17 awesome things to do this October

Unsplash: Beth Teutschmann

It's that time of year when our minds switch to thoughts of pumpkins, black cats, and things go bump in the night – but spooky season is no reason to stay cooped up indoors. Fall headfirst into the Mid-Autumn madness with comic con, gigs galore, and more mooncakes than your jaw can accommodate. See below for our full list of awesome October picks.

Things to do

Shanghai Rolex Masters 2017

One of the biggest dates on the ATP World Tour, the 2017 Shanghai Rolex Masters will be showcasing some of the world’s premier tennis talent, including Roger Federer and recently crowned US Open champion Rafael Nadal.

Shanghai Qizhong Tennis Centre 5500 Yuanjiang Lu, near Kunyang Lu. Sat 7-Sun 15. 120-1,000RMB.

Shanghai Comic Convention 2017

Geeks and self-proclaimed superheroes, assemble! Shanghai Comic Con will feature the latest and greatest entertainment, comics, gaming, anime, manga, screenings and more!

Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center 1099 Guozhan Lu, near Zhoujiadu Lu. Thu 5, 12-6pm; Fri 6, 10am-6pm; Sat 7, 10am-5pm. 120RMB; 98RMB (presale). Long press and extract the QR code in the image to buy tickets.

NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors

No, you haven't accidentally caught a flight to Minneapolis, if such a thing is possible; the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors are coming to Shanghai for some serious NBA pre-season ball.

Mercedes-Benz Arena 1200 Shibo Da Dao, near Shangnan Lu. Sun 8. 6.30pm. 330-18,888RMB.

Charity Public Halloween Ghost Tour

Shanghai has a rich record of murderous gangsters and fatal accidents that, as legend tells us, has left behind many spirits wandering certain haunts around the city. This two-hour walking tour by Newman tours takes you through some of the places of note from a rougher time in Shanghai's history. 

Jingan Temple Station Nanjing Xi Lu, near Changde Lu. Fri27. 7pm. 260RMB (adults); 190RMB (children under 14).

Music and Nightlife

Diàn Mí Festival

2ManyDJs and Asian Dub Foundation are the headliners for the newly named Diàn Mí Festival (formerly known as Midi Electronic Festival), along with Scottish producer Howie B. Excellent electro-rock band Nova Heart, rock 'n' roller Xie Tian Xiao, Shanghai techno king MHP (with full live band), Chinese disco doyenne Zhang Le and lots more will join them in descending upon the shores of Tai Lake. Cavia, MIIIA, Ouyang, SHAO, WengWeng, Mansun and Max Shen are among the DJs and producers joining them on the line-up.

Diàn Mí Festival Taihu Midi Camp, Qiduzhen, Wujiang district. Sun 1-Tue 2. 280RMB per day, 680RMB three-day pass; 180RMB per day, 450RMB three-day pass (presale). Long press and extract the QR code in the image to buy tickets.

Shalanaya Open-air Music Festival

Shalanaya festival returns for its fifth event with three days of music, art and sustainability as part of a celebration encouraging self expression and involvement from all who attend. Expect workshops, live art performances, talks, yoga sessions and more, with a psytrance stage, techno stage and 'a pillow covered chill out area' playing ambient beats.

Dianshan Lake. Tue 3-Thu 5. 11am. 380RMB.

Innersect

A three-day festival (Thu 5-Sat 7) of branded ephemera from Mandopop-badboy-turned-style entrepreneur Edison Chen, Innersect may sound vaguely like a hundred other events you've heard of already this year, but here's why you should care: the most high-profile member of the A$AP mob, rapper A$AP Rocky will be performing live at the festival on the opening night (Thu 5). 

Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Centre 1099 Guozhan Lu, near Zhoujiadu Lu. Thu 5. From 680RMB (exhibition plus hip hop night). Long press and extract the QR code in the image to buy tickets.

A$AP Nast

A$AP Nast returns to Shanghai, appearing at Arkham on the same night that A$AP Rocky is in town. Will the A$AP Mob members stick together? Keep your eyes peeled for a very special guest...

