The best things to do in Beijing this week

Your weekly guide to the best of Beijing

If you're into award-winning movies, then don't go to the cinema this week – head to the theatres instead, as stage shows of Chicago and Now You See Me grace Beijing. But blockbusters from overseas are out on general release, and, as always, a whole lot of international musicians head to Beijing this week, with chart-topping DJs and indie bands galore.

Halloween

Various locations. Until Oct 31. 

More Halloween? Don't worry, it'll all be over this week. If you're still wanting to boogie on down with the living dead of Beijing or to have a special night out with your boo, then head online to check out the restaurants, bars and clubs around Beijing offering special Halloween-themed deals and things to do this week.

DJ Nobu

Zhao Dai. Wed 31. 160RMB. 

Japan's DJ Nobu is one of a kind: a DJ with no fixed style but instead a very real ability to draw on a wide world of music and cook up his own unique sound spaces. (But broadly, it's techno and house.) Something of a cult figure for those who know him, his decades on the scene have slowly but surely turned Nobu from being one of Japan's to one of the world's most in-demand underground selectors.

Fort Romeau

Zhao Dai. Fri 2. Tickets tbc. 

Michael Greene, aka Fort Romeau, is an electronic music producer and DJ from the United Kingdom. His 2015 LP Insides was inspired by an eclectic mixture of house, ambient and techno, and showed a further development of his unique take on dance floor music. The past few years have seen him play all over the world, from Mexico to Tokyo and regularly at some of Europe’s most revered club spaces.

Blossoms

Omni Space. Fri 2. 280RMB; 220RMB (presale). 

Since forming in 2013, British indie poppers Blossoms have bloomed into success, with synthy sounds and some hip AF retro-revival garms. Their 2016 self-titled debut release was shortlised for the Mercury Music Prize 2017, and they followed it up with the spacey Cool Like You earlier this year.

One Third's First Anniversary

One Third. Fri 2-Sat 3. 180-280RMB.

Help One Third celebrate their first birthday this weekend with a lineup of DJ superstars. The boys from Armada hit the decks on Friday night, with One Third favourite and special guest R3hab spinning on Saturday night.

Fleurie

Tango. Sat 3. 280-580RMB. 

Fleurie, the American indie pop singer Lauren Strahm, released her first EP Fear & Fable back in 2013 and her unique voice and raw emotional expression turned heads. After launching two critically acclaimed singles in 2017, Fleurie's new album, Portals, hit the airwaves in 2018. Expect soft vocals and dramatic, deep beats.

Grito

School Live Bar. Fri 2. 80RMB.

Mexico's Grito have been blaring out their hardcore punk sounds for over 20 years, taking their high-energy sets all over, from the US and Central America to Europe, sharing stages with some of the genre's biggest and best, including Agnostic Front, Terror, Madball and Misfits. It's their first time in Asia though – expect School Bar to give them a suitably rowdy Beijing welcome.

Chicago

Tianqiao Performing Arts Centre. Thu 1-Sun 18. 100-1,080RMB

Sassy musical Chicago is set in the 1920s, Prohibition-era Windy City, telling the story of rival vaudevillian murderesses Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart and their battle to avoid death row while simultaneously striving for the fame they oh so desire. It's finally here in Beijing, so get your tickets while you still can. 

Now You See Me

Beijing Workers' Gymnasium. Fri 2-Sat 3. 280-880RMB.

From the producers of the hit movies, the live stage show premieres in Beijing this weekend. Now You See Me comes to Beijing with cutting-edge technology, surprise twists and never-before-seen illusions. Enjoy a magic and stage show from some of the world's best magicians.

Loving Vincent

China Film Archives. Tue 30. 30RMB. 

Visually breathtaking and heartbreakingly true to Van Gogh's troubled life, this experimental, biographical film is the world's first fully animated painted film, taking audiences along the paths of letters to three important figures in Van Gogh's life, exploring the impact of the artist's death.

The House with a Clock in its Walls

In cinemas around Beijing from Thu 1.

This magical adventure tells the spine-tingling tale of 10-year-old Lewis (Owen Vaccaro) who goes to live with his uncle (Jack Black) in a creaky old house with a mysterious tick-tocking heart. But his new town's sleepy façade jolts to life with a secret world of warlocks and witches when Lewis accidentally awakens the dead. To fight the growing evil, Lewis must learn the ways of magic with his uncle and their neighbour (Cate Blanchett).

The Hurricane Heist

In cinemas around Beijing from Fri 2. 

What could be more exciting than a bank heist for over 600 million USD? A bank heist in the midst of a category-five hurricane, that's what. Starring Toby Kebbell and Maggie Grace, this Rob Cohen film definitely blows... something

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

In cinemas around Beijing from Fri 2. 

Starring Mackenzie Foy, Kiera Knightley, Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman, this star-studded cast remakes a family and Christmas favourite with a new take on Hoffmann's short story and the famous ballet. 

For a whole load of other great things to do in Beijing, hit 'Read more'.

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