27 brilliant things to do in Beijing this weekend

Your weekend guide to Beijing's most wonderful events

Whether you're into art, comedy, eating, drinking, or all or none of the above, there's great stuff on for everyone this weekend. As well as these highlights, there are many more things to do in Beijing this week: explore, enjoy and don't forget to Instagram us your snaps with #timeoutbeijing.

Quiz Night with the Beijing Aardvarks

Little Creatures. 7.30pm. Thu 24. 50RMB (per team of four).

Test your general ignorance this Thursday with a pub quiz hosted by the Beijing Aardvarks Rugby Club. Bring along yourself and three other mates to prove your intellect can remain intact, even when confronted with scrummy beer. To register, extract the QR code below. 

Spit-Tunes: Poetry and Music Collaboration

DDC. 9pm. Fri 25. 60RMB; 50RMB (presale). 

Spit-Tunes is an event hosted by Spittoon – a literary and artistic mainstay in Beijing – where poetry and music combine and both poets and musicians perform separate and collaborative work. Head down to Dusk Dawn Club this Friday night to hear the latest collabs of Beijing's talent.

Joe Wong

Ritz-Carlton Beijing. 8pm. Fri 25-Sat 26. 200RMB. 

While he's probably rather famous China-wide, Joe's also become quite the American household name after appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman and winning the Great American Comedy Festival back in 2010. Catch him at one of three performances this weekend hosted at the Ritz. 

Australia Day with AustCham

East Hotel. 11am. Sat 26. 300RMB; 250RMB (members). 

Australia Day in the land Down Under usually means sun, sand, sizzling grub and serious drinks. Seeing as it's a bit cold out, AustCham is hosting their annual Australia Day barbie at East Hotel, helping you get in the spirit with a tasty Aussie spread that includes all your favourite Australian food, drinks and true-blue tunes. For more information and to get your tickets now, click here or extract the QR code below.

Australia Day at Little Creatures

Little Creatures. 11.30am. Sat 26. Happy hour all day. 

Where are you gonna be this 'Straya Day? Head on over to Aussie brewsters Little Creatures for a whole day of 35RMB pints on all beers, as well as pavs, a sausage sizzle, Triple J's countdown and some good old Australian fun. For more information, click here. 

A crash course to the Forbidden City

The Forbidden City. 11am. Sat 26. 350RMB; 160RMB (for children 16 and under). 

There's a whole lot of history surrounding the Forbidden City. And for a long time, this history was present in the middle of the city, but concealed behind the tall walls of Imperial China. Now that the Palace is open to us, get a crash course into the secrets of the Forbidden City led by Beijing Postcards. It's a humble attempt to unlock the meaning behind the chambers of the palace, in a brief yet entertaining and accessible way. For more information and to register, click here or extract the QR code below.

New Year's Haircut Day at Jing A

Jing A. 1pm. Sat 26. Free with a beer. 

You all probably know by now that cutting your hair in the month after Chinese New Year will bring bad luck (and possibly death) to your uncle. To combat this, each year Jing A hosts a special haircut session to make sure you're looking groomed and pretty before the hols. Until 5pm on Saturday, anyone drinking a beer at Jing A can sign up for a free haircut. First-come-first-serve basis, so tuck into a Brewer's Brunch (three courses for 108RMB) while you wait. 

Beijing Broads

US-China Comedy Center. 8pm. Sat 26. 50RMB.

The Beijing Broads, aka Beijing's funniest ladies, put on another improv comedy show this weekend to give you something to chuckle about. All proceeds from the event go to Educating Girls of Rural China, so be generous and have a giggle at the same time. 

Drink School Bar dry

School Bar. From 9pm. Sat 25. Free entrance. 

Tradition holds for one more year as School Bar hosts their annual drink-the-bar-dry pre-CNY party. Before closing for the start of the Year of the Pig, School just wants to clean house. Head on down for an evening of rock, drink specials, rolling good tunes and more. Get yourself a School calendar and unlimited drinks for just 180RMB. For more info, click here. 

Chinese Fine Wines Discovery

The Bookworm. 7.30pm. Fri 25. 260RMB. 

Compare the richness of Bordeaux wines to some up-and-coming Chinese reds with the blind tasting and presentation by wine specialist and writer Wei. From Skyline to Ho-lan, the Chinese fine wines on offer will give you an insight into China's growing wine regions. 

Side Street's first birthday

Side Street. All day. Fri 25-Sun 27. Free. 

Another year, another Beijing bar hits the first-anniversary mark. Head to the hutong haunt this weekend for a range of deals, including food deals paired with Slow Boat brews on Friday and Saturday, discounts on food and drinks with DJs on the deck Saturday night, and free (!) burgers from 4-5pm on Sunday, as well as a free burger with purchase of a pint of Beijing-brewed Crafters from 6-8pm on Sunday. 

Soju Barrel-Aged Beer Tasting

Slow Boat. 4pm. Sat 26. 75RMB. 

Gorilla Brewing Co, of Busan, South Korea, came all the way to Beijing to bring us a taste of their newest creation that represents a crafty twist on the popular Korean cocktail somaek. Instead of just straight-up combining beer and soju like the cocktail, the Gorilla brewers have aged their stout in soju-soaked barrels. Head on down to Slow Boat for a tasting, and get a bonus pint of Monkey's Fist and a plate full of kimchi fried chicken wings.  

Hutong pub crawl for the Year of the Pig 

Hosted by Beijing Experience. 8pm. Sat 26. 50RMB.

