Damn we're lucky to live in a city with mad options for nightlife, mostly within walking distance or a quick journey on the train, the bike, that Didi Zhuanche, or – if you're a real head – the bus.
This is our weekly, human-curated shortlist of what's on. As always, hit up smartshanghai.com/events/nightlife for much more. Listing events is free - hit us up if you've got something planned.
Preme, a long-running Shanghai-based crew for hip hop, trap, and more underground-leaning sounds, does a night at this new hip hop lounge by IAPM on Friday. Preme residents Na$ty, Warlock, Guz, and Renee are holding down the DJ island there all night. Free entry, good chance to check this place out.
This is thee monthly night for reggae, roots, dub, and jungle in Shanghai City. This one is hosted by Jado, a real OG badman MC from Shanghai. Each month, he hosts this party in what might be the city's oldest and most charming dive bar, and invites DJs and MCs from other cities to come thru and bless the decks and mic. This month's guest is BMZ, comin straight outta Xishuangbanna in Yunnan, China. Support from Jado and Wukongoo. Pull up!
Tommy Four Seven has spent more than a decade pushing techno into darker, heavier territory. The Berlin-based DJ, producer, and 47 label founder is known for stripped-back, high-pressure sets that blur the lines between techno, industrial, and experimental club music without sacrificing dancefloor impact. Support from Minh, Polana, and Shukai.
UK-via-Nanjing producer/DJ/mixing engineer Dirty K is back, on a ten-city tour of China in support of his newest album, Xin Yi. This release came out on the UK label Eastern Margins this year. From Bandcamp: "信義 (Xin Yi) is the latest release from Dirty K’s East Asian Dance Music project, and serves as a companion to 妙義 (Myogi). Both albums continue the exploration and preservation of local underground club dance music in East Asia. 信義 (Xin Yi) takes the local rhythms explored on 妙義 (Myogi) further, officially defining them as 台客碎拍 (Taikebeat) - a dance music language born in Taiwan’s early‑2000s shake-head pubs and nightclub scenes. 台客碎拍 (Taikebeat) comes from real dance floors, not the internet, carrying the physical memory of local nightlife culture. From Taipei’s B1PUB to Taoyuan’s The Lion King Nightclub and No.6 (Kaohsiung), these spaces shaped a distinctive aesthetic: dense, fractured drum patterns, overloaded low frequencies, and the digital textures of the CD era." He's also a really good and HYPE DJ. Support from Vibekiller, Josie, and Sanchuan.
Long-running club night and label, Love Bang, does a club night at this C-Park underground club with a bangin’ soundsystem. Music is hip hop, R&B, club music, and bass all night long from yb (bybb Radio), a turntablism set from China DMC champion DJ L-J, Love Bang founder DJ Heatwolves, and man-about-town, Xiao Laba. Come find out what "No windows left unbroken" means.
One of China's best house and ambient producers, Knopha, is curating a new night at community-oriented club, Heim. For this first one, he has Kugel, Mamayo, and himself. Should be a good night of headier, more textured house, techno, and ambient. More details tba.
C-Park lounge-unlike-any-other has a night of house, techno, and club music from the very solid lineup of CHERONII, 10000, and Venus Flytrap, a former Shanghai resident who's back in town for this one. Should be good times, for dancing or just hanging out and listening.
Neighborhood pizza bar ZUP hosts another edition of their Sunday party with six DJs playing house, disco, hip hop, and more. Pizza is available by the slice and it's always a good vibe in the restaurant and on the sidewalk out front on Shaanxi Bei Lu in Jing'an. No cover. Note that music ends at 9pm sharp but venue stays open until around 10pm or 11pm.
