing has caught on somewhat with Shanghai's youth and new-moneyed middle class, and the specter of the "Chinese club" looms large over Shanghai's nightlife. The Chinese-managed clubbing franchise Muse currently sets the standard in Shanghai nightlife as the most lucrative and successful set-up and orientation, and has created a whole host of imitators in its wake. Pretenders to the Muse throne open and shut weekly in Shanghai, and the franchise has a total lock on their demographic and what they want. On any given night of the week and at any of the Muse venues, visitors can expect a full house -- models and bottles -- along with hip hop and/or mash up and/or electro on the system.

"Chinese clubs" are great places to search out if you're not a snob about the decore, are accepting that it's different strokes for different folks, and are looking to travel to where most Westerners fear to tread. The current be-all-and-end all for the true Chinese clubbing experience is No.88, a new club on Fumin Lu. We shan't say more. Alternatively, a long-running success story is Babyface, a club franchise with several venues in China, hosting frequent appearance by world famous DJs. Another club popular with the local Chinese crowd is Guandii, which is a hip hop venue. And also there's one of the several MT venues, which are basically one-step removed from KTV.

Sounds from the Underground

In Antidote Live at The Shelter, by Kosuke Sato © SmartShanghai.com

A reaction to the perceived commercialism of Shanghai's Bund nightlife and larger clubs, a few select, smaller, grungier venues have carved a niche in the market catering to a new class of (mostly-expat) "discerning" clubbers. These bar and clubs are almost always music-orientated and a given party is usually focused around a particular genre of dance/electronica depending on the independent or in-house promoter throwing the party. The two standard-setting venues for what can provisionally be termed the "underground" scene in Shanghai are The Shelter and LOgO, both of which have embraced the local independent promoter/DJ crew scene. The larger of the two, The Shelter, is always packed on weekends, and hosts DJs and MCs from the electronic/dance/hip hop/funk spectrum. Although, monthly one-offs also go down almost every weekend, and international bookings of cutting-edge and experimental performers are frequent. A home for the Chinese alternative clubber is Anar bar, and you might want to swing by there as well if your looking for the brash and the new.

Another recent addition catering to this demographic is Dada, also on Xingfu Lu, right in between LOgO and Anar Bar. Dada Bar is more party orientated, not taking itself all that seriously, and as a lounge/bar/dive bar combo, it's great for relaxed drinks during the week or to make a night out of it on the weekend. With its addition, Xingfu Lu has cemented itself as the go-to destination for younger expats and Chinese clubbers who scorn the perceived inauthenticity of larger commercial clubs.

As independent promoters and DJs forge out new grounds, other venues around town have at times played host to their parties, including Shanghai's favorite dive bar C's and, another recent addition, Not Me on Dongping Lu. Not Me pushes a mandate of indie electro music, and is worth a look when they've got an event going. They've also got frequent drink specials and open bar deals.

Punk's Not Dead

In Maybe Mars Label Showcase at Zhi Jiang Dream Factory, by Tim Franco © SmartShanghai.com

Well, yeah it is. Wait, no it's not! Yeah, it pretty much is. Especially in Shanghai, a city more known for its electronic/dance scene -- a city that is forever playing catch-up with Beijing, which boasts a (comparatively) thriving live rock music scene. Although, every month or two, expat media (SmartShanghai included) publishes a state of the union-type article about the "live scene," live music in Shanghai still struggles to find a foothold both commercially (live venues shut down and reopen frequently) and creatively (only a handful of bands in Shanghai of any genre even exist).

One thing Shanghai does have going for it is a fairly well-developed social network of promoters working overtime to put bands -- any band -- in front of an audience. Said promoters are developing their audiences and revenue streams, and every year more and more quality acts are finding their way to Shanghai. Although separated by cultural and language differences, younger Chinese audiences share with their expat counterparts a deep-seated fondness for live music, and it works to spur the "scene" onwards through some hard times. Adding to the problem of an underdeveloped live music scene, is the measures taken by city regulative bodies to keep live music marginalized. Licensing regulations add to the commercial instability of live music and keeping your ear to the ground is necessary if you want to catch innovative live music -- or any live rock music -- being performed on a Shanghai stage.

Just this past year, however, Shanghai's love music scene made a huge step forward with the opening of MAO Livehouse, the city's first permanent and specialized mid-to-large size convert venue. It's opening and positioning as the "next big thing" has attracted new live music fans and concert goers, and we're still waiting to see if it's lasts into the long term.

As of this writing, the most consistent venue putting on live music is Yuyintang. They do shows covering the gamut of genres every weekend and during a lot of the week as well. There's also Live Bar, The Melting Pot, and 021 Bar. These are pretty stalwart in putting on local and touring Chinese bands, and both host shows every Friday and Saturday.

Other clubs double as live music venues when the need arises and often LOgO will host a band, as will Anar Bar. The odd larger concert also takes place at Zhijiang Dream Factory.

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