Fedde Le Grand & Wizard of Oz: 24 wonderful tickets to buy now
With amazing stage shows, bands, art shows and so much more happening in Beijing for you to enjoy, we're making it a bit simpler for you by rounding up the best tickets you can get right here, right now.
Just extract the QR code below each event to be taken to the English ticket page – then just make the tough decision of which (or how many) events to spend your hard-earned kuai on.
2019 Beijing Invitational Craft Beer Festival
TRB Copper. Fri 29-Sun 31 Mar. 228-1,028RMB.
After the success of its previous instalments, Great Leap Brewing's Beijing Invitational Craft Beer Festival returns for a fifth year. Over 40 craft breweries from around the world have been invited to participate, bringing with them only the choicest of brews for your sampling pleasure. Ladies and gentlemen, let there be beer.
Hutong Tour with Bespoke
Drum Tower. Wed 10 Apr, Sun 21 Apr. 500RMB.
Head out with Bespoke for a tour of Beijing's best alleyways. Visit the Drum Tower, see a hidden museum and whizz through the hutongs on a rickshaw. Take a side stop to meet a cricket trainer. With local guides who know the hutongs better than anyone, explore these Beijing relics with true historians.
Dragon Burn 2019
Anji. Wed 1-Sun 5 May. 350RMB.
You've probably heard of Burning Man. Dragon Burn is China's regional Burn event; a collaborative five days of art, performance, music, workshops, community and more. This sixth edition of Dragon Burn will see participants return to the bamboo-forested mountains of Anji in Zhejiang province, for a 100 percent non-profit event that allows no money on site.
Great Wall Festival 2019
Mutianyu Great Wall. Sat 18-Sun 19 May. From 680RMB.
One of Beijing's best outdoor festivals returns with a killer line-up, including Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann and Dave Clarke. There's a 5k fun-run before the festival starts, while the actual party kicks off in the afternoon, with three stages packed with local talent including Eric Lee, Ou Yang, Huang Weiwei and Shen Yue. Festivities will continue well into the evening so go prepared for the long haul. VIP passes include two-day entrance to the festival, a pass for the 5K fun run, tickets to the Saturday afterparty and a visit to the Great Wall.
Run to the Beat
Ming Tombs Reservoir. Sun 19 May. 178-248RMB.
Join the Run to the Beat half-marathon, 10K or 5K. Run along the beautiful Ming Tomb Reservoir Scenic Loop while enjoying live music on the course. A unique running experience you do not want to miss this May, with live bands and DJs playing along the course to cheer for the runners. The music party continues at the centre stage after runners cross the finish line. Registration closes May 15.
The Soft Moon
Omni Space. Sun 31 Mar. 240RMB; 180RMB (presale).
With four albums under his belt, American singer-songwriter Luis Vasquez has already made a name for himself in the dark side of contemporary music where he resides with his heavy rhythms, travels to the most anguished side of the '80s and writes mutant songs that go from EDM to krautrock to synthesised punk. Hear for yourself as he heads to Beijing off the back of his 2018 release Criminal.
Emily Burns
Dusk Dawn Club. Thu 4 Apr. 80RMB; 60RMB (presale).
With hit songs 'Friends Don't Kiss Friends' and 'Girlfriend at the Time', Emily Burns has garnered millions of streams and support around the world. Following the release of her LP Seven Scenes from the Same Summer last year, Burns is set to release singles throughout this year – hopefully showcasing a few of those as she plays in Beijing. The young star draws inspiration from the likes of Tove Lo and sings of everything from love to spite, with heartfelt activism and earnest cynicism throughout all her work.
Still Corners
Omni Space. Fri 5 Apr. 160RMB; 130RMB (presale).
Soundtrack-inspired themes from the likes of Vangelis, David Lynch, Ennio Morricone and French new-wave cinema combine with '80s synth pop and hushed '60s-style pop vocals to create Still Corner's alluring sound. The group released their fourth studio album Slow Air in 2018, but expect a selection of songs from throughout their career as they tour China this April.
Wild Nothing
Omni Space. Fri 12 Apr. 360RMB; 280RMB (presale).
The mastermind behind Wild Nothing, American Jack Tatum, brings his iconic intimacy and human touch to the sonic soundscapes of his latest album Indigo. He blends technology and humanity in his synthy, dream-pop songs.
Talos
Omni Space. Thu 18 Apr. 160RMB; 130RMB (presale).
Eoin French, aka Talos, has become an inspiring new voice in the intimate world of indie electronic beats. His debut album garnered acclaim worldwide, and his latest release Far Out Dust promises just as many emotional riffs and haunting melodies. Catch the Irish wonder as he tours China with his newest sounds.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Tango. Wed 24 Apr. 400RMB; 320RMB (presale).
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, aka BRMC, is one of the best alternative rock bands on the scene today. Their dirty and powerful sound, alongside their dark folk lyrics and the intensity of their live concerts, have made their shows must-sees around the world. Coming off the back of 2018 release Wrong Creatures, BRMC heads to China with Americana-style blues and rock.
