17 awesome things to do this week

The arrival of the May holiday this weekend for some will herald the first joyous smatterings of summer. And this is the weekend where we get the first big music festival offerings of the year - Taihu Lake's ever-popular Midi Festival, one of Shanghai's biggest fests of the year Strawberry Festival and the glorious Jingan-wide JZ Spring 2017. Whether you're rocking out or not, there's plenty to do in the sun this week.

MUSIC

Midi Taihu Festival 2017

Midi Festival returns to its lakeside park on the outskirts of Suzhou for the 2017 May holiday with a mix of international and domestic rock, metal and folk bands, plus a host of DJs. Headline acts include Second Hand Rose, Wang Wen, Muma, Whitechapel, AK, A Night in Texas, Dragon Force, Noctiferia and Lescop. Plus there's a swimming pool on site and it's one of the few festivals around Shanghai that offers camping.

Taihu Midi Camp Qiduzhen. Apr 29-May 1. 1pm. 180RMB a day, 450RMB for three days; 150RMB a day; 400RMB for three days (presale).

Strawberry Festival

Modern Sky's Strawberry Festival returns to Shanghai once more for the May holiday with The Vaccines, The Drums, KSHMR, Charli XCX, Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg and lots more.

Expo Garden Park Shibo Dadao. Apr 29-May 1. 1pm. 599RMB. 

JZ Spring 2017

JZ Spring is back for 2017 as part of the city's celebrations of International Jazz Day. This three-day, largely free event from the JZ people will feature performances from locally based musicians in a variety of locations around Jingan - Jingan Park, Réel Plaza, Jingan Kerry Centre and Crystal Galleria.

Shanghai Centre Theatre 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu. Apr 30-May 2. 10.30am. Free (all outdoor shows). 

Gate to the Otherside

Maybe Mars-signed Beijing trio Gate to Otherside sound like Carsick Cars playing Chui Wan songs (psychedelic noise-rock basically) - a combination that has gotten them a lot of buzz in the capital. They're celebrating the release of their new, Ricky Maymi-produced album with a China-wide tour. 

Yuyintang 851 Kaixuan Lu. Apr 28. 9pm. 80RMB; 60RMB (presale).

PERFORMANCE

Ludovico Einaudi 

Ludovico Maria Enrico Einaudi OMRI is an Italian pianist and composer. He trained at the Conservatorio Verdi in Milan and under composer Luciano Berio in the early 1980s. Einaudi began his career as a classical composer, and began incorporating other styles and genres - including pop, rock, world music and folk music.

Shanghai Oriental Art Center 425 Dingxiang Lu. Apr 25. 7.30pm. 180-880RMB.  Long press and extract the QR code to buy tickets. 

Sarah Chang Violin Recital

Sarah Chang was a former child prodigy who remains a star; this month, the always glamorous violinist plays a programme of Bartok, Brahms, and Franck. With pianist Julio Elizalde.

Shanghai Oriental Art Center 425 Dingxiang Lu. Apr 28. 7.30pm. 80-580RMB. 

Wicked

When Dorothy got stuck in a tornado, travelled to Oz and defeated the Wicked Witch, her quest for home gained a following of epic proportions. So epic, in fact, that it’s been inspiring adaptations and alternate storylines for over a century. And like the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, the musical stage production Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz, is one version that has yet to lose velocity. See our interview with some of the cast right here.

Shanghai Culture Square 36 Yongjia Lu. Apr 11-29. 280-580RMB. Long press and extract the QR code to buy tickets. 

NIGHTLIFE

SVBKVLT present Swimful Pearls EP Release Party

Returning after a four-month hiatus since the closure of The Shelter, SVBKVLT return with this launch party for Pearls, the new EP from Qinpu-based producer Swimful. The EP collects four of the best tracks made by Swimful in the past year and sees the producer going deeper into his sound of nostalgic sino melodies and melancholic atmospheres that he established on 2016’s PM2.5.

DADA 115 Xingfu Lu. Apr 29. 10pm. 50RMB. 

