Beijing's Best Halloween Parties 2017
Last weekend was quiet. Too quiet. Eerily quiet. But this weekend promises to be straight-up scary, with everyone hoping to comp their losses and raise our spirits post-Plenum with plenty of blood, gore, music, and, of course, sexy costumes. For example:
"Spooked ya!"
So fear not, my pengyous! Or fear it all! It doesn't matter when we'll all by downing shots of liquid courage come Friday. Below is a curated list of the best events going this weekend. Alternatively, you can see every single one of this year's Halloween-related events here: thebeijinger.com/events/halloween.
Friday, Oct 27
Hell-o-Ween 2017 at Anchor Bar
Enter the depths of hell and explore this terrifying white queens and clownish maze of horror. Anchor 2.0's maze is BIGGER and SCARIER than ever before with the bloody new location and demons around every corner. Take an adventure through a demon infested, old haunted house and try to find your way out! If you make it out, then get you have the right to get wasted! RMB 30. 11am onwards (runs everyday until Oct 31). Anchor Bar
The Rebel 5
After a 10-day break for no particular reason, Modernista is ready to welcome the thirsty, dance-starved crowds back for a party, and there is never a better excuse for that than HALLOWEEN! Modernista will reopen with funky gurus Rebel 5 playing the best Halloween hits, from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" to the untouchable Ghostbusters' theme song to get you moving on the dance floor. Free. 9pm. Modernista.
Red Dog: Halloween in 'Les Catacombes de Paris'
Red Dog will have a night of costumes, drink specials, and general debauchery on Friday. People wearing costumes will receive 4 free shots. There will be a Halloween costume contest (of course), for which the winner will get 1 bottle of sparkling wine. DJs A.J and Ray 57 will be spinning all night while classic horror films are screened in the background.
Shft. Presents Freakout Music Festival
Described as "the country's wildest Halloween rave," Freakout Music Festival comes to Omni Space on Friday. Hydraulix, Tsunano, and friends will provide the entertainment for what Omni Space believes for some reason will be "thousands of people" (maybe they're not aware that literally every bar, brewery, and club in the city is also hosting Halloween events). Regardless, if you're trying to get weird while you cut a rug, this mall-basement venue fits the bill. RMB 280, RMB 220 (advance). 9pm. Omni Space.
Two Fabulous Halloween Parties
Not quite Halloween, but spooky nonetheless, the Bar at Migas will host a Día de los Muertos party with support from tequila brand Jose Cuervo. Paint on your "candy skull," stick a rose in your hair, and get spicy on the dancefloor to Latin rhythms. As Migas says, "It's not a time for mourning or sadness, it's a time to party for the afterlife. Salud!" Price TBA. 10pm. The Bar at Migas.
Diisneey Trash
Shanghai's ultra-posh, Bund-side Bar Rouge has brought their A-game with their new Taikooli hot spot, InfraRouge. In what might be their first themed event, it's time to see how this promising venue stands up to the other Sanlitun clubs demanding our costumes and patronage. The theme: Disney gone horribly wrong. If you've got a Snow White costume, but don't want to pass on the scary parts of Halloween, this one's for you. Splatter some blood on your face, get those white contact lenses, and head to their all-black dance floor with stunning views of Sanlitun. Free entry. Oct 27-28, 10pm. InfraRouge.
Saturday, Oct 28
Great Leap Halloween Party
Great
Leap Brewing #12 will once again be teaming up with the Beijing LGBT
Center for the ultimate costume off. Show up anytime between 7 and 9pm
to register your costume and receive a ticket. Winners will be announced
at 10pm, with big GLB gift card prizes going out to the first and
runner-up individual and best group costumes. RMB 10 from each Imperial
Pumpkin Ale will be donated to the LGBT Center. If at least 10 people
come dressed in drag, they will leave the possibility open of an
additional RMB 888 GLB gift card prize for the best drag costume. Free. 7pm. Great Leap Brewing #12.
Rocky Horror Halloween Extravaganza at the Bar at Migas
So
you have your pick of Rocky Horror-themed parties this weekend.
"Beijing’s most fabulous gender-bending dance party, Disco Extravaganza,
is turning Halloween into a night of debauchery inspired by The Rocky
Horror Picture Show." As always with Disco Extravaganza, expect
outrageous performances, lots of drag, and plenty of dirty dancing. Price TBA. 10pm. The Bar at Migas.