Warbly Jets
Yue Space. Sat 27 Apr. 220RMB; 160RMB (presale).
LA-based band Warbly Jets burst on the scene in 2016 with their rockin' debut single 'Alive'. With the clear goal of being rock trailblazers rather than just another '60s-esque psyche band in LA's over-saturated scene, the foursome create massive rock 'n' roll melodies full of '90s-era grunge, skittish beats and sharp synth lines.
Descendents
Mao Livehouse Wukesong. Sun 28 Apr. 330RMB; 280RMB (presale).
The Descendents have been delivering 90-second fastballs of buzzed-up bubble gum punk off and on since the late ’70s. The band went on several extended hiatuses in the ’90s and aughts; their latest, excellent LP from 2016, Hypercaffium Spazzinate, is just their third in three decades. Catch the band that may (or may not) have created pop-punk as they hit up Beijing.
W&W
One Third. Fri 12 Apr. 200RMB.
Better known as W&W, Dutch DJs and producers Willem van Hanegem and Wardt van der Harst have worked with the likes of Vinai, Hardwell and Armin van Buuren. Ranked number 14 on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs list in 2018, W&W play sets that combine the melodic elements of trance with electro and progressive house.
Salvatore Ganacci
Sir Teen. Fri 12 Apr. 120RMB.
The Swedish experimenter is back, with bolder, bigger beats than ever. Known for his heavy-hitting club hits such as 'Dive' and 'Jook It', Salvatore returns to the capital with show-stopping new tunes to get you sweating.
Fedde Le Grand
One Third. Sat 13 Apr. 150RMB.
Iconic Dutch house DJ and producer Fedde Le Grand is known for the absolute bangers 'Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit', 'Let Me Think About It' and 'So Much Love'. A perennial headliner at EDM festivals such as Ultra Music Festival and Tomorrowland, Le Grand's been listed on the DJ Mag Top 100 DJ's List every year since debuting back in 2007.
National Geographic: A New Age of Exploration 2.0
Beijing World Art Museum. Until Sun 23 Jun. 80-210RMB.
Covering over 130 years of the landmark magazine's stunning history, this exhibition brings to life photos taken from all corners of the earth and elaborates on the often haunting stories behind them. After doing so well the last time this exhibition was in town, it returns again with over 100 classic Nat Geo images.
Marina Abramović
Light Society. Until Sat 15 Jun. 50RMB.
Marina Abramović, a Serbian performance artist who works with video, photographs, sculpture and more, has been exploring feminist and body art for over 40 years. Her pieces challenge the relationship between artist and viewer, calling for her audiences to reinterpret the possibilities and limitations of the body and mind. This exhibition will showcase new and key works – some of which have never before been shown in China.
School of Rock
Tianqiao Performing Arts Centre. Until Sun 14 Apr. 180-1,180RMB.
With a new score from Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater, a book by Julian Fellowes and an incredible cast, School of Rock hits all the right notes. The story follows Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn a bit of extra cash by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. There he turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band.
Malakhov & Friends
NCPA. Mon 29-Tue 30 Apr. 160-880RMB.
Vladimir Malakhov and friends head to the stage to perform excerpts from well-loved ballets including La Esmeralda, The Nutcracker and Don Quixote, as well as modern, minimalist pieces such as Absence of Story and Oblivion.
Film songs in concert
Renmin University. Sat 18 May. 162-580RMB.
Star Sky Chamber Orchestra, led by conductor Zhengyu Zhu, performs a special night of all the best movie scores. Hear your favourite theme tunes, from Game of Thrones and Star Wars to Transformers and Jurassic Park.
The Wizard of Oz
Tianqiao Performing Arts Centre. Thu 6-Sun 23 Jun. 100-980RMB.
Celebrating the beloved 1930s film that saw a generation of young girls want sparkly red shoes (... just us?), The Wizard of Oz musical heads to the Beijing stage with a cacophony of timeless songs, bright sets and much heel-clicking. Take a trip back down the yellow brick road with Dorothy and all her friends in need.
Cats
Century Theatre. Wed 3-Sat 6 Jul. 180-1,180RMB.
Since its premiere in 1983, Cats has received seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and has been performed in over 30 countries. Based on TS Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, the musical tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles. Set against the backdrop of a junkyard, the musical is centred around the 'Jellicle choice', a night which decides which cat will come back in the next life.
Piaf! The Show
Tianqiao Performing Arts Centre. Wed 31 Jul-Fri 2 Aug. 99-880RMB.
Piaf! The Show is a musical tribute to the legendary Edith Piaf, France's best-known songbird. Her music was often autobiographical as she specialised in French chanson and torch ballads about love, loss and sorrow. The show consists of two 45-minute acts, narrating the story of Piaf's life using the songs for which she is most famous.
For more great tickets to events around Beijing, hit 'Read more' below.
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