10 fantastic things to do in Shanghai this weekend

Photograph: courtesy EcoMansion official WeChat account

The weekend is finally here again – TGIF, amirite? The weather forecast is looking pretty good, and there are plenty of reasons to get out and do something fun, whether that's a rooftop party, art exhibits, dancing or hitting the cinema. Here are our top picks in Shanghai this weekend.

teamLab: Universe of Water Particles in the Tank

Photograph: teamLab, Exhibition view, teamLab: Universe of Water Particles in the Tank, 2019, TANKShanghai, Shanghai, China© teamLab

teamLab comes to the brand-new TANK Shanghai museum to hold an immense inaugural exhibition that turns a massive former oil tank into an interactive, ever-changing installation. Featured works include enormous waterfall cascades, huge screens of morphing flower patterns, waves triggered by movement and more.

📍Tank Shanghai, 2350 Longteng Dadao, near Longqi Lu. Sat 23 Mar-Sat 24 Aug. 10am-8pm (Tue-Fri); 10am-9pm (Sat-Sun); close on Mon. 80RMB-350RMB. Extract the QR code to buy tickets.

Drop It Like It's Neptunes

Photograph: courtesy Shake 

Shake's live six-piece band reinterprets the music one of today's most noteworthy production duos, The Neptunes. Comprised of Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams, The Neptunes have become an entity of off-kilter, stripped-down funk with heavy electronic elements since their launch in the early '90s. Expect a set list featuring N*E*R*D, Daft Punk, Snoop Dogg and more.

📍Shake, Third Floor, 46 Maoming Nan Lu, near Jinxian Lu. Fri 22-Sat 23. 10pm-late. 100RMB.

Dancelife

Photograph: UfaBizPhoto via shutterstock.com

Dancelife is a new series of monthly, hour-long, unchoreographed dance sessions. The lights are off, the tunes are loud and you’re free to dance however the music moves you, so let go and give yourself some space to unwind to feel-good, easy-dancing music. All proceeds go to Dancelife’s partner, confidential and anonymous emotional support helpline Lifeline Shanghai. Find out more.

📍Z&B Fitness, 14th Floor, 1219 Changle Lu, near Wulumuqi Zhong Lu. Sun 24. 5-6pm. 50RMB.

MNDSGN 2019 China Tour

Photograph: courtesy organiser 

Stones Throw / Low End Theory affiliate and cosmic beat maker MNDSGN (pronounced 'mind design') comes to Shanghai via Eating Music and Xiamen-based Beatween. MNDSGN's spins on hip hop and synthesised funk made him a mainstay in the new music scene in and around Los Angeles. Support from Kota, Jiaming and Cruel Buddhist.

📍Arkham, Found 158, 168 Julu Lu, near Chengdu Nan Lu. Sat 23. 10pm-late. 200RMB.

Yin Yang Forest Rooftop Party

Photograph: courtesy EcoMansion

The folks behind the longstanding nightclub The Mansion are hosting their first rooftop party of the year to support ecological development in cities. This six-hour event will showcase disco, techno and house music from Shanghai's household names Edison Chen, Ziko, Letmen and more. Sixty percent of ticket proceeds will be put towards the growing of a natural forest in Tianjin City.

📍The Place, Block R, 457 Jumen Lu, near Runan Jie. Sat 23. 1-7pm. 50RMB.

Realm

Photographs: VHILS, courtesy Danysz Gallery

Danysz Gallery presents Portuguese artist Vhils and his bas-relief wall carving collection, Realm, which is, in the artist’s own words, an ’archeology of the city’. The artist transforms plaster boards found on construction sites into contemplative works of art. Since his first Shanghai show in 2012, Vhils has been invited to carve huge walls around Beijing and Shanghai, bringing a unique style of his own to the world of street art.

📍Magda Danysz Gallery, 256 Beijing Dong Lu, near Jiangxi Zhong Lu. Sat 23 Mar-Sat 25 May. 10am-6pm (Mon-Sat); midday-6pm (Sun). Free.

Prada presents What Was I?

Photograph: Delfino Sisto Legnani and Marco Cappelletti, courtesy Fondazione Prada

Prada Rong Zhai is getting a futuristic makeover this spring as it welcomes the exhibition What Was I?, created by Warsaw-born artist Goshka Macuga. An eerie look into what the world is like after the collapse of humankind, watch an android who appears to be the only inhabitant of the historic villa recite and rehearse a monologue full of excerpts of seminal speeches, claiming himself to be a repository of human knowledge. Accompanying the bot, find 26 other works from the Prada Collection.

📍Prada Rong Zhai, 186 Shaanxi Bei Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu. Sat 23 Mar-Sun 2 Jun. 60RMB.

A Drag Tribute: Lady Gaga

Photograph: courtesy Candor

After a month-long hiatus, Candor's Ballroom is back to present a drag night that pays tribute to Mother Monster. Shanghai's finest drag queens will serve drinks and put on Gaga-inspired performances. Come dressed in your fiercest Gaga look, since there are prizes for the best one.

📍Candor, Third Floor, Lyceum Theatre, 57 Maoming Nan Lu, near Changle Lu. Fri 22-Sat 23. 10pm. 200RMB; 180RMB (presale). Extract the QR code to book tickets. 

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

Image: courtesy Warner Bros.

Five years and two spin-off movies later, writer-producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller return to Bricksburg for a bigger, louder and brasher second Lego instalment. But while it maintains the same level of playfulness, it doesn’t quite capture the novelty or fizz of the original.

📍On general release from Fri 22. 

ART 24 HOURS

Photograph: courtesy 上海摄影艺术中心 via Weibo

Visit a load of the city's finest galleries, museums, art spaces and design stores on a single ticket as ART 24 HOURS returns for its second year. Although some of the big names are fully-booked for the weekend (including Yayoi Kusama at Fosun Foundation), there's other great exhibitions like Yu Hong at Long Museum Westbund, Oscar Murillo at chi K11, Erwin Olaf at SCoP and Tobias Rehberger at Rockbund, just to name a few. Find out more.

📍Various locations. Sat 23-Sun 24. Times vary. 158RMB; 238RMB (including glass of Champagne). 

More from Time Out Shanghai

Click below for more from Time Out Shanghai