40 amazing things to do in Shanghai this December

Image: ©2018 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved, courtesy Perrotin

It's December, which means Christmas is on the horizon. We're already thinking about decorating trees, presents, stuffing our faces with seasonal food and the slight possibility that it might snow in Shanghai – although we're not holding our breath. However, if you don't celebrate Christmas, or are just a bit of a Grinch, there's still plenty going on this month worth getting excited about, including a load of big-name art exhibitions. Read on for our picks of the best things to do in Shanghai this December.

Eating & Drinking

Photograph: courtesy Chope

Boxing Cat Brewery Ten-Year Anniversary

For Boxing Cat's tenth anniversary, they're unveiling the Sugar Daddy Imperial Porter – a dessert porter with crème brûlée notes. There’ll be DJs, paired snacks and a raffle of an all-expenses-paid trip for two to visit the Wuhan innovation brewery.

📍Boxing Cat Brewery, 26A, Sinan Mansions, 519 Fuxing Zhong Lu, near Sinan Lu. Sat 8. 8.30pm-1.00am. Free. 

HAI Spirits

HAI Spirits, the mini-festival series by BottlesXO, is back for a Christmas edition this season. Slurp on boozy pumpkin spiced lattes, 'spiked' mulled wine and beer cocktails made with Stone Brewing's hoppy craft brews, all while supporting a worthy cause – proceeds will go to Heart to Heart Shanghai. 

📍Stone Brewing Tap Room Shanghai, 1107 Yuyuan Lu, near Jiangsu Lu. Sat 8. 4pm-midnight. Free entry; 50RMB per cocktail; 150RMB to sample five different cocktails.

Cider Bomb

Get your cider on at Comma, with a host of ciders from Coldstream Brewery and various prizes to be won.

📍Comma, 178 Xinle Lu, near Donghu Lu. Sat 8. 5pm-late. Free. 

Music & Nightlife

Photograph: courtesy Heyday (Stevie Forever at Heyday)

Voision Xi at Heyday

Voision Xi's established herself as a musical talent to watch in Shanghai over the last few years while performing with artists like Soulspeak and J-Fever, exploring genres from jazz to hip-hop. She's now debuting her diverse musical skill set for her first act at Heyday.

📍Heyday, 50 Taian Lu, near Xingguo Lu. Wed 5. 10pm-late. 

Ambient Night

Brilliant organisers Hippo Tank are back with a super chill night of music at cool new creative hub Subland. Swimful, Charm and Far Infinity are the artists performing.

📍Subland, Bldg 8, 51 Runanjie, near Zhizaoju Lu. Fri 7. 7-10pm. 

Farewell Naomi Fitch

Longtime star of the Shanghai music scene, Naomi Fitch, performs her final concert at Shake. As a resident of Cotton Club for two-and-a-half years and one of Shake's original singers, she's captivated audiences across the city and directed shows like her legendary Prince and Amy Winehouse tributes. Expect a night of her favourite classic soul tracks with the full band, plus support from Courtney Knott and Matt Cooper.

📍Shake, Third Floor, 46 Maoming Nan Lu, near Jinxian Lu. Fri 7. 10pm-2am. 150RMB.

Stevie Forever at Heyday

Heyday and Ginger Kwan present two nights dedicated to one of the greatest musical geniuses of all time, Stevie Wonder. Expect classic tunes and deeper cuts in this intimate jazz club, performed by Ginger and backed by Oleg Roschin, Joseph Han and Charlie Foldesh. Table booking or early arrival recommended.

📍Heyday, 50 Taian Lu, near Xingguo Lu. Fri 7-Sat 8. 10pm-2am. 100RMB.

Dance 3

Get moving at a DJ and dance exercise party hosted by Cages and headed up by DJ Canine on the music side. Expect a combo of Latin-inspired Zumba and dancehall choreography.

📍Cages Bar and Sports, Third Floor, Jing'an Sports Centre, 428 Jiangning Lu, near Wuding Lu. Fri 7. 7.30-10.30pm. 125RMB.

SAFIA Starlight China Tour

Australian three-piece electronica/indie pop band SAFIA hit Shanghai as part of their China tour. They've jokingly described their sound as 'Skrillex and James Blake making sweet, tender love.' Go and witness the loving for yourself.

📍MAO Livehouse, 308 Chongqing Nan Lu, near Jianguo Zhong Lu. Wed 12. 8.30-10.30pm. 200RMB; 160RMB (presale). Extract the QR code to purchase tickets.

