Yeah man. It's that time of year again.
Your neighbor just got a special delivery – two new boxes of huangjiu. Your jackets are stoked to come out of the closet again. And that Terminator 2: Judgment Day torrent? Sheeeeit, it finally finished downloading. Yeah man. It's about to be lit.
And like, obviously the Theatrical Edition is the best version of Terminator 2, but what's the best version of your Golden Week? The Director's Cut where you end up at a combination club/KTV in Songjiang? The Extended Version where shit gets real in Putuo? That's why we're giving you some options.
And while the forecast says C-Park and INS will be raging every night, we've tried to curate some functions and situations outside of those zones. There is no fate but what we make.
This is our weekly, human-curated shortlist of what's on in Shanghai this weekend. As always, hit up smartshanghai.com/events/nightlife for much more. Listing events is free - hit us up if you've got something planned.
Wigwam Soft Bunk 007 (Ambient, Downtempo, Chillllll)
Daily until Oct 7 @ Wigwam
Soft Bunk is Wigwam’s quarterly gathering, where the earthy club/lounge space is transformed with bunk beds of different heights and vibey lights, creating a place to lie down, drift off, and chill tf out and stay awhile. We've been a few times and it’s super cool, unlike anything else, and a must visit if you’re in Shanghai during Golden Week. Centered around ambient, downtempo, slow-groove, and experimental sounds, Soft Bunk invites you to experience music at a slower pace — stretched out, unhurried, and somewhere between listening, dreaming, and dancing. Come find a bunk, get comfortable, and let the night unfold. Massive lineup on the flyer, check out Wigwam's WeChat for specific times. Free entry every night.
Shanghai Independent Music Week 上海独立音乐周开幕夜 (Free Live Music & DJs)
Daily until Oct 6 @ Liverse
LIVERSE – the new live house located by Line 15’s Guilin Park Station in Xuhui – becomes a refuge for those itching for live music ad DJs during the holidays with the Shanghai Independent Music Week. Unfolding across seven nights and totally free entry each night, the festival brings together bands, musicians, DJs and sound artists from different scenes and musical backgrounds, with each night carrying its own taste - a deep dive into Shanghai’s diverse and rich independent music scene. From indie rock, psychedelia, funk pop, emo rock, post-punk and more experimental sounds to reggae, dub, dancehall, bass and beyond - expect a grab bag of musical stylings - with live bands kicking things off at 9PM every night, before some of the city’s finest in the club scene take over the decks. Best of all, it’s free - the perfect excuse to discover the dangerously alluring sounds this city has to offer. 9PM.
Heim Invites: Ouri (House, Bass, Club)
Today @ Heim
Ouri is a Montreal-based producer, composer, cellist and DJ blending electronic music with R&B, ambient textures and her classical background. Depending on the track, her music can be intimate or propulsive, moving between soft vocals, cello, big synths, club rhythms and more experimental edges. Sounding real good. Excellent local support from KV6, Kun, and Zean. Fans of emotional underground club sounds and artists like Jacques Greene will likely dig this.
SHFT Presents: MADE IT DANCE with TOKiMONSTA
Today @ Reactor
OG promoter SHFT, who brought Travis Scott, Ella Mai, Tinashe, and many many more to China, return to the place they started – THE CLUB. This is the first edition of their new party, MADE IT DANCE, with LA beat scene pioneer TOKiMONSTA headlining the night. The Grammy-nominated producer and DJ blends hip-hop, house, electronic, R&B, and experimental sounds into colorful, emotional music, with acclaimed albums, global tours, collaborations, and a fiercely individual style. Her style these days is a big housier and dancier. Support coming in strong, from Preme's Nasty and Warlock, Fay, and then Popasuda Sound taking over the whole upstairs room. Looking like a good Wednesday in C-Park.
