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Shanghai Nights: Two-Day Festivals Galore and… Wrestlemania!?

All the best things to get up to this weekend in Shanghai...
2023-03-30 12:00:00

The theme of the week is two-day parties. For when you just can't get it done in one night alone. Look at all these 48-hour parties: the Laowaijie Beer & Food festival is back all weekend long; SYSTEM hosts the exact opposite event to that: a two-day Noise Festival, all day, all night Saturday and Sunday; and if you're looking for the exact opposite event to that, the "Land of Chill" hippie meditation party is happening on Saturday and Sunday — for people who want to chill. HARD.

Our expert advice, however: put on your fetish PVC gimp costume for Friday's "Fetish Ball" at Abyss and then wear that all weekend long and end up on Sunday at the OFFICIAL Wrestlemania viewing party at Lounge by TopGolf.

(If this actually sounds like a good idea to you, we should hang. We should be friends.)

FRIDAY

Club Roza presents an exclusive Friday night of disco and house music under the theme of Hun魂! Hun, being a Chinese word for spirit, captures the essence of what Club Roza is all about; a vibrant atmosphere that embodies the spirit of partying. On decks is DJ Juhstynn, DJ Edison Chen, and DJ Fayel lending their musical prowess. Expect classic sounds on the dancefloor. Start 10pm. 

Hard dance / EBM basement club Abyss is hosting a fetish ball extravaganza called Fetish Ball Extravaganza. Kinky kids get your PVC on and head down for the public perversity of it all! Get spanked by the big sexy DJ line-up: Daisy Tan, Lina K, Gerger, and more, with Ennema Stone, VJs, and assorted whips and furs in the back. Starts 10pm. 100rmb at the door. Ka-pow! 

There is only one thing better than testing the old gray matter, and that is testing the old gray matter for a great cause. So great news: there is a charity fundraiser quiz at El Santo for Heart to Heart this Friday. Entry is 50rmb a head, with 100% of that fee going towards sponsoring a child for heart surgery. Those lovely people at El Santo are also offering up fantastic prizes for the clever clogs that do best. But the real prize will be the money raised towards saving a life, so scan the QR code on the poster below to register now.

The beer and food festival is back on Hongmei Lu for a sudsy good time. It runs March 31 to April 2, with beer, food, craft cocktails, a fashion market, food trucks, DJs and bands, and more. 6pm to 10pm on Friday; 2pm to 10pm on Saturday and Sunday. No entry fee and pay as you drink, drink, drink, eat, eat, eat. 

The Kings are taking center stage this Friday night at Hunt for their Kiss Me Drag King Night. All your favorite royalty performing, including John Menver, Sir Gently, and Mitch Bitchpleaser. (Damn, that name never loses its shine!) Starts 8pm — promises to be the manliest event in all of Shanghai this weekend. 100rmb, includes a drink or 200rmb entry nets you open bar privileges. 

Yuyintang — classic Kaixuan Lu recipe  — hosts in a blast of Chinese folk metal with the hallowed return of Taishan band Dream Spirit. A sufficiently folky, metal-y kind of name. One of the major metal bands in China, expect a packed club looking for sweet, sweet riffage with Chinese characteristics. Thrash band Dog Slayer and black metalheads Retribution in support. 198rmb at the door. 8:30pm. 

Fancy-but-casual rooftop-plus-restaurant Highline is celebrating the good weather with their Spring Fling disco on Friday night. Dress fancy-but-casual and sup on gin specials from 8pm. If you book ahead it’s free entrance. 100rmb at the door for walk-ins (including a drink). Music is that house and disco from Boris Background. 

Friday eases into the weekend with two musical tastemakers sharing a night — something of a reunion after… well, y’know. Local bass producer Knopfa is joined by turntabalist Mr. Ho, founder of Klasse Wrecks label.   He’s currently the resident for Mihn in Hong Kong and Ohm in Berlin. Expect beefy house, techno, breakbeat, everything really. Starts 10pm. 

SATURDAY

Big Latino Party on the rooftop of the Fosun Foundation Museum on the Bund with Shanghai's best Latino DJS and free Salsa classes. Scan the code on the flyer for pre-sale tickets.