High Notes Twenty Eighteen at Shake

Shake did a ton of shows in 2018 and they're now condensing the top tunes from these nights into two huge dance parties. The soundtrack will include music ranging from Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson to Sly & The Family Stone to '90s R&B and Beyonce to neo-soul.

📍Shake, Third Floor, 46 Maoming Nan Lu, near Jinxian Lu. Fri 14-Sat 15. 10pm-2am. 100RMB.

Seven Gurus China Tour 2018

A septet of Chinese rappers descend on VAS Livehouse including Rap of China stars ICE and Blow Fever.

📍VAS Livehouse, Third Floor, 19 Wanhangdu Lu, near Changshou Lu. Fri 14. 7.30-9.30pm. 280RMB; 180RMB (presale). Extract the QR code above to purchase tickets. 

PAN

Unfamiliar with the name and looking for a marker of this Harbin-based techno producer’s quality? Upcoming dates after DADA include Berlin’s Tresor and Japan’s KGr,n.

📍DADA, 115 Xingfu Lu, near Fahuazhen Lu. Fri 28. 10pm-late. Tickets tba. 

Underbaby

Widely considered as the first Chinese punk band (one of their first big songs came out back in 1996), Underbaby has reformed and gone on a mammoth tour across the country. Their Shanghai date should be a lively one.

📍Yuyintang, 851 Kaixuan Lu, near Yanan Xi Lu. Fri 28. 8.30-11pm. 100RMB, 80RMB (presale). 

Low Wormwood

Lanzhou-formed likeable folkrock group Low Wormwood bring their accessible tunes to Modern Sky Lab as part of a special live show popping up in our city and Beijing only.

📍Modern Sky Lab, Third Floor, Ruihong Tiandi, 188 Ruihong Lu, near Tianhong Lu. Fri 28. 8.30-11pm. 180RMB; 150RMB (presale). 

Things to Do

Photograph: courtesy Tonglefang (Jing'an Christkindlmarkt)

Jing'an Christkindlmarkt

The traditional German Christmas Market is back in Shanghai. Think baked apples, chestnuts, gingerbread, mulled wine, rum punch and beautifully decorated wooden stalls offering handicrafts and gifts.

📍Tonglefang, 537 Haifang Lu, near Xikang Lu. Fri 7-Sun 16. Midday to 9pm (weekends); 4 to 9pm (weekdays). 40RMB including one mulled wine/punch on weekends; free on weekdays. Extract the QR code to purchase tickets.

Community Center Shanghai Christmas Bazaar

Support international charities and give back to the community at this Christmas bazaar organised by not-for-profit Community Center Shanghai (CCS). There'll be about 60 gift and food vendors, and visitors can shop for Christmas decorations and handmade crafts as well as sample food from around the world. 

📍Shanghai Racquet Club, 555 Jinfeng Lu, near Baole Lu. Fri 7. 10am-3pm. Free.

Shanghai's Fifth Annual Meditation Marathon

Described as a marathon without pressure, winners or losers, this event will bring together a like-minded and peaceful community in the midst of the big city. All-day activities include two different spaces running simultaneously – one hosting hours of 'still' meditation and the other offering a more active practice. 

📍the clinic, Fifth Floor, A501, Building B, 118 Jiashan Lu, near Yongkang Lu. Sun 9. 9am-6pm. Free. Extract the QR code and follow the instructions to sign up. 

Unravel: Deck the Halls

Live storytelling event Unravel is back with a Christmas special. Expect to hear real-life stories from the naughty and the nice.

📍Location tba. Thu 13. 60RMB; 50 RMB (presale). Extract the QR code to purchase tickets.

Ladies Who Tech Founders Series x WeWork Labs

Ladies Who Tech Founders Series' mission is to create an exclusive tech-hub where connections between female tech founders, tech-freelancers, potential co-founders, talent and potential clients can cross-pollinate in a meaningful way to achieve their tech-biz objectives. Seats are limited.

📍WeWork, 819 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Taixing Lu. Thu 13. 6.30-9pm. 50RMB. 

The Ugly Christmas Jumper Party by The Shanghai Collective

'Tis the season to be tacky. The Shanghai Collective (in collaboration with Shanghai Mamas) is throwing an Ugly Christmas Jumper Party where uglier is better. Price of admission includes a free drink, a raffle ticket, entry to their Christmas quiz and chance to win the best outfit contest. All profits from the event will go to Heart to Heart Shanghai. 

📍The Pearl, 471 Zhapu Lu, near Haining Lu. Thu 13. 6pm-late. 120RMB. Extract the QR code to book. 

