25 great things to do in Beijing this weekend
Photo: 247 Tickets
Your weekend guide to amazing events around Beijing
Beijing's golden season is upon us, as is the Golden Week, which means there are more reasons to head out and explore with much happenings in the capital this weekend. From city tours, parties and stomping gigs, enjoy the perfect weather and have a good weekend, Beijing.
As well as these highlights, there are many more things to do in Beijing this weekend: explore, enjoy and don't forget to Instagram us your snaps with #timeoutbeijing or let us know on Facebook what you really enjoyed.
Drop your Phone
'Drop Your Phone' is based on TV game shows like, Family Feud, Wheel of Fortune, Who wants to be a Millionaire, and board games like 'Pictionary' and 'Scrabble'. Pat Yangpai presents the games in English and Chinese. Unlike a regular pub quiz, general knowledge isn't important, but common sense, teamwork and a splash of luck.
Comedy Club China Presents: Justin Rivera Beijing Tour
Photo: Comedy Club China
The Great Outdoors. Fri 20. 8-9.30pm. 150RMB/120RMB adv
Get ready for some belly laughs as comedian magician and America's Got Talent alumni Justin Rivera graces the stage in Beijing as part of his sold-out international tour. Known for an ability to tickle your funny bone with his magic-infused comedy, his witty performances have proven to be a hit in and outside of the US.
Historic Run: From City to City within Your City
Make the most out of the pleasant weather by getting out there and getting fit while taking in Beijing's many historical landmarks. Join Beijing Postcards for a run that takes you through the remnants of the old Peking, including The Inner City, The Outer City, The Legation Quarter, The Imperial City, The Forbidden City, and many more stops. To participate you will have to be able to run nine kilometers in an hour.
Irish Coffee Night with The Blck Lab
Photo: The Blck Lab
The Blck Lab. Fri 20. 7.30-9.30pm. 28RMB
The Blck Lab is hosting an Irish Coffee night with Irish coffee and other caffeine drinks for tasting as well. This is a golden opportunity to meet with like-minded people and network. The event is limited to 25 participants. For more information and to register, add their WeChat: The-Blck-Lab.
Sunday Free Flow Italian Buffet
Photo: Pablo Merchán Montes/Unsplash.com
Bottega Jinshang. Sun 22. 5-9pm. 138RMB
Toast to the weekend with a boozy free-flow Italian buffet. Come to Bottega and sip on special Italian drinks including sgroppino and limoncell, and savour traditional Italian favourites from bruschetta, Romana-style pizza to mini arancini.
Sunday Brunch at N'Joy
Photo: NUO/N'Joy
NUO Hotel Beijing. Until Dec 29 (Every Sun). 10am-2pm. From 458RMB
Treat yourself after a long week of hard work with a feast of exquisite world cuisines at NUO Hotel Beijing. Savour new gourmet treats at NUO’s upgraded Sunday brunch, from sea urchin to mouthwatering Brazilian churrasco alongside a dazzling array of global tastes that redefine the hotel buffet concept.
Unlimited dim sum brunch at The House of Dynasties
The House of Dynasties. Every Sat-Sun. 11.30am-2.30pm. 198RMB
Rosewood Beijing’s elegant restaurant The House of Dynasties embraces the flavours of Hong Kong-style Cantonese cuisine and offers an authentically flavourful dim sum brunch. Every Saturday and Sunday, enjoy unlimited dim sum for just 198RMB per person during lunch. Enjoy classic Cantonese bites such as hargao, siu mai, Hong Kong-style fried rice rolls and more. Hearty soups, congee, noodles and rice are also on offer
Fancy Wall
Photo: School
School Live Bar. Sun 22. 9pm-late. 80RMB/60RMB adv
Local promoters Rock Bros. are back at it with the last show booked before School Bar's end of September break from next week through October 2. Join them for one last rock n' roll go around. Set to play are folky pop-rockers Fancy Wall, indie rockers Ban, pop-punk dudes Sugar-Free Monster, psychedelic experimental outfit JieZou ShengYin, and punk rock power-pop foursome Backside
Nypan Jazz Trio
Photo: La Plantation
La Plantation. Sat 21. 7.30-9.30pm. 100-200RMB
The Norwegian band, Nypan Trio, are going back on tour to promote their new album Life of Three. The Nypan Trio plays the music of Lonnie Smith and George Benson in using the guitar, Hammond organ and drums, bringing something new to the table each time with a melodic and soulful sound.
Stevie Mac and The Mac Daddies
Photo: Modernista
Modernista. Sat 21. 10pm-late. FREE
After a short summer break, Modernista is the perfect place to kick off the Autumn season with Stevie Mac and the Mac Daddies. Join one of Beijing's hottest party bands for music, dancing and drinks with their spectacular pop and rock sound.
The Diagon Alley
Photo: School
School Live Bar. Fri 20. 9pm-late. 80-140RMB
School Bar has a big line-up this Friday night with a little bit of everything. Set to play are Britpop electro-rockers The Diagon Alley, alternative rock outfit Perpetual Motion Machine, pop-punk dudes out of Langfang The Second Kick, pop-rockers Ying Ke Er, and rock n' roll band composed of a bunch of eight-year-olds Paper Plane.
The Hunter
Modernista. Fri 20. 10pm-late. FREE
Come and dance the night away to explosive Beijing expat band The Hunter. They fill the air with their powerful sound of R&B, pop and old school rock. As KC raises her voice the crowd will follow.
