The best tickets to buy this August

Photos: 247 Tickets

Book ahead – these events are going to sell out fast

August is almost here and the final weeks of summer are bringing another slew of new things to do. Stay on top of what's happening in town over the next 31 days with our curated list of ticketed events. From the hottest gigs to can't-miss art & theatre events, we've got you covered. 

Rhys Lewis

Dusk Dawn Club. Tue 6. 9pm-late. 100RMB (student)/120RMB adv/150RMB door

With a light rasp to his soul inflected singing style and a bluesy approach to the guitar, English singer-songwriter Rhys Lewis began his career in the mid-2010s. He had already developed a significant streaming audience by the arrival of his major-label debut in 2018.

Helsinki Lambda Club x odol

MAO Livehouse Wukesong. Fri 9. 8.30-10.30pm. 290RMB/490RMB 

Helsinki Lambda Club was formed in 2013. They found success in 2014 when they were selected as the best artists in the UK.PROJECT competition. The band draws influence from The Libertines, Happy Mondays, The Doors and The Cure. Odol is an alternative rock band who recently succeeded on the international circuit with their recent performance in Kaohsiung.

Take 6

Blue Note. Thu 15-Fri 16. 7.30-9.30pm. 460RMB/560RMB

The most awarded a cappella group in history, heralded by Quincy Jones as the 'Baddest vocal cats on the planet!' are the quintessential a cappella model for vocal genius. With 10 Grammy Awards, 10 Dove Awards, 2 NAACP Image Awards, a Soul Train Award, and more, Take 6 continues to bring extraordinary vocals to their worldwide audiences. April 2018 marks the release of their sixteenth album, aptly titled ICONIC. 

Snow Patrol 

Tango. Wed 21. 8-10pm. 480RMB adv

With over 25 years in the music industry, Snow Patrol has carved out a unique place for themselves. Since their 1998 debut, Songs for Polar Bears, which was hailed as 'an impressive piece of work,' their melancholy anthems of heartbreak and separation have mended hearts, and the band has racked up an impressive number of critical and commercial accolades, including 16 million global album sales, 1+ billion global track streams, 5 UK Platinum Albums, and are Grammy and Mercury Music Prize nominated.

UT Insieme Vocale Consonante

NCPA. Sat 3. 7.30-9.30pm. 50-480RMB. 

UT Insieme Vocale Consonante is an a cappella vocal ensemble consisting of a number of members, from the materialistic to the chamber choir, singers come from different parts of Italy and have a well-established musical and vocal experience as most of them are choral conductors. The ensemble collaborates with some of the world's best known conductors and composers, creating unique concerts to promote contemporary choral music. Join them for an evening of unforgettable music.

Samajam: Kids Show

Beijing Exhibition Centre. Various dates and time. 102-323RMB

Join this 200% participatory musical show catered specially for the little ones. Have fun through music with this interactive musical performance. Children will receive a pair of drum sticks, whirly tubes and an African diembe, so let loose and play alongside the talented performing musicians.

The Librarian 

Super Theatre. Fri 2-Sun 4. Various time. 120-280RMB

For the last 25 years, Paul-Émile Dumoulin has worked in a municipal library. He is serious, proud, though terribly clumsy. The shelves must be impeccable, publications carefully organised. But beware, when his passion for books gets a hold of him, he can’t help but plunge, head first, into their stories. The Librarian is overwhelmed with acrobatics, performing feats of balance, juggling, break dancing and beat boxing, acted through multidisciplinary artist Hyppolite.

Teatro alla Scala 'La Corsaire'

NCPA. Thu 8-Fri 9. 7.30-9.30pm. 280-1,280RMB

Today, the 1998 choreography by Anna-Marie Holmes, an expert of XIX-century ballets, brings to La Scala the most exciting title of the dance repertoire in a new concept: an adventure that cannot be missed.

Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir

NCPA. Fri 9. 7.30-9.30pm. 50-480RMB

The Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir was founded in 1972 and, through the efforts of its conductors, has put together an extensive repertoire and cultivated a reputation as one of the most prestigious choirs in the world. From the 140 members of the larger chorus, a smaller 30-voice chamber choir has been established to tour and to perform more selective musical works.

Teatro alla Scala: Giselle

NCPA. Sat 10-Sun 11. 7.30-9pm. 180-1,080RMB

Giselle continues to move audiences with its charming narratives and moving performances. It is the tragic and romantic story of young peasant girl who falls for the flirtations of the deceitful and disguised nobleman Albrecht. This unforgettable romantic ballet returns in the rendition of Yvette Chauviré, who succeeds in exalting the purity of the classical tradition, with music provided by the Orchestra of the Accademia Teatro alla Scala.

Attraction: Let Love Win

NCPA. Sat 10-Sun 11. 7.30-9pm. 180-880RMB

Hungarian shadow theatre group Attraction rose to fame during a performance at the London 2012 Olympics, subsequently winning the seventh series of UK talent show, Britain's Got Talent in 2013. In Beijing, Attraction will be performing their latest piece, Let Love Win. Don't miss out on this theatrical piece like no other.

VOCES8

NCPA. Sun 11. 7.30-9.30pm. 50-480RMB

The British vocal ensemble VOCES8 is now established as one of the world's most versatile and best-loved singing groups. Touring extensively throughout Europe, North America and Asia, the ensemble performs a repertory from Renaissance polyphony to contemporary commissions and arrangements.

