13 brilliant things to do in Beijing this week

Your weekly guide to the best of Beijing

Start off your Year of the Pig the right way with these great things to do around town. Whether it's watching musical luminaries on stage, treating yourself or a loved one to a night out this Valentine's Day (it's on Thursday, you're welcome), or just hanging out with mates at a gig, there's something for everyone this week in Beijing.

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.

Valentine's Day

Thu 14. 

Need some inspiration for the day of love? Maybe you need to brush up on your Beijing-based pickup lines before hitting tha club. Whatever you want to get up to this year – including great ways to spend it by yourself or with your friends – check out all you need to know about Valentine's in the city of lurveeee (known to some as Beijing). 

Introduction to Lightroom 

The SLab. 7pm. Thu 14. 690RMB. 

No matter your level of photography skills, Adobe Lightroom is a crucial part of digital photography in the modern day. The SLab offers the most comprehensive foundational course, Intro to Lightroom, that will show any avid photographer why this is the second-most essential tool in photography next to having a camera. From organising to editing your photos, discover the wonders of Adobe’s Lightroom.

For more information, visit www.theslab.space. 

Lantern Festival Celebration

Cultural Keys. 2pm. Sun 17. 488RMB (per person); 888RMB (for two people).

Head to the Cultural Keys Culture Centre for an afternoon of fun and friendship to celebrate the Lantern Festival, which marks the end of Spring Festival. At this event, you can learn more about Lantern Festival customs and language, paint paper lanterns, solve riddles, make tangyuan (sweet dumplings) and enjoy a meal together. Transportation from Sanlitun, all materials, snacks, tea and dinner, and English-speaking hosts are included. Extract the QR code below for more information and tickets. 

Brian Aylward

The Bookworm. 8pm. Sun 17. 120RMB; 100RMB (presale). 

He's from Canada. And it appears the Canadians love him over there, naming him the 'best stand-up comic' back in 2016 (according to the Canadian Comedy Awards). He's been nominated and named the best in various other awards, including in Seoul and Perth. Must be good. Stand up for this stand-up bag of laughs this Sunday.

Year of the Pig Opening Weekend

School Bar. 9pm. Fri 15-Sat 16. 60RMB. 

To ease you into the Year of the Pig, School Bar has put together a two-day weekend blowout of rock, ska, punk and more to start the year on a high note. Day one features all-star ensemble prog rockers Haze Maze, neo-funk outfit Jokers Belief, long-term running ska-punk band End of the World and classic metal/punk dudes Electric Sewage. Continuing the madness on day two are electro bluesy jokers Ghetto Blaster, punk outfits Show Hand and Husband Killers, and rounding out the line-up, uber-talented youngsters War/N/T.

Andy Hart

Zhao Dai. 10pm. Fri 15. Tickets TBC.

Andy's taken his slick songs from Melbourne to Berlin, and now heads to Beijing to play Zhao Dai. His music spans the countries he's travelled, bringing history and culture into his deep and thoughtful clubhouse beats. Expect a sound that questions reality while bringing you back to it.

Glades

Dusk Dawn Club. 8.30pm. Fri 15. 150RMB; 120RMB (presale).

This Sydney-based alternative-pop trio formed back in 2015, taking the streaming world by storm. With massive hits like 'Do Right' (which was awarded ARIA gold), 'Drive' and 'Off Limits', Glades have earned themselves hundreds of millions of streams worldwide. Coming off the back of their latest release, To Love You, Glades is now touring the world and bringing their mix of synthscapes, reverberating beats and rather catchy hooks to ever more people.

The Wandering Earth (流浪地球)

On general release now. 

Adapted from a short story by renowned sci-fi writer Liu Cixin, director Frant Gwo's much-anticipated The Wandering Earth is being hailed as China's biggest sci-fi movie to date. The premise? With the sun predicted to imminently die, humanity sets a plan in motion to launch planet Earth out of orbit and find a new home in space. Original language: Mandarin. 

Il Barbiere di Siviglia

NCPA. 7.30pm. Wed 13. 100-200RMB. 

Promoting Sino-Italian cultural exchanges, the NCPA and the Italian Embassy are bringing a concert series to Beijing this new year. First off comes Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville). Set in Seville during the seventeenth century, young Count Almaviva falls in love with Rosina, a rich and beautiful girl. Nonetheless, the greedy Doctor Bartolo, Rosina's guardian, intends to marry her himself. Unsure of what to do, Almaviva turns to Figaro, a local barber who loves nothing more than meddling in other people's business.

Valentina Lisitsa

NCPA. 7.30pm. Thu 14. 214RMB. 

Valentina launched her career on social media and is known for being the first classical music performer to go viral on YouTube, where she remains one of the most frequently viewed pianists. She's since gone on to transfer that fame to the stage, performing her renditions of classical greats around the world.

Ning Feng & the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra

NCPA. 7.30pm. Sat 16. 100-580RMB. 

Since its first concert in 1954, the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, as known as Osesp, has undergone major changes and has now released more than 80 CDs, becoming an integral part of the culture of São Paulo and Brazil as a whole, fostering deep-rooted cultural and social transformations. This week, Osesp comes to Beijing with Marin Alsop, the chief conductor of the Orchestra since 2012, and Ning Feng, a violinist from Chengdu who has become an international star, especially after being the first student at the Royal Academy of Music in London to receive full marks for his final recital.

Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn

NCPA. 7.30pm. Sun 17. 50-380RMB. 

Ruben Gazarian conducts the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn (Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn) as they bring their avant-garde and romantic compositions to the Beijing stage.

Celebrating the Spring Festival in the Forbidden City

Forbidden City. Until Sun 7 Apr. 40RMB. 

The Palace Museum, and the Forbidden City in general, will celebrate the Year of the Pig with a special showcase of art, historical relics and traditional decorations. Learn more about the history and significance of the Spring Festival at this one-off exhibition.

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

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