Once again it’s Friday and the end of the working week is nigh! If you embraced last weekend and followed our Weekendist guide, you would have been run ragged - get ready to do it again, because boy is Shanghai delivering! This weekend is serving up a rather eclectic mix of entertainment; drag queens, food fests and birthday parties - just to give you a rough idea. As always, use this ‘Hot List’ to supplement our Midweek Music Preview and to complement our calendar; here are the hottest picks for the coming weekend…
Friday
Today is the opening day of Shanghai’s ‘Cuisine Festival’. Featuring foods and wines from some of Shanghai’s best vendors including; C’est Cupcake, EMW, Tramezzino's, Brasa Chicken and Kaiba, your taste buds are in for a real treat. The festival runs all weekend and is a steal at only 20 RMB (additional charges apply for special tastings and cooking classes). Get down there and get tasting!
8pm, 5 Shanghai Exhibition Centre, 1000 Yan'an Zhong Lu, near Tongren Lu 延安中路1000号 近铜仁路
To celebrate 2 whole years of good deeds and charitable work, BEAN is celebrating its second birthday! Join them as they party on an exclusive beach….ON the Bund! They'll be playing the latest tracks from DJ 180's Pulseworthy and beers from the bar are 20 RMB each. Space is limited to 150 guests so get reserving at beanshanghaiparty@gmail.com.The entrance fee is 20RMB and for an extra 10RMB you can get the minibus to the official afterparty. With fantastic panoramic views this party is being dubbed as being ‘off the hook’!
8pm, 11 Sunnybeach, Waima Road near Mao Jia Yuan Road, 外码路, 近毛家园路
Everyone loves an overly camp drag queen and today marks the day of the 4th Drag Queen Party at Shanghai Studio! This amazing underground venue is hosting this event which is being sponsored by LGBT Shanghai with some of the profits going towards Shanghai Pride. Don your sequins, heels and wigs; entry is 50RMB and those in drag get a free drink!
10pm Shanghai Studio, No.4, Lane 1950 Huaihai Zhong Lu, 淮海中路1950弄4号,near Xingguo Lu 近兴国路
If you are somewhat of a nocturnal creature and melt if you leave the house before 10pm, there is no need to begin and end your Friday night before midnight. Turn it into a long Saturday morning at Manhattans Underground's GRAND OPENING. Visit the luxurious lounge of the newly fitted basement of Manhattan for some top quality tunes, drink specials and shows all night to celebrate one of Shanghai`s most successful bars and their new underground lounge. Fitted with a fantastic Dj box and music and light system, the party starts at 11pm and keeps going until you can’t!
11pm, Manhattans Underground, Nan Yang Road and Tong Ren Road, 南阳路铜仁路
Saturday
If your Chinese skills stretch no further than muttering ‘Ni Hao’ to the lady in FamilyMart, then this event is for you. New Mandarin school ‘Coffee Tea and Mandarin’ is having its grand opening! The school aims at teaching Chinese in a more fun and laid back environment. Set up like a café, come down and grab a coffee and meet beginners, advanced speakers and everyone else in between.
9am, ‘Coffee Tea and Mandarin’, 228 Changshu Lu , 常熟路228号near Wuyuan Lu 婺源路
No weekend is complete without an event that falls in to the ‘arty’/’cultural’ section, luckily for you, this weekend is no exception. Head down to Glamour Bar for the book launch of ‘Thrive’. Join Ruth Kuguru, Lisa Blunt Rochester and Alejandra Guzman, the authors of the new Shanghai literary offering, ‘Thrive’, for a book talk and celebration of new beginnings. The book documents the inspiring stories of women from around the world who arrived in Shanghai and proceeded to rediscover, reinvent and recreate their lives, taking them beyond surviving all the way to thriving, accompanied by beautiful black-and-white photography. Moderated by Kristin Bair O'Keeffe. Entry is 65RMB and includes a drink.
4pm, Glamour Bar 6/F, 5 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu,中山东一路5号6楼 near Guangdong Lu 近广东路
Jiashan Market opens itself for real this weekend with a BBQ and cocktail party on their courtyward. Expect music, art, food and drinks and a whole bunch of friendly neighbors embracing you (hopefully physically). No entry fee and it runs from 6pm to 10pm.
6pm, Jiashan Market, No. 37, Lane 550 Shanxi Nan Lu near Shaoxing Lu, 陕西南路550号
Can you believe nightlife staple Mural is now 7 years old? That's practically ancient in China years! The place will be celebrating this Saturday with live music from The Latin Union, free drinks from 8pm to 10pm and cheap drinks after - the way the Mural we know and love always does it.
8pm, Mural, 697 Yongjia Lu near Hengshan Lu, 永嘉路697号
Everyone needs a good laugh; and what better way to chuckle the night away than at Punchline Comedy Club. Now at a new venue, Malone’s, this weekend is giving you the opportunity to catch Brits Sean Meo, Curtis Walker and Irishman Keith Farnan as they make you cackle, scream, laugh and/or cry! Bringing up the Chili from earlier is optional. Tickets: 300RMB
9pm, Malone’s, 255 Tongren Lu, 铜仁路255号 near Nanjing Xi Lu
Sunday
Did you ‘grab a granny’ whilst out partying this weekend?! If you didn’t (which we would hope is the majority of you!) BEAN are giving you the opportunity to adopt a granny…or grandfather. Alas, this ‘grab a granny’ is slightly more family focussed. Volunteers will play mah jong, other Chinese games, and western games with the residents at the BEAN sponsored elderly care center. As with all other BEAN events, there are no language requirements, so if you can play checkers or Jenga, you know enough to participate in this event. You need to RSVP to beanshanghai@gmail.com to confirm your place. Go on, what better way to end your weekend than boosting your karma?
2.30pm - 4.30, RSVP for details.
Ok, not necessarily an event as such, but, we thought that this is definitely worth a mention. Today is.... wait for it….International Speak like a Pirate day! Smack on an eye patch, grab a stuffed parrot and walk with a limp! Whilst we couldn’t find any designated parties, why not host your own skull and crossbones shin dig? If you’re not up for hosting, head down to your nearest ‘Ale House’, shout over the wench and order some rum! Argh mi hearties, don’t be such a yellow belly and embrace this day!
All day, wherever you want!