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Heartbeats Future presents: BURNING VEHICLES (Deconstructed Club, Noise, Industrial, Future Rave)
Today @ Illum
This looks good. C-Park's club for new new underground sounds Illum presents a stacked lineup that covers everything from live noise and hip hop to punk, live electronic music and A/V to performances that are very hard to define and should just be experienced. "The cycle repeated endlessly. No holidays. No questions. Only the same song, the same hour, and the same violent impact —becoming the rhythm that defined its existence." Lineup: 1000 10000 (live), TORTURING NURSE (live), D A N D I & MCRABBIT (DJ + live ), GUAN & XING (A/V live), Is it raining in your mouth?, Illsee, Souped, Uan (VJ),
The Devil's Dancers (Post-Punk, Darkwave, EBM, Indie)
Today @ Specters (C·PARK)
DJ Velvet Robot brings Post-punk,Cold Wave, Dark Wave, EBM, Shoegaze, and Indie Rock from the 80s to the present to this punk rock dive bar in C-Park. Raw rock elements and soul-devouring synthesizer rhythms meet for toxic romance on a floor sticky with spilled tiki drinks served in cups stolen from the cupboards of divorced dads. Free entrance, 10pm-3am.
Vocam00d (Vocaloid Music Party, Internet Music)
Tomorrow @ Cedar Land
There’s a Vocaloid music (e.g., Hatsune Miku) party at DIY spot Cedar Land in C-Park on Oct 1. This comes highly recommended by some people we trust on these internet music situations. Such people described it as “Super dope. 100% recommend.” The ticket is 59rmb and the soundsystem is great. The style = Japanese internet-born songs made with synthetic vocals. Could be anything: J-pop, rock, metal, electronic, hyperpop, ballads, experimental - the synthesized vocals and producer culture are what ties this all together.
Defun First Anniversary
Sat, Oct 3, 2026 @ Defun
Defun is a lil club up in Putuo with what we hear is a bangin soundsystem. They're turning one years young, which is a long, long time in the life of a Shanghai club. Hats off. Lineup: WeeChee, 托米同学 (Live Set), 404 Mr.K (Live Set), KamiDeeP, BlzTrk. Genres appear to range from dark melodic techno to hip hop beats- ish vibes played vibe? Could be a good lil adventure up in the big P.
fRUITY Decks Open Decks w/DJ Conggor
Sat, Oct 3, 2026 @ fRUITYSHOP Record Store
Changle Lu record shop fRUITYSHOP hosts a special holiday edition of their fRUITY dECKS open decks with a special instructor DJ Conggor, a turntablist that specializes in Asian rare groove. Event goes from 3-9pm. No need to register, just show up. Very chill vibe and staff at this shop, should be good.
Hardcore Afters (Techno, Bass)
Mon, Oct 5, 2026 @ Abyss Club
Shanghai's home for harder electronic sounds, Abyss, presents "a hardcore afters as an alternative to EDC festival with the most hardcore local artists": Shu, Hazel, LINBO_3, Snakebabe, Noodleprince. Hell ye. Good chance to check out the club over the holiday.
The Yard (Day Party w/Hip Hop, House, R&B, Edits)
Mon, Oct 5, 2026 @ Zup Pizza Bar
Neighborhood pizza joint ZUP does another day party in Jing'an, this one with five DJs who you might know from some of the city's hip hop and R&B nights: Raco, Muscle Lee, MMQ, Jellow, and Marky. Should be a fun daytime session with pizza available by the slice and pie, beers and spritzes, and peeps gettin down on the sidewalk and in the shop. Free entry.
松风入户 Pine Wind Comes to Shanghai (Yunnan Food Pop-Up)
Mon, Oct 5, 2026 @ Slurp&Sip
Starstar (Xing Zhi Xing), an independent musician from Kunming, is doing a mini-tour around Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai (she's playing at Cedar Land on October 3). After that, she and Lihao aka 恶瓜多尔克 decided to stay one extra day for a Popup Kitchen at this popular (and certified!) Yunnan eatery on Yanping Rd in Jing'an., cooking up some home-style Yunnan dishes they often made and ate back in Kunming. There will be some music and drinks too – Star Star & 恶瓜多尔克 the chef will dj – and you can tell from the poster this will be good vibes.