JunNK 

Rulun Lecture Hall of Renmin University. Sat 17. 7.30-9pm. 70-266RMB

Using various items commonly found in a junkyard as their foundation, these four hilarious performers energetically combine acappella singing, captivating percussions, innovative musical creations and mesmerising gymnastics. The result is a lively, dynamic and seriously fun show to the delight of audiences of all ages and nationalities.

Notre Dame de Paris

Tianqiao Performing Arts Centre. Sun 18-Sun 1 Sept. Various time. 180-1,180RMB

Based upon the 1831 novel Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo (who also wrote the novels behind Les Misérables and The Grinning Man), Notre Dame De Paris features an international ensemble of singers, dancers and acrobats to tell the tale of the hunchbacked cathedral bell-ringer, Quasimodo, and his tragic love for the gypsy, Esmeralda. With unforgettable music composed by Richard Cocciante, and lyrics by Luc Plamondon, Notre Dame De Paris continues to capture imaginations and send hearts soaring around the world.

Der Elefantenpups

Tianqiao Theatre. Sat 3-Sun 4. Various time. 180-480RMB.
Get the kids laughing at this delightful stage performance. Little panda Mei Yue joins the zoo but she's homesick and wants to return to China. The other animals get together to cheer Mei Yue up. Join them on a musical adventure unlike any other.

La Fanciulla del West

NCPA. Various dates. 7-9pm. 100-680RMB.

La Fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West) is Puccini's seventh opera. It is ranked as the most mature four opera works by composers, along with Career of the Artist, Tusca and Madame Butterfly. The play is the only major opera to describe California's gold rush so far. The story ends with two lovers riding horses toward the sunset. The theme of music is interspersed with contemporary and local folk music and Indian ballads, which injects a strong regional colour into this pure American theme.

The Patma Music Family Concert: Meet Mozart

Beijing Theatre. Sun 4. 7.30-8.45pm. 100-196RMB

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has composed more than 600 works throughout his entire lifetime, many of which have been acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, chamber, operatic, and choral music. Mozart's musical influence on classical composers and subsequently on Western art music is undeniable. Learn more about this musical prodigy through Patma Music Family Concerts that provide high quality orchestral music for children in an interactive and engaging manner.

Exclusive Couple’s Culture Retreat 

Songzhuang Art District. Sat 3-Sun 4. 9am-7pm. 2,588RMB/per couple.

Connect with Chinese culture and reconnect with your partner at this exclusive weekend retreat held at the Songzhuang Art District. Experience four workshops, including Chinese painting, calligraphy, Taichi, and a ceramics workshop, all which taught by experienced teachers. End off the night with a stay at a beautiful boutique hotel inspired by the Tang dynasty, reserved specially for retreat participants.

NBA Exhibition: Unstoppable Beijing

Yang Art Museum. Sat 13-Fri 13 Sep. 10am-6pm. 75-160RMB 

'Unstoppable Beijing' is a multi-level experience with interactive exhibits, video, and imagery to showcase the passion of the league, its teams and players, going back to the league's early years and exploring the many ways the NBA has evolved since 1946.

UnTour Food Tours: Beijing Hutong Breakfast

Every Wed-Wed 25 Dec. 8-11am. 420RMB/210RMB (children)

Heard about Beijing’s hutong alleyways, but not sure what to do or where to go? Join UnTour Food Tours for breakfast as they sample the most authentic and delicious snacks. Over the course of three hours, you’ll eat your way through China’s 5,000 years of culinary history, try new foods and gain an appreciation for the artisans making these handmade treats.

Bowie by Mick Rock

Photo: 247 Tickets

798 Art Factory. Mon 29 Jul-Sun 29 Aug. 88RMB/120RMB adv  

Between 1972 and 1973, as David Bowie was redefining glam rock as the androgynous alien rock star Ziggy Stardust, fellow Londoner Mick Rock was the musician’s official photographer. Catch snapshots of 65 rare Bowie moments, from the extraterrestrial fashion outfits on album covers to intimate dressing moments and private performances.

Japanese Animation and Studio Ghibli Manuscript Exhibition

Polar Bear Gallery. 29 Jun-29 Aug. 68RMB/55RMB adv  

Japanese animation has captured the hearts and minds of millions worldwide, this exhibition at Polar Bear Gallery showcases some of the best cels (short for celluloid) that anime has to offer. Featuring work from Studio Ghibli and Osamu Tezuka, this is an event for true fans of anime and newcomers alike.

Wavelength: Made in Illusion

Times Art Museum. Sat 6 Jul-Sun 6 Oct (except Mon). 58-88RMB

Following the first cooperation in 2017, Wavelength will once again join hands with Beijing Times Art Museum to usher in a comprehensive conversation into 'How Art Discusses Consumer Culture'. Through various art forms like installations, sculptures, paintings, and new media, this exhibition brings together thirty artists and hundreds of works in the discussion of substance and materials in the world of manufacturing and consumption.

The Beatles: Beat On

Photo: 247 Tickets

Chaoyang Joy City. Sat Jun 29-Sun 15 Sep. 68RMB (child)/98RMB/178RMB (for two)

Take a look at the history of the legendary British rock group The Beatles. The exhibition features themed spaces, artwork and photographs from the band's history as well as many of their classic hits.

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