The best things to do in Beijing this week

Your weekly guide to the best of Beijing

We've got art, music, stage and international events hitting Beijing this week. From European singers to Beijing-based rockers, there are a load of quality gigs coming up, plus intriguing photography exhibitions, stunning (and sassy) stage shows, blockbusting movies at the cinema (some not-so-good ones, too) and much more.

Melbourne Cup Luncheon

Kerry Hotel. Tue 6. 700RMB. 

For the Australians out there, or more accurately the Victorians, Melbourne Cup day is a day for no work, all the drinks and stylish hats for the girls. AustCham will be live-streaming the nation's most iconic racing event at the Kerry Hotel this year, with fundraisers galore. See AustCham's post for more information. Also of note for Aussies: Royal Stacks is giving out free burgers all day Tuesday – just flash your Australian passport to get yours.

US Election Watch Party

The Local. Wed 7. Free.

Drown your sorrows, or celebrate your joy, with Democrats Abroad this Wednesday as they watch the US midterm election results roll in. Starting with coffee and breakfast for anyone who can get the morning off, the day will continue at The Local for those that can work remotely. Finally, for the working crowd, there will be a happy hour in the evening. 

Midnight in Peking Walking Tour

Unspecified venue. Sat 10. 388RMB.

Bonus round! With a winter break drawing near, Bespoke and Penguin are hosting an additional Midnight in Peking tour this November, so this is your penultimate chance to take the murderful mystery tour this year. Walk the footsteps of those embroiled in the grisly death of Pamela Werner, a British diplomat’s daughter, in 1930s Peking, with newly uncovered Chinese police reports on the case detailing several characters not mentioned in Paul French's book, offering critical new perspectives on the murder.

Dreams Never End

Mao Livehouse Wukesong. Wed 7. 200RMB; 160RMB (presale).

Ready for an evening of punk and rock from around the globe? Head to Mao Livehouse for a taste of Italian punk from Melody Fall, experience the all-lady vocals of Japanese punk rockers Dizzy Sunfist and finally the Japanese indie rock trio Northern 19.

Lydmor + Prep

Dusk Dawn Club. Fri 9. 150RMB; 120RMB (presale).

British quartet Prep join Danish singer Lydmor for an evening of deep beats and electric music. Both outfits are known for their unique take on electronic music, bringing in dreamy synth to compliment lifting vocals.

Drumcell

Dada. Fri 9. 80RMB. 

Los Angeles-born DJ Drumcell returns to China with his hypnotic experimental style. Disregarding genres, his techno blends influences from the digital and analogue, bringing the dancefloor new and expansive dystopian sounds.

Da Tweekaz

One Third. Fri 9. 100RMB. 

Norwegian duo Da Tweekaz consists of hardcore DJs Kenth Kvien and Marcus Nordli. The twosome team brings hard beats with heavy bass, adding a harder style to mainstream music, and taking pop to a different level on the dancefloor.

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 Saturday 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 and DJ. He broke onto the scene in 2013, with his hit single 'Wizard', made in collaboration with similar superstar and similarly Dutch Martin Garrix. He's risen the ranks of DJ Mag's Top 100, hitting number 64 this year.

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.

The Atlas of Strangers

Café Zarah. Nov 8-Jan 16. Free.

Artist Michelle Mengsu Chang is a photographer and historian studying the intersection of urban history and totalitarianism in the twentieth century. Through her lens, she brings us selected works in street photography from five continents over six years to give the viewer an insight into a world in flux. 

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...

For more great things to do in Beijing this week, hit 'Read more'.

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