Celebrate Halloween at Home Plate
Come Saturday, Home Plate will host a costume contest, serve RMB 10 pumpkin pie Moonshine jello shots, and have live music from Stevie Mac and The Mac Daddies starting at 10pm. The best-dressed guy, girl, and group will each win a keg of beer from either Slow Boat, Boxing Cat Brewery, and Goose Island. There will be other unspecified drink deals and bloody beers all day and night. Go early to lay down a pre-party layer of Beijing's finest American-style barbecue while they screen Rocky Horror Picture Show, starting at 8.30pm. Showing up in Rocky Horror-related attire will also earn you a free jello shot from your host, Stevie Mac himself. Free. 8.30pm. Home Plate.
Cri.me Scen.ne HOR.RoR Picture Show
Aotu Space is "turning disco bloodbath extravaganza red" this Halloween. Enjoy a night of spooky tunes and disco by Pei, Chloë, and Saucy in what basically amounts to an abandoned warehouse, if you use your imagination. Costumes encouraged and spooky drink deals are expected. Free. 10pm. Aotu Space.
Eye-P-A Halloween
The new 京A Brewpub Xingfucun (in the former Big Smoke building) will be transformed into a house of horrors for their Eye-P-A Halloween Party. Gather 'round a butcher's block of freshly carved meat from their smoker and wash it down with a buy-one-get-one deal on their seasonal Monster Mash Pumpkin Ale all night. At 11.11pm, they'll judge the three best costumes, with first prize getting a free ticket to their upcoming 8x8 Brewing Project Beer Festival in November. Free. 8pm. 京A Brewpub Xingfucun.
Autumn Wonderland Indoor Electronic Music Festival
Mars Club, a new venue out near Sihui, has brought together Beijing’s "best DJs" for an indoor electronic music festival this Halloween. Attendees are promised a dream-like space and enchanting-yet-freaky wonderland in order to experience the very best of spook season. Artists include Aida, Pancake Lee, Nigls, Hamoudeh, Juliana Lima, and Kimo. RMB 180. 5pm start. Mars Club.
Boos and Booze - Halloween [Yard] House Party
Yard House will have party games and food/drink specials all night, as well as prizes for the best costumes. Free. 7pm. Yard House.
Get Haunted at Centro
Zombies, possessed Ghostbusters, the walking dead, bloody twin nurses … Get lost in Centro's haunted house and dance the night away to live music from the Stank Sauce band followed by a hauntingly soothing jazz performance. Their Veuve Clicquot Champagne package will help you get sloppy while you keep it classy: two bottles of Veuve Clicquot Champagne for RMB 788. Call for booking. 6pm. Centro.
Gothic Black Lace Masquerade
Modernista promised us a wild weekend of parties, and they're making good on their promise by hosting Moonglow Cabaret at their "Gothic Black Lace Masquerade." It's unclear whether masks will be provided or if you're expected to pack your own, but who cares? You won't be looking at each other when there are corseted, stockinged "sexy conjoined twins" doing their thing on stage. Entry is free, but you're "required to consume RMB 120 per person," so ... it's basically not free. 10pm. Modernista.
Superheroes vs Villains H-Arrow-Een Party
Ladies who ordered a Wonder Woman costume: head over to the superhero vs. villain-themed H-Arrow-Een party at Arrow Factory Brewing Liangmahe. They’ll be pouring out a free keg of beer for those in character every two hours via the "Beer Wheel of Death." They’ll also be offering select beers for RMB 30 all night. DJ Spookeh will be spinning his selection of sinister anthems to get your blood really pumping, and there will, of course, be a costume contest with "disturbing prizes." Free. 6pm. Arrow Factory Liangmahe.
Get Funked Up
Slow Boat "invites you to get funked up" on the Slow Boat Brewpub’s second floor, which will be "a bar/fun/funk zone with DJ Jay 1,2 on the turntables playing the best of funk and disco." Arrive in costume (like, a legit costume) and enjoy a free welcome shot on the house. For the lazy who decide to come dressed as themselves, you can still enjoy the night’s Halloween special: four pints of Monkey’s Fist IPA or the S.O.S. Belgian Wit for RMB 100. They will also be screening old-school horror movies all night. Free. 8.30pm. Slow Boat Brewpub.
Creature from the Deep at The Tiki Bungalow
Creatures of habit can get their drink on The Tiki Bungalow with some vaguely Halloweeny drink specials: the Kraken Stormy, Heart of Darkness, Black Magic, Last Rights, and the "Blood of the Kapu: a giant 10oz rum skull tiki potion for four to five people." Costumed attendees will be rewarded with drinks, and everyone will be served up tasty tunes. As far as we can tell, that's all they have planned, and that's fine for us. Free. 7pm. The Tiki Bungalow.
Wacky Onesie Halloween
For those who like to cheat the system by wearing your comfiest pajamas and calling it a "costume," break out your onesie for a wacky night at The Local. Onesie-wearers will enjoy well drinks for RMB 25 all night. The first 10 onesie-wearing customers to arrive after 8pm (don't go too early) will also receive a free goodie bag, and Kenn will treat those who don onesies to fireball shots periodically throughout the night. Free. 8pm. The Local.