Head out to the hutongs for a pub crawl to celebrate the Year of the Pig early. Add the organiser on WeChat (ID: 130 7113 9166) to book your place, pay and find out the details of the meet-up place. 

Beijing Foodies Chinese New Year mixer

Red Rose. 8pm. Sat 26. Free.

Interested in meeting some new people who may love food as much as you do? Join Beijing Foodies for their Chinese New Year mixer and get to know some other foodies in the big city. With a lucky draw, board games and 15 percent off drinks, it's a great way to mix and mingle. Register by extracting the QR code below.

Mercante's 7-year anniversary 

Mercante. 12pm. Sun 27. 100-200RMB. 

Seven years in and Mercante is still doing its part in bringing home-style Italian fare to Beijing. Head out on Sunday to celebrate with drinks and nibbles on offer, including free-flow prosecco (100RMB) until 6pm and a special seven-year set menu (200RMB) from 6-10pm. For more information, click here.

The Rad Trads

Blue Note. 7.30pm. Thu 24-Fri 25. 180-320RMB. 

Whether you classify their sound as indie rock, Americana, soul or something different altogether, The Rad Trads have been gaining fame and followers for the last few years with their cheery tunes. After releasing their second full-length album last year called On Tap, the band is back on the road. 

Tony Junior

One Third. From 10pm. Fri 25. 100RMB. 

Another Dutch DJ, but not just another name. Tony Junior has collaborated with the greats, including Tiësto with hit single 'Get Down', as well as Dvbbs and Nervo. His progressive, house tunes bring upbeat vibes to the dancefloor along with some truly catchy hooks.

Killa P

Dada. From 10pm. Fri 25. 80RMB. 

Hailing from Brixton, grime MC Killa P's acclaimed for his unique patois style and hard lyrics. A former member of Kill Deep, one of the UK's founding grime crews, Killa P's contributed to releases like 'Rules & Regulations' and 'In at the Deep End', with his style and flow garnering him a new legion of fans.

Trus'me

Zhao Dai. From 10pm. Sat 26. 80RMB.

This techno wizard from Manchester is travelling around China with his mixed bag of remixes and sounds. Some of his songs come in hot and heavy, while others take on a more cerebral techno theme. Whatever it is he's spinning, fans around the world love him. 

DDC Closing Party

DDC. 8pm. Sat 26. 100RMB; 80RMB (presale). 

Don't worry your socks off, DDC isn't closing for good. Returning in February, the music house hosts its last Year of the Dog show with Macondo, Acid Accident, Swarrm and more on stage. 

Lawrence

Blue Note. 7.30pm. Sat 26-Sun 27. 220-360RMB. 

Clyde and Gracie Lawrence make up Lawrence, the sibling duo that takes your usual pop-like songs and turns them into jazzy, soulful melodies. Catch the intriguing pair this weekend as they head to Blue Note.

Once Upon a Deadpool

On general release from Fri 25.

Although there were rumours of a release date last year for a toned-down Deadpool 2, the irreverent movie now officially comes to Chinese theatres in the form of Once Upon A Deadpool, a slightly more family-friendly version that sees Ryan Reynolds telling Fred Savage a bedtime story, complete with pixelated lower-halves and much less of the gratuitous gore for which the films are so well known. It's not quite the Deadpool we know and love, but it's still Reynolds in all his facetious glory. 

Dead Pigs

On general release from Fri 25.

Dead Pigs makes an ensemble movie out of today's Shanghai and the people we know in it: a young busboy, an ambitious American architect, an apathetic rich girl, a western face for nightclubs and a no-bullshit ayi who refuses to sell her property. Their disparate lives converge and come to a head when, mirroring real-life events, thousands of rotting pig carcasses are found floating in the Huangpu River, Shanghai's drinking water source. Director Cathy Yan's debut film won an award for ensemble acting at Sundance and has screened at film festivals internationally.

Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

NCPA. Fri 25-Sat 26. 7.30pm. 280-1,880RMB. 

Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra are celebrated both together and apart, and they're set to play one of the few non-'greatest hits' programmes this season. The programme includes Brahms' Symphonies No. 1 and 2 (Jan 25) and works by Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov (Jan 26).

Richard Clayderman

Great Hall of the People. 7.30pm. Sat 26. 380-1,280RMB. 

Richard Clayderman is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville and Olivier Toussaint, instrumental renditions of popular music, rearrangements of movie soundtracks, and easy-listening arrangements of popular works of classical music. He returns to Beijing for Chinese New Year with his signature style and easy-listening compositions. 

Photo Exhibition: The Last Ladies with Bound Feet

Café Zarah. 7-9pm daily. Until Wed 13 Mar. Free. 

During the nineteenth century, it was estimated that around half of all Chinese women had bound feet, but the practice was outlawed after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1912. Despite this, it continued for a while, not only in remote areas but also in big cities like Beijing, though has largely disappeared in the last century. But you can still find older ladies who suffered tremendously in the pursuit of the 'perfect' little foot. This exhibition shares some of the stories of the very last ladies left with bound feet, as told to Cameron Hack, the photographer behind Humans of China.

Qiu Zhijie: Mappa Mundi

UCCA. 10am-7pm Tue-Sun. Until Sun 5 May. 60RMB.

With a background in calligraphy, Chinese artist Qiu Zhijie makes stunning ink maps, taking elements of traditional topographical and spatial maps and using them to explore connections between different ideas, individuals and incidents, weaving them together, and offering a possibility for understanding them in relation to each other.

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

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