Arkham Found 158, 168 Julu Lu, near Chengdu Nan Lu. Thu 5. 10pm. 280RMB (presale); 220RMB (early bird).

JZ Festival 2017

On the bill are the likes of Kool and the Gang, Andy Summers (former guitarist for The Police) and Chris Dave and the Drumhedz as JZ Festival returns to its regular stomping ground of recent years, the Expo Garden Park beside Mercedes-Benz Arena.

Expo Garden Park Shibo Avenue, near Zhoujiadu Lu. Fri 13-Sun 15 Oct. 11am-10pm. 260-320RMB. Long-press and extract the QR code in the image to book tickets.

Bar Rouge's 13th anniversary

Celebrating its 13th year, the iconic Bund-side bar is holding an eclectic Wild West-themed party. Dress code? Any character from a spaghetti western.

Bar Rouge Seventh Floor, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu.Fri 13-Sat 14; Wed 18-Sat 21. 9pm. 100RMB.

Food and Drink

Shanghai Oktoberfest 2017

Dig out your lederhosen or your dirndl and head to this massive festival tent and street party near the Rockbund for awesome Bavarian food, live music, and of course, loads of free-flowing beer for a raucous Shanghai-style celebration of the world's most iconic autumn event.

Yuanmingyuan Lu, near Beijing Dong Lu. Wed 25-Sat 28. Entry tbc.

Hairy Crab Feast food tour

Autumn’s arrival means one thing in Shanghai: hairy crab season. On UnTour's Hairy Crab Feast tour, find out why Tang Dynasty poets immortalised these critters in verse millennia ago, as you sample a range of crab dishes, from xiaolongbao to Lion’s Head meatballs.

Meet near Laoximen metro station (exact location shared upong sign up). Sat 7 and Sat 28. 5.30pm. Around 500RMB per person.

Film

The Hitman's Bodyguard

As action-comedy premises go, this one isn’t so bad: Ryan Reynolds plays a bodyguard assigned to protect Samuel L. Jackson’s hitman. Both actors have impressive credentials in the genre and a winning way with a wisecracking one-liner. The movie delivers on that for fans of Deadpool and Pulp Fiction. 

On general release.

Stage

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone – In Concert

In light of the 20th anniversary celebration of the Harry Potter series, there's hardly anything more befitting than attending experiencing a full-throttle Potter screening with live orchestra. For the first time, the film concert series has landed in China. The Orchestra Italiana del Cinema (Italian Film Symphony Orchestra) will be leading the performance of John William's Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone soundtrack live to accompany the screening of the film.

Shanghai Culture Square 597 Fuxing Zhong Lu. Tue 24-Thu 26. 7.30pm. 880-1,080RMB.

Art

Shoes: pleasure and pain

Curated by Helen Pearson, Shoes: Pleasure and Pain features a selection of over 140 pairs of shoes from 14th century court dress to the edgiest designs by contemporary makers in a story that laces together fashion and function from across the globe.

HKRI Taikoo Hui 789 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Shimen Yi Lu. Until Sun Nov 5. Free.

Hello, My Name is Paul Smith

Hello, My Name is Paul Smith is a touring exhibition showcasing the fashion designer's journey in building his company, as well as his stylistic tastes and eye for design. It combines the artistic and the business aspects of running a fashion brand and gives the audience a glimpse into the designer's world, helping people understand the interactions between operating within an industry as a business and within the fashion world as a designer and artist.

Modern Art Museum 4777 Binjiang Avenue, near Pudian Lu. Tue 10-Jan 7. 100RMB; 50RMB (early-bird).

Family-friendly

Halloween season at Shanghai Disney Resort

Catch Disney at its scariest (as scary as Disney gets, that is...). The special autumn festivities include brand new performances, along with family-friendly spooky surprises around every corner.

Shanghai Disney Resort 753 Shendi Bei Lu, Chuan Sha Town. Until Tue 31. 9am. 370RMB; 280RMB (child/senior).

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