Jing An Kerry Centre Christmas Market

Jingan Kerry Centre has gone all-out for Christmas with a 13-day holiday market featuring food stalls serving all the seasonal heavy-hitters (think Madison Kitchen turkey sandwiches, pan de jamon from Azul, mulled wine and hot chocolate from HLK bistro), live bands, carol singers, visits from Santa Claus and more.

📍Jingan Kerry Centre, 1515 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Changde Lu. Fri 14-Wed 26. 2-7pm. Free.

SCC Standup Comedy Spotlight: Rob Brien

Rob Brien from Chengdu Comedy Club comes across to Shanghai to headline SCC. Support comes from Dan Russel, Ian Badenhorst, Ivy Lee, Evan Danger, Storm Xu and Kurt Dunsing.

📍Shanghai Comedy Club, Third Floor, Jingan Sports Centre, 428 Jiangning Lu, near Wuding Lu. Sat 15. 9-10.30pm. 80RMB (includes one drink).

Farewell, Laoximen: The Anniversary

A year after heritage society Historic Shanghai first started leading farewell tours of nearly 500-year-old, soon-to-be-demolished neighbourhood Laoximen, the group leads an anniversary tour. Join Historic Shanghai for a walk through the atmospheric winding lanes and alleys before it all vanishes. Word is that the end is near – all residents must be out of the neighbourhood by Chinese New Year to allow for demolition.

📍RSVP to [e-mail] for meeting point. Sat 15. 10am-1pm. 250RMB; 150RMB (members).

Comedy UN's Christmas Special

Get into the festive spirit with Comedy UN at their Christmas special, including Emily Gant, Nate Johns, Charlie Wallace, Kurt Dunsing, Ivan Ivan and host Gene-George.

📍Comedy UN, 549 Yanan Zhong Lu, near Shaanxi Nan Lu. Sat 22. 7.30-9pm. 70RMB; 50RMB (presale).

Film

Image: courtesy Studio Ghibli (My Neighbour Totoro)

Aquaman

Getting a China release a week before the rest of the world, in the latest adventure from DC, Arthur Curry (Jason Mamoa) – son of a lighthouse keeper and a sea queen – learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. Cue ocean-based heroics, cool visual effects and a lot of trident throwing.

📍On general release from Fri 7.

Attack Of The B-Movies: The Room

Everyone loves to hate a bad movie. In the second edition of Attack of the B-Movies, local comics and b-movie enthusiasts toast and roast the infamously so-bad-it's-good The Room (2003).

📍Cages Bar and Sports, Third Floor, Jing'an Sports Centre, 428 Jiangning Lu, near Wuding Lu. Thu 6. 8-10.30pm. Free.

Crazy Rich Asians

Bursting with attitude and heart, Hollywood's first Asian-centric rom com in years makes up for lost time in a big way. A handsome Oxford-educated college professor, Nick Young (Henry Golding), flies his girlfriend Rachel (Constance Wu) to Singapore to meet his family and it turns out they pretty much own the place. Cue unfeasible extravagance that somehow manages to feel inclusive.

📍On general release now.

Johnny English Strikes Again

Your favourite kooky British MI7 agent Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) gets dragged out from retirement for a mission to crack down on a cyber attack that has put its current agents in danger. 

📍On general release now.

My Neighbour Totoro

Studio Ghibli’s very wonderful, very kawaii film My Neighbor Totoro comes to Chinese cinemas 30 years after its 1988 release in Japan (it’s the first Studio Ghibli film to get a theatrical release in the Mainland). Ten-year-old Satsuki and her four-year-old sister Mei move to the countryside with their father to be closer to their ailing mother and embark on adventures with magical creatures from the nearby woods.

📍On general release from Fri 14.

The Grinch

'All I want for Christmas... is for it to end,' says Benedict Cumberbatch, the voice of everyone’s favourite furry green Christmas hater in this animated reboot of Dr. Seuss’ festive classic The Grinch, narrated by Pharrell Williams and including the voices of Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson and Angela Lansbury.

📍On general release from Fri 14.

Art

Photograph: Yan Tao ©2018 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved, courtesy Perrotin

Takashi Murakami in Wonderland

Marking the artist’s largest gallery show to date in Asia and the first solo show in Mainland China, Takashi Murakami in Wonderland will feature iconic works encompassing many of the themes and characters that have come to define his career (think colourful smiling flowers) and several new works created specially for the exhibition. 