8-Bit Halloween
Drink specials, tunes, and, of course, lots and lots of games will be on at 8-Bit this weekend. Anyone who shows up in costume gets their first Jello shot free, after which subsequent Jello shots are just RMB 15. DJs Sake Gin, JRS, DJ Boring, and more will play spooky tunes throughout the weekend. Play just about any game you can think of on their array of systems, or do it analog with board games and neon beer pong. Free. 9pm. 8-Bit.
Halloween at Lantern
Get ready to get spooked at Lantern Club on Halloween weekend. Lantern hosts a legendary electronic music party with special Halloween decor, where all the party animals in town can freak, slash, and grind to an audio-visual bloodbath until dawn. DJs Eva Xu, Jackson Lee, El Conchitas and many, many more will spin. 10pm. RMB 100 (RMB 60 advance). Lantern.
Sunday, Oct 29
Halloween Party! Holy Sh*T, Free Sex Shop, The Sino Hearts, Duff Beer!
Taking the stage will be 70s inspired punk dudes and Beijing's newest super group (Joyside, Bedstars, Sino Hearts, Ambulance of Love) Holy Sh*t! Joining them are the punk ladies of Free Sex Shop, power-pop trio The Sino Hearts, and skate punk dudes (and dudette!) Duff Beer! Best of all, FREE! 9pm. School Bar
Bora Bora Halloween
Bora Bora transforms into a den of twisted horrors for Halloween. From October 27th to 31st, this tiki bar serves up a twist, becoming a haunted medical college. Suit up in your most terrifying costume and head over there and celebrate Halloween with their signature tiki cocktails. 8pm. Bora Bora
京A Halloween Beer Mile
After destroying your body with parties all weekend, keep the damage coming with 京A 's Halloween Beer Mile. RMB 150 will get you a spot in the race, four beers, and a finisher's T-shirt. The rules are simple: 1) Do four 1/4 mile laps around Courtyard 4, starting and finishing at 京A, 2) At the beginning of each lap, runners will be given a full cup of beer to help fuel them. Finish the beer and then start running! 3) There'll be men's and women's podium with prizes and glory for the first three runners to finish from each group. Costumes are mandatory. RMB 150. 3pm. 京A Taproom 1949.
Monday, Oct 30
Puppet Master Halloween Party
Celebrate Halloween with this spooky, doll-themed party that’s not for the faint of heart at Club Sir Teen. Early bird ticket purchasers also receive a free cocktail at the bar, so hurry up and get your tickets. Free (on Monday), RMB 100 (Tuesday). 10pm. Club Sir Teen.
Halloween at One Third
There are a thousand ways to die at One Third on Halloween. Gongti’s newest club gets spooky with Halloween decorations and the never before seen Deaths! Alive is a Miracle in honour of the great TV show. Get in for free Monday night, but get tickets for the 31st early. 10 pm. One Third Club
Tuesday, Oct 31 (Halloween)
Halloween at Dada
Yes, it's Tuesday, but it's the most important holiday of the year, so get dressed up and party with Dada. There will be fun music only and DJs Scary Monster and Boo Ghost! will play all night at Dada’s official Halloween party. Price TBA. 10pm. Dada.
Spirit Halloween
For something a lil classier, head to Spirit Halloween at the Flow Bar where there'll be special Halloween drinks and snacks throughout the night, including discounts on bloody Marys and white Russians (RMB 50). Spend more than RMB 88 and enjoy some complimentary Halloween snacks, such as severed finger almond cookies, evil pumpkin pie, grimace macaroons, and ghost chocolate cake. Free. 8-10pm. Swissotel Beijing.
Alien Club Halloween Party
Soi Baochao turn up on a Tuesday, giving no f**ks about work the next day, as evidenced by their RMB 100 all-you-can-drink open bar from 3pm to 9pm. In what is probably the most confusing party itinerary I've yet seen for a bar's Halloween party, they will 1) start screening horror movies at 3pm, allowing guests to do or have their scary makeup done. 2) At 8pm, a "cool band" will play and the bar will commence their "mankini costume party competition." We're not sure what the criteria for that contest is, or if women can participate in a mankini contest, but we hope so. 3) At 10pm, a winner will be announced and awarded a RMB 2,000 tattoo from Alien Club Jeannetattoo. Sounds wild, as Halloween night should be. 3pm. RMB 100. Soi Baochao.
Not satisfied with these spooks? See all our Halloween events here: thebeijinger.com/events/halloween.
Image: NBCNews.com, courtesy of the venues
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