Glow Neon Party
Photo: Atmosphere
Atmosphere. Fri 20. 7pm-late. 100RMB
Come and show off your shimmering outfits as Atmosphere Bar hosts a glow neon party. Party in the darkness with glowing body paint, alone with a futuristic laser and dance show, as well as resident band Groove Avenue performing along with DJ Lorein.
Cad 73
Photo: Migas Mercado
Migas Mercado. Fri 20. 10pm-late. FREE
Cad 73, the music encyclopedia, will get you in the groove this Saturday night on Migas Mercado's terrace. He'll be spinning Funk, Soul and Hip-hop, from 10pm till late. Get ready for a journey with the royalty of underground music.
R&B vs Hip-Hop at Migas Mercado
Photo: Sugar House
Migas Mercado. Sat 21. 10pm-late. 80RMB/60RMB adv
Always packed on the dance floor, Beijing's raucous DJ collective and hip-hop community Sugar House is back with another steamy dance night this weekend at Migas Mercado. DJs 4tael and Dirty Dishes keep the party going all night long by hitting the decks with the hottest R&B, hip-hop, house and bass anthems from the 90s and 00s.
Motel77
Photo: Dada
Dada. Fri 20. 10pm-late. FREE
Motel77 is the new dark disco and slow techno duo from France working with the infamous record label La Dame Noir. Their first EP has received widespread acclaim and has been played around the world by artist like Curses, Local Suicide, Psychemagic and many more.
Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw
Photo: Fast and Furious/Universal Pictures
Cinemas around Beijing.
Ever since hulking lawman Hobbs and lawless outcast Shaw first faced off in 2015’s Furious 7, the duo has swapped smack talk and body blows as they’ve tried to take each other down. But when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton gains control of an insidious bio-threat that could alter humanity forever these two sworn enemies will have to partner up to bring down the only guy who might be more cold-blooded than themselves.
Mia and the White Lion (Mia at le Lion Blanc)
Photo: Film Afrika Worldwide
Opens Fri 20. Cinemas around Beijing.
Mia moves to Africa with her family and dislikes living there until their family adopts a white lion cub. But as time goes by and the cub grows into a grown lion, her parents decide to finally let the lion go by selling him to the highest bidder. Mia refuses and goes on a mission to save the white lion and find a reserve for him to live in. The movie will be in French and in English.
Photo: Warner Bros
Cinemas around Beijing.
Clint Eastwood tells the story about how, in the early 1980s, -the active star-director has become 88 years old (impressive in itself), he retreats into glib, underdeveloped dreck like The Mule? The plot, based on a news-of-the-weird New York Times Magazine article from 2014, concerns a 90-year-old coke runner, here renamed Earl Stone, who avoided detection by being such an unlikely target in the War on Drugs.
Les Choristes
Photo: 247 Tickets
Haidian Theatre. Until Sep 22. Various time. 180-880RMB
Les Choristes is a 2004 European drama film adapted from the 1945 film A Cage of Nightingales. The plot involves the widely successful orchestra conductor Pierre Morhange, who returns to France when his mother dies. He reminisces about his childhood when he's a badly behaved kid sent to the boarding institution for difficult boys. But it all changed when new teacher Claymont Mathieu brightens up the school and assembles a choir, leading to the discovery of Morhange's musical and physical talents and a transformation in the children.
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre: The Comedy of Errors
Photo: 247 Tickets
Tianqiao Performing Art Centre. Fri 20 7.30pm- Sat 21 2.30pm. 99-1,156RMB
Catch The Bard's evergreen classic The Comedy of Errors performed by Shakespeare’s Globe. For those unfamiliar, take one pair of estranged twin brothers (both named Antipholus), and one pair of estranged twin servants (both named Dromio) – both pairs separated at sea. Add a dash of mistaken identity and throw them into a city with a reputation for sorcery, and you have all the ingredients for theatrical chaos…
U-Theatre Presents The Colours
NCPA. Fri 20- Sat 21. 7.30-9.30pm. 60-580RMB
Residing in a remote hillside near Taipei, enabling deep contemplation and physical training, U-people call forth the inner truths of dance and non-dance and one-stroke drumming through their restrained movements and impeccable percussion technique, developing this illuminating oeuvre over four years
Leonardo and His Outstanding Circle
Image: Leonardo Da Vinci/Wikimedia Commons
CAFA Art Museum. Until Dec 8 (Every Tue-Sun). 9.30am-5.30pm. 68-120RMB
Marking 500 years since Leonardo Da Vinci'd death is the 'Leonardo and His Outstanding Circle' exhibition at Cafa Art Museum. This exhibition presents a total of 30 pieces of paintings by Leonardo and his art group – Leonardeschi and includes both the works of the students who learned directly from Leonardo and the followers who were influenced by him.
Beijing Design Week at Hotel Jen Beijing
Photo: Hotel Jen Beijing
Hotel Jen Beijing. Until Sep 29. tba. FREE
Hotel Jen Beijing has collaborated with Beijing Design Week to launch a Jen-Why-Art project during Beijing Design Week from September 5 to September 25. Catch the work by numerous local Chinese artists in this unique art project which focuses on the dynamics between human and environment. They also give each exhibit a detailed introduction and voice explanation.
Design China Beijing at The Opposite House
Photo: The Opposite House
The Opposite House. Until Oct 30. FREE
Design China Beijing and The Opposite House are the official cooperating partners for Design China Beijing which brings the new design installation 'Woven Grove' by Antistatics Architecture. This project is entitled 'Woven Grove' and is an exploration of the behaviour and treatment of bamboo, inspired by the practice of weaving.
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