Co:Motion x Discosmic Adventure: Intergalactic Gary

Described as ‘a quiet master behind the decks’, Intergalactic Gary has been DJing for over three decades and is renowned for his flawless mixing. This is a show to get the DJ nerds excited - expect a masterclass in Detroit techno, Italo and electro.

Elevator 218 Xinle Lu. Apr 30. 10pm. 80RMB. 

Jay Prince

Yeti Out bring back the UK lyricist as part of a nine city Asia tour. The East Londoner will deliver his signature live show with genre-blending beats to soulfully-charged raps. Jay Prince has taken his local sounds of UK garage, grime and dubstep and mixed them with West Coast hip-hop influences, churning out an uplifting hybrid that's received nods from Soulection and Pusha T to Lenny Kravitz. 

Le Baron 20 Donghu Lu. Apr 27. 10pm. Free. 

La Chouffe Party Vol .3

One of the fundamental truths of Shanghai is thus: One Chouffe is good, two Chouffes is too much, three Chouffes is not enough. Le Cafe des Stagiaires on Dagu Lu celebrate the dangerously drinkable Belgian beer with this party.

Le Cafe des Stagiaires 3 386 Dagu Lu. Fri 28. 8pm. Free. 

THINGS TO DO

China International Comedy Festival 2017

Kung Fu Komedy (KFK) will be hosting some of the world’s top comedic talent at this year’s China International Comedy Festival. The festival’s main attraction is the stand-up comedy competition that welcomes comedians from across China and internationally.

Kung Fu Komedy Club 1 Xiangyang Bei Lu. 24-29 Aprl. 50-200RMB; 350RMB Festival Pass (300RMB early bird). 

Unravel: Chance

Storytelling event Unravel is back, this time with the theme of 'Chance'. 'The ones we take, the ones we lose, the ones we leave it up to. An encounter, the unexpected, the inevitable. Three more or the very last one.' It's an evening of real stories from real people. It's not quite open mic, so if you want to tell a story or get involved email [e-mail].

TRIBE 291 Fumin Lu. Apr 27. 6.30pm. Free. 

Crazy Lotus Festival 

Three music stages covering a variety of genres such as hip-hop, reggae and electronic. Live acts include Zhang Ze, Chiu Pi, Peer Kusiv, and Steo Le Panda. All access tickets include a Shanghai nightlife pass that grants entry to more than 15 events across the city at venues such as Celia, The Mansion and Reel to Reel. There is also the SMART Conference, featuring an interactive classroom and a rooftop networking lounge.

Cool Docks 505 Zhongshan Nan Lu. 29-30 Apr. 1pm. 240-450RMB. 

ART

Please fasten your seatbelt as we are experiencing some turbulence

In an exhibition examining the state of the world today, Leo Xu Projects presents its latest collaborative group show, featuring two new art pieces by Yale educated Iranian artist Tala Madini, whose older work was featured in recent MoMA exhibition in NYC, in which the museum boldly replaced major works by Picasso and Matisse with artists from countries affected by Donald Trump’s ‘Muslim ban’.

Leo Xu Projects Lane 49 Fuxing Xi Lu. Until Apr 30. Free. 

Liu Bolin

In the first exhibition at MD Gallery's new space on Beijing Dong Lu, artist Liu Bolin presents his famous photography series Hiding in the city, in which he disappears until he becomes invisible. The artist now broadens the field of his iconography by camouflaging not only in emblematic urban decorations but also in famous classical paintings such as Delacroix's Liberty Guiding the People.

MD Gallery 256 Beijing Dong Lu. Until 20 May. Free. 

Fantastic Color Bar

Hidden in the basement of Ying Art Center is artist Wang Chienyang's Fantastic Color Bar, with the ordinarily dull room transformed to capture the dazzling colours of the internet age. The vibrant setting makes the perfect spot for some WeChat selfies, and has drawn crowds of young hipsters since its opening. 

Ying Art Center 97 Moganshan Lu. Until Nov 17. Free. 

More from Time Out Shanghai

Click below for more things to do