22 terrific things to do in Beijing this November

Know more, do more this November

Incredible stage shows, chart-topping musicians and breathtaking art are just some of the things November has in store for Beijing. With Thanksgiving coming up (Nov 22), as well as Singles' Day (Nov 11), make sure you get all your buying and eating in this month, because we all know December doesn't offer either of those things.

These are just some of the best things Beijing has on offer this month, so head online to find out more, as well as all the details and ticket links for these events. 

UFC Fight Night

Cadillac Arena. Sat 24. 280-16,880RMB.

The UFC makes its Beijing debut this November, and after a(nother) controversial McGregor bout raised the profile of the sport recently (and a few eyebrows too), get out and see for yourself what the fighting fuss is all about. As it stands, the main event features number-three heavyweight Curtis Blaydes fight for his ranking – and revenge – against Francis Ngannou (ranked fourth). 

CBAC Craft Beer Festival

TRB Copper. Fri 16-Sun 18. 150RMB (single session); 400RMB (3 sessions); 500RMB (all sessions).

Plenty of delicious pours to be had at the first edition of the Craft Brewer's Association of China's festival, featuring only independent Chinese crafters in their largest ever gathering under one roof – over 30 brewers from across the country will be here, with beers free-flowing. 

Maovember

Various locations. Until Nov 30.

Honour the health of those men you love and the charities helped this year by attending Maovember events throughout November. For more details on all Maovember events this year, click here. 

Da Tweekaz

One Third. Fri 9. 100RMB. 

Norweigan duo Da Tweekaz consists of hardcore DJs Kenth Kvien and Marcus Nordli. Playing off their joint charisma, the twosome team brings hard beats with heavy bass and an energy to remember. Remixing well-known songs like 'How Far I'll Go', 'Bring Me to Life' and 'Heroes', Da Tweekaz add a harder style to mainstream music, bringing pop to a different level on the dance floor.

Nocturnes + Future Orients

School Bar. Sat 10. 80RMB; 60RMB (presale). 

Nocturnes' music has been described as emotional, sultry, atmospheric, and immersive and sits somewhere between the intensity of Foals, the electronic elements of Bonobo and the pop sensibilities of Coldplay. They're joined this November by Future Orients at School Bar.

Jay Hardway

One Third. Sun 11. TBC. 

Yet another Dutch DJ, Jay Hardway (whose real name is a slightly-less pronounceable Jobke Pieter Hendrik Heiblom) is a progressive house producer/DJ. He broke onto the scene in 2013, with his hit single 'Wizard' that he made with Martin Garrix. He's risen the ranks of DJ Mag's Top 100, hitting number 64 this year.

The Vaccines

Tango. Tue 13. 480RMB; 380RMB (presale); 880RMB (VIP).

These UK indie boys hit it big in 2010 with a string of hits including 'If You Wanna' and 'Post Break-Up Sex'. They arrive in Beijing in support of their fourth LP Combat Sports.

Four Tet

Omni Space. Sat 17. 300RMB; 220RMB (presale).

Formerly of the band Fridge, Kieran Hebden, aka Four Tet, has since established himself as a solo artist, emerging in the early '00s at the forefront of a genre dubbed 'folktronica'. It's not a tag he was ever particularly fond of, and his music has since expanded to more experimental electronic horizons, best heard on 2017's excellent New Energy. He was also nominated for a Grammy last year for his remix of The xx's 'A Violent Noise'.

Rrose

Lantern. Sat 17. 60RMB (presale). 

Rrose transgresses boundaries not just for her approach to rhythmic techno, but also as a moniker for Seth Horvitz's musical alias. Wanting to break the norm of a male-dominated techno scene, Rrose uses her alter ego to perform modern, electronic music with audio extras to cross gender lines and bring the energy and depth of experimental sounds to all people.

We Are Original Creators

Tango. Sat 17-Sun 18. 380-1,280RMB.

This two-day music festival heads to Beijing with rappers Machine Gun Kelly and J.I.D. headlining. The We Are Original Creators (stylised WR/OC) promotes young talent in hip-hop.

Vini Vici

One Third. Fri 30. TBC. 

Ranking number 34 on DJ Mag's Top 100, Vini Vici are Isreali DJs pumping out psytrance tunes, and have worked with Steve Aoki as well as Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike.

Roberto Bolle & Friends

NCPA. Sat 10-Sun 11. 160-880RMB.