The monthly punk rock drag show insanity is back on stage at delightful punk rock dive Specters. The Choker kings and queens are getting animalistic this time around with live themed performances, joviality, provocation, and maybe just a little bit of blood. (The fake kind... hopefully!) Starts 10pm. Dress to undress. 100rmb at the door. 

on Apr 1 and Apr 2, 2023

A Bunch of Noise

It’s been forever since Shanghai has seen a crazy thing like this. SYSTEM hosts in a massive bill of experimental and noise performers for two solid days of drone, harsh, ambient, blips, bleeps, crrrr, fffththt, thumpthumpthump — just a bunch of fucking noise. If your tastes veer to the esoteric and ineffable, definitely one to check out. Longtime luminaries of the scene Torturing Nurse, Li Jiangonh, improv act Mii, lovely boi DEEEEE, and more on the bill. So much chin scratching! Starts 1:30pm on both Saturday and Sunday. 220 at the door each day or 320 for the whole shebang. 

A secret ceremony will take place on the absurd day of April Fools' Day at Yuyintang. Nanjing's legendary black metal band Destry the Redemption will come to Shanghai again after many years off. They formed in 2002 and always stayed in an extremely underground drawing legions of die-hard fans for their pure, second wave black metal. Newer band Airylion, recently moved from Beijing to Hangzhou, combines black metal with evil doom stuff. Their unique temperament is the key to the success of the ceremony. 110 rmb presale; 130 rmb at door. Starts 8pm. 

Space Panda is back with another sensory overload as you step into the world of heart-pumping beats and a night of unbridled energy... Welcome to After Dark at the Electric Circus at The Shanghai EDITION. They've curated a team of international DJs will take you on an epic house-techno journey throughout the night. A 5-star dancefloor experience with the best sound system in town, mind-blowing visuals and lights. "Join us on the darker side of life and stay connected!" For table booking & more info, please contact WeChat ID: Emilboo. Entry fee is 118rmb to 158rmb, including a drink. Starts 9pm. 

on Apr 1 and Apr 2, 2023

Melon Pokes Tattoo Pop-Up

Lovely tattoo artist Melon Pokes is back at lovely gin bar Ginetics offering up whimsical stick poke tattoos all afternoon and early evening on Saturday and Sunday. Super neat tattoos from a super neat artist in a super neat spot — ideal way to turn your weekend into one that will stick with you forever. 12pm to 8pm on both days. Expect a bit of a wait time. Melon Pokes gets in demand.  

on Apr 1 and Apr 2, 2023

Land of Chill Vol. 4

Land of Chill is back for its fourth volume. Escape into a 1,000m2 world of pure chill-out. Ambient music, visual art, storytelling, yoga, meditation, an immersive dark zone full of bean bags. Video art, napping areas, a creative market, workshops, painting corner, reading corner, pottery-making corner, eats and drinks. An escape from the city, within the city, for two days only. Entrance to B1 next to Muji. 120rmb entry fee on each day. Runs 1pm to 6pm. 

Tomorrow

Movement

C's

"Whatchu fools doin this weekend? Maybe going to Revolution get down to some banging despasito while getting stared at by a burly 45 year old. Or maybe you want to go to an expensive rooftop bar on the bund were everyone is better than you. Or maybe you'll come to C's for a chill night with absolutely nothing interesting in terms of music, aweful people and bad dancing. It's your call.... See you or whatever this April Fools day Saturday. 9pm till late."

SUNDAY

WrestleMania comes to Shanghai in this special screening at Lounge by Topgolf. Topgolf has partnered with WWE to bring you this exciting event -- the pinacle of wrasslin' action. The viewing party is April 2 at 8am with the event show on Topgolf's huge screens.  They've also got interactive games to keep the excitement going during the breaks and classic American breakfast with free-flow coffee and tea to keep you fueled up. The Maniac Set is like escaping a chokehold at 188rmb. Ticket price: 188rmb for one, 356rmb for 2; add-on freeflow during the game: 188rmb. 

Sun, Apr 2, 2023

One Year Lockdown Party

House and techno house party club Heim observes a solemn time in all our lives with an all-day all night DJ party. The One Year Lockdown Party hosts in live performers with DJs starting 3pm and running late, late, late. Finally put to bed that harrowing period in your life and spend the day hanging with friends — don’t take that for granted! 

Shanghai Love celebrates one year in the book at their Maoming Bei Lu venue — and what a year its been. They’re ending off their weekend with a Sunday afternoon-into-evening party from 3pm. Expect some drinks and food flying around, hugs, good times, good cheers, good beers. No entry fee. Happy birthday to them. 

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