The best things to do this weekend

Featuring a Beijing beer crawl, Great Leap's chilli cook-off and more

Between the return of Jing A's annual craft beer crawl, Great Leap's epic chilli cook-off and Cultural Keys' British market, it's shaping up to be a fairly gluttonous weekend. Gorge on the best food the city has to offer or take a look at what else is going down in the capital over the next few days. Whatever you're into, this weekend's got it.

THINGS TO DO

Pop-Up Sale

Koryo Tours Office. Sat 21-Sun 22. Free

Beloved-but-shuttered store Pop-Up Beijing reunites with old friends Koryo Studios to clear pieces from each of their collections (many never before seen by the public) with most pieces on sale at 50 percent off or more. A great opportunity to pick up something one-of-a-kind at bargain prices. Wine and light snacks will also be on-hand for those interested in mingling.

Earth Day Cleanup

Jiankou Great Wall. Sun 22. 150RMB

The Great Wall on the west side of Jiankou has been somewhat spoiled by a buildup of trash and litter, left by careless hikers and campers. In the spirit of Earth Day on April 22, and in order to give back to the communities which hike there, Beijing Hikers will be trying to collect as much litter as they can from the Great Wall. To participate, scan the QR code below. Reservations are essential. 

Best of British

Plan B. Sun 22. Free

Best of British is a Cultural Keys Treasure Trove market held in conjunction with Plan B that brings you the best of small British businesses in China. Come to shop from British vendors, buy British products and enjoy all your favourite British dishes from Plan B, including vegan fish and chips from Root Pop and afternoon tea. Vegan fish? Well now we really have heard it all.

FOOD AND DRINK

Tour de Jing 2018

Jing A Brewpub Xingfucun. Sun 22. Free

Grab your bike, skateboard or rickshaw and join the folks from Jing A for an epic craft-beer crawl between some of the best hutong bars in Beijing. Each place will have a different Jing A brew on tap for just 30RMB and there'll be extra prizes in store for the riders with the best individual costume and best group costume.

Back Alley Chilli Cook-Off

Great Leap Brewing Original #6. Sat 21. 150RMB

Great Leap Brewing's annual chilli cook-off returns this Saturday. Contestants will once again be tasked with whipping up a winning chilli with a Chinese angle – with only one imported ingredient allowed. If eating is more your thing, stop in for a few beers, more chilli than you can responsibly consume and help the judges crown Beijing’s Chilli Champion. Entry's 150RMB at the door and includes all-you-can-eat chilli and two beers. If you'd like to compete in the Chilli Cook-Off, send an email to [e-mail].

Bonne Maman at F Bistronome

F Bistronome. Thu 19-Sun 22. 688RMB (brunch, two people); 148-178RMB (lunch, per person); 788RMB (dinner, two people)

French chef Sandrine Delabrière will be serving up a new Mediterranean-inspired menu at F Bistronome from April 19 to 22. A Provençal native, Sandrine's style of cooking highlights the natural flavour and texture of fresh ingredients. Menu highlights include the black truffle soufflé, seven-hour braised lamb leg and boeuf en croûte. For the full menu, click here.

MUSIC

Yugong Yishan Festival 2018

New Great Wall Valley. Sat 21-Sun 22. 560RMB (one-day pass)

Yugong Yishan marks its return with a momentous two-day festival taking place at the Great Wall in Yanqing. Headliners include German punk-rock legends Die Toten Hosen, Chinese post-punk icons Re-TROS, American post-rock pioneers Tortoise and British electronic band Morcheeba. Shuttle buses to the venue will also be running from Worker's Stadium (Club Mix). For the full lineup and more information, click here.

Will Pan

Cadillac Arena (formerly Beijing LeSports Arena). Apr 21. 380-1,280RMB

American-Taiwanese singer, songwriter, rapper and actor Will Pan first burst onto the music scene with his 2002 album Gecko Stroll. Since then, he's been a presenter on Channel V, released an additional 10 studio albums and won the award for Best Actor at the 46th Golden Bell Awards, Taiwan's equivalent of the Emmys.

Sofar Sounds

Unspecified venue. Sat 21. 100RMB

Sofar (Songs From a Room) Sounds, also known as the secret gig movement, returns to Beijing this April. Taking pride in curating relatively secret gigs in small, intimate settings, these gigs are a unique chance for music lovers to listen to emerging artists. Apply for tickets at www.sofarsounds.com/beijing.

NIGHTLIFE

Jana Rush

Dada. Fri 20. 80RMB; 60RMB (before midnight)

Chicago born and raised, Jana Rush started DJing at the tender age of 10. After taking a break from music, Rush re-entered the scene with 2016's EP MPC7635, receiving attention for her mind-bending drum acrobatics. She then kicked off 2017 with her debut release Pariah, an album rooted in Chicago's footwork sound but with a myriad of other influences, including jungle, acid, soul, jazz and house.

Migas Mercado balcony opening parties

Migas Mercado. Fri 20-Sat 21. Free

Migas Mercado is celebrating the arrival of summer with plenty of drinks, food, great views and tunes. Kicking off on Friday 20 April, Migas DJs will be playing on the Mercado balcony for the first of many Friday al fresco parties. On Saturday, La Social and Migas Tropicalismo will be teaming up for a night of excellent beats, mojitos, arepas and tapas.

STAGE

TNT Theatre: Julius Caesar

Longfu Theatre. Thu 19-Sat 21. 120-380RMB

When Caesar returns to Rome from the wars, in effect a dictator, Brutus and his cohort conclude that his ambition must be contained – which in Rome can mean only one thing: the mighty leader must be executed. But once the deed is done the radical traitors must reckon with the strength of a new wave of power led by Mark Antony. Will Caesar's ghost be avenged? Shakespeare's heightened political thriller exposes the passionate blood that flows between men in power.

Russian State Ballet: Swan Lake

Century Theatre. Fri 20-Sat 21. 180-880RMB

After a highly successful tour last year, Russian State Ballet returns to Beijing with a series of ballet classics including Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Cipollino and The Nutcracker. In this tragic tale about star-crossed lovers, beautiful princess Odette has been placed under a curse by the evil sorcerer Rothbart, a curse that can only be broken by true love.

ART

Olafur Eliasson: The unspeakable openness of things

Red Brick Contemporary Art Museum. Until Aug 12. 160RMB; 120RMB (weekdays)

A retrospective of Olafur Eliasson's most iconic works, The unspeakable openness of things is the revered Icelandic-Danish artist's first solo show in Beijing. Encompassing Red Brick Museum's eight exhibition halls, visitors will be able to journey through a series of large-scale immersive installations – including Eliasson's seminal work The blind pavilion – which playfully explore light, mist, geometry and illusion.

FILM

Isle of Dogs

On general release Fri 20

If Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr Fox was a joyful slice of whimsy, his latest foray into stop-motion creature features is a more complex beast. Set in a near-future Japan, it's a dystopian, fitfully funny tale in which crusading young people take on a corrupt establishment. But it's mostly about the dogs: banished from Megasaki city after outbreaks of snout fever and dog flu, cute canines are dumped on Trash Island and left to fend for themselves amid piles of garbage.

For more cracking things to do this weekend, hit 'Read more'.

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