Roberto Bolle and Friends are ballet dancers that take on ambitious, daring projects to bring dance, stories and history to the world. Performing unusual dances in unusual settings (like the Arena of Verona), the dancers bring history and culture to life. Bolle has danced on stages from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York to the throne room at Buckingham Palace, and his illustrious career has earned him international acclaim (and a UNESCO medal). The friends come to Beijing this November with a special programme of innovative, breathtaking dance.

Jan Lisiecki

NCPA. Sun 11. 50-380RMB. 

Jan Lisiecki is probably what most parents want their musically inclined children to turn out like. At just age nine, the Canadian-born pianist (of Polish descent) performed in his first orchestra. Since then, he's gone on to grace the stages of Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall, and has performed with the best orchestras in the world, including the New York Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony, the Orchestre de Paris and the Montreal Symphony. Safe to say, he's made a lot of waves in the classical music scene in his 23 years on this earth. Catch him in Beijing this November to see one of Canada's brightest young stars.

TNT Theatre: Macbeth

Beijing Longfu Theatre. Thu 15-Sat 17. 120-380RMB.

A dark thriller as well as a profound study of the nature and allure of evil, Macbeth was TNT Theatre's first Shakespeare production and the troupe has presented the play in 31 countries and 267 cities worldwide since its premiere performance in 2000. This full-blooded production unleashes the vital power of Shakespeare's dark masterpiece, blending a highly physical style, a well-integrated musical score and a dynamic interpretation of the Shakespearean verse that has generated enthusiasm from audiences and critics alike.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

NCPA. Tue 20-Wed 21. 100-600RMB.

The Queensland Ballet Company bring Shakespeare’s whimsical masterpiece to life in a glorious dance drama thanks to the acclaimed choreographer Liam Scarlett. Together with Mendelssohn’s evocative music, Scarlett’s witty choreography brings the magical, humorous and timeless story of love, jealousy and mistaken identities to life. 

Hu Qingyan: Absent & Superfluous

Galerie Urs Meile. Until Dec 30. Free. 

Since graduating from CAFA in 2010, Hu Qingyan has made a name for himself as a highly skilled sculptor and a great conceptual thinker. His explorations of intermediality push the boundaries of his chosen medium, with playful shape-shifting of form, material, texture and mass.

Philippe Parreno: Marilyn

Espace Louis Vuitton. Until Mar 24. Free. 

After transforming time and space in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall with an installation that included large flying fish, Algerian-born French artist Philippe Parreno conjures up the ghost of Marilyn Monroe in Beijing, with his 2012 film, Marilyn, recreating her life in a ‘phantasmagorical séance’. This exhibition delves into the artist’s multi-disciplinary practice, as he uses drawing, sculpture, sound and film to blur our understanding of linear time, reality and fiction.

Bingyi: Impossible Landscapes

Ink Studio. Unti Nov 25. Free. 

Beijing-based artist, architectural designer, writer, curator, cultural critic and social activist, Bingyi has a practice as diverse as her CV. Works at this exhibition include her recent, sensational floor-to-ceiling hanging scroll, ‘A Thousand Mountains in One Particle of Dust’ and her trilogy of films, Ruins, on the destruction of the Beijing hutongs.

Venom

In cinemas around Beijing from Fri 9. 

Venom, a slick-skinned alien ‘symbiote’ who first plagued Marvel’s Peter Parker back in a 1986 comic, has a Wikipedia entry roughly 10 metres long. That’s not to say that the villain deserves his own film...

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

In cinemas around Beijing from Fri 16. 

This second instalment of JK Rowling's wonderful world of wizards follows the story of magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). When the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) escapes custody – following his capture in the previous film – Scamander is enlisted by Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) to thwart Grindelwald's dastardly plans of a pure-blood wizard world.

Johnny English Strikes Against

In cinemas around Beijing from Fri 23. 

With an attack on all undercover agents in Britain releasing the names of spies, Johnny English must return to the world of espionage to uncover the hacker. Starring Rowan Atkinson (obviously), as well as Emma Thompson, this newest flick in the franchise is sure to unite all of Britain, once more, around a common foe.

Crazy Rich Asians

In cinemas around Beijing from Fri 30. 

It's crazy, it's rich and it's finally here in Asia's largest film market. The film adaptation of Kevin Kwan's 2013 novel has been a blockbusting success in the US, hotly anticipated and lauded as the first major Hollywood production in 25 years to feature an all-Asian cast and director. We'll have to wait and see how China – used to both those things – receives this opulent flick, but word on the street is that it's pretty good.

For all the venue details and ticket links, as well as even more events this November, hit 'Read more'.

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