📍Perrotin Gallery, Third Floor, 27 Huqiu Lu, near Beijing Dong Lu. Until Sat 5 Jan. 11am-7pm. Free (booking ahead required). Extract the QR to book tickets.

Thomas Hirschhorn: Re-Sculpt

Far from a traditional art project, this exhibition explores the aesthetics of ruins and discusses the complexity and paradox of destruction and creation. Participants are welcome to use the materials within the exhibition and create their own sculptures and maybe destroy them too.

📍Ming Contemporary Art Museum, 436 Yonghe Dong Lu, near Gonghe Xin Lu. Until Sun 17 Feb (Tue-Sun). 10am-6pm. Free.

Qiu Anxiong: Mythological Creatures, New Classic of Mountains and Seas

Modern Art Base presents the acrylic paintings from Qiu Anxiong's ambitious and frightening animation trilogy New Classic of Mountains and Sea, which took 13 years to make. Inspired by an ancient Chinese cosmography of the same title, Qiu tells a dystopic story of a land overrun by mythical creatures.

📍Modern Art Base, Bldg 2, 10 Jianguo Zhong Lu, near Chongqing Nan Lu. Until Sun 16. 11am-7pm (Tue-Sun). Free. 

Russell Young Superstar

This exhibition will show more than 100 of Russell Young’s idiosyncratic screen prints, including those of '60s superstars like Marilyn Monroe, Bob Dylan and Audrey Hepburn.

📍 Modern Art Museum Shanghai (Yicang), 4700 Binjiang Dadao, near Pudian Lu. Until Sun 6 Jan (Tue-Sun). 90RMB; 70RMB (presale). 

Louise Bourgeois: The Eternal Thread

The Eternal Thread is the first large-scale museum exhibition in China of work by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois. Widely regarded as one of the most important artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, Bourgeois is renowned for creating a body of work that fuses psychological depth with high formal invention. 

📍 Long Museum West Bund, 3398 Longteng Avenue, near Ruining Lu. 10am-6pm (Tue-Sun). Until Sun 24 Jan. 200RMB. 

Tale of Two Cities

Shanghai's one and only screen print art workshop IdelBeats presents the fourth installment of their annual Tale of Two Cities series featuring 20 recent works from its founders Nini Sum and Gregor Koerting, along with the work of Dutch screen print artist Mara Piccione.

📍 The Space, 80 Yili Lu, near Hongqiao Lu. 8.30am-7pm. Fri 25 Jan. Free entry. 

Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman's first solo exhibition in China will bring together 128 series of photographs and several shooting props along with references spanning different periods of the artist's career. This retrospective surveys traces Cindy Sherman’s career from the 1970s to the present day and attempts to explore dominant themes in her visual creation throughout four decades.

📍Fosun Foundation, 600 Zhongshan Dong Er Lu, near Dongmen Lu. Until 13 Jan 2019. 10am-8pm (Thu, Sat); 10am-6pm (Tue, Wed, Fri, Sun). 90RMB. Extract the QR code to purchase tickets.

Stage

Photograph: courtesy 247tickets (Chicago)

Romeo & Juliet

The classic Shakespearean tragedy of two star-crossed lovers entangled in a family feud is reinterpreted by Theatre Anon and East West Theatre in an all-female cast. Watch actresses take on traditionally male roles in this modern-day enactment of the 16th-century play.

📍FULU Modern Cantonese Restaurant, Fourth Floor, 758 Julu Lu, near Fumin Lu. Thu 6-Sat 8. 7.30-10pm on Thu and Fri; 3-5.30pm, 7-9.30pm on Sat. 250RMB; 200RMB (presale); 180RMB (concession). Extract QR code to purchase tickets. 

The Lord of the Rings In Concert: The Fellowship of the Ring

The start of Frodo’s epic journey across Middle Earth brought to life by the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra in The Lord of the Rings In Concert: The Fellowship of the Ring. Shanghai Philharmonic ORChestra, anyone?

📍National Exhibition and Convention Center Hong Arena (East Hall), 333 Songze Dadao, near Zhuguang Lu. Sat 15. 6.30-8.30pm. 580-1,280RMB. Extract the QR code to purchase tickets.

Chicago

'Murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery and treachery… all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts' – no, we're not talking about a Saturday night at Found 158. World-famous musical Chicago is coming to town.

📍Majestic Theatre, 66 Jiangning Lu, near Fengxian Lu. Thu 20 Dec-Sun 13 Jan. 7.30-9.30pm. 380-1,080RMB. Extract the QR code above to purchase tickets. 

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