A full dance card of events is out there for your consideration as we head off into the weekend. Whatever your poison, fine and respectable establishments all over this fine city have got you.

Big-time, big-name international DJs are in the club at Heim and System this weekend. Peruse the details below if that appeals — footwork and techno respectively. We've already talked about the wine festival happening, and there's a bunch of other food and drink-centric stuff going on in that section if you're looking to indulge.

Rounding out this weekend, we're looking at the delightful-sounding drag brunch at Butler & White. Is this the first drag brunch in Shanghai? Could be!

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Clubbing and Live Music

Techno Train techno platform hosts in DJ, producer, label owner, and runner Magda (Minus). With ties to Detroit techno herself -- a one-time Richie Hawtin support act -- she's branched out to international stages and clubs over the past 20-odd years of DJing (Boiler Room, Up Festival, and more). She trades in Detroit techno-rooted, warm, bouncy sounds and arpeggios, creating dance floor moments. A huge line-up of local support on multiple stages, including Lina K, Man Alive, Oolong, and more. Starts 10pm. 120rmb at the door. 

Antigen brings a huge booking from the footwork world in Teklife.Taso. The Chicago artist returns to the decks in China after a six-year absence. Expect strong, frenetic footwork-footwork-footwork beats that will keep the dance floor moving and a huge line-up of support in multiple rooms for Antigen's first event at the newly renovated Heim.  Starts 10pm. 120rmb at the door. 

Basement techno/EBM club Abyss kicks off on Saturday night with a throwback party to the heyday of Eurodance and trance music in the '90s. Huge uplifting beats and high energy from a big crew of DJs who probably missed it the first time around: Come to Mama, Ben NRG, SMSH, and more. Pump, pump the jams. Starts 10pm. Dress code: Eminem basically. 100rmb at the door. 

Once again, Specters gets totally sexy and evil, hosting the Heresy goth night. Expect complete fucking darkness in on the stereo from classic goth acts like Siouxsie Sioux and the Banshees, Christian Death, and Bauhaus to contemporary darkwave (Ash Code, Light Asylum, Double Echo).  And of course… about 90 songs by The Cure. Get sad. Get depressed Starts 10pm. No entry fee.

The Vinyl Music Culture Exchange Association returns for VOL. 8 with special guest Suiki, a DJ who began his career in San Francisco in the 1970s. Expect disco and house classics. He's joined by special guest Fane, brinigng funk to techno on wax, and Aldwin Macapagal, a DJ/producer from the Philippines, and founder of Dragon Dance International Music Production Company. 100rmb entry, includes a drink. 

Kick off your weekend on skates with cool reggae tunes from special guest DJs MaximQ, Chili Q, and T-Bryan bringing you a mix of reggae, dancehall, Afrobeats, and Amapiano beats. Let the rhythm move you as the professional dance group GwaanMove sets the stage on fire. Eat, drink, and skate packages are available; expect a night filled with good vibes, infectious beats, and endless fun. No entry fee. Starts 7pm.

Long-running Beijing art punks Wasted Laika return to Shanghai with the carnival show of angular, raw, and infectious punk sounds to kick out the jams on your Saturday night on the big stage at Yuyintang Park. Great and unique live act on stage in Shanghai. Fans of freewheeling punk, don't miss out. 8:30pm. 138rmb.

Dining and Tastings

Orange wine is an international trend that is taking over the wine scene. Explore over 350 orange wines from top celebrated wineries in Italy, France, Georgia, Greece, and more. For enthusiasts, join the discussion with special guest Simon Woolf, the author of "Amber Revolution" book. Winemakers, importers, merchants, and enthusiasts - all welcome. The two-day Festival will take place on Friday and Saturday at Bridge 8 Art Space by the Suzhou River. On top of that, there will be music, food, and immersive wine experiences. Friday starts at 1pm-9:30pm; Saturday, 1pm-6pm. Scan the QR code from the poster to sign up. Early bird 158rmb for single entry, 299rmb for 2. The first 24 customers who purchase a double ticket, AND share this post in two different WeChat groups and your WeChat Moments, will be eligible to receive a FREE bottle of wine. Choose between Ribera (128 RMB/bottle) and Mr. Penguin (158 RMB/bottle). This offer operates on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you’re eligible, send sharing screenshots to WeChat ID: smsh_editor

Butler and White’s presents Bacon and Draggs, your favorite hybrid meal hosted by your favorite gender hybrid. Lady N Gentlemen will present a variety show to feast the eyes while you fill your stomachs – and hey, free flow isn’t so bad, either. 155 rmb buffet brunch, 188rmb three-hour free-flow, 321rmb for both. 

Ole! Speto's celebrates Spanish Seafood Paella Day on August 26 from noon to 6pm. Chef Marcos Ramos of Madrid, Spain with 22 years of experience in F&B is hosting the paella, along with tortilla de patatas, Spanish croquetas with Sangria or Kalimotxo. 138rmb per pax or 498rmb for 4 pax ( to share ). DJ Naz and DJ Lalo will be there spinning tunes. Book your ticket now on SmartTicket.

Friendly local pub and resto Abbey Road hosts a customer appreciation afternoon/evening for guests that have stuck with them over the years. All customers get two free Asahi Beers from 4pm to 10pm, with a live band starting a show at 7pm. 

Sunday selectors are back at Yaya's. Garden takes over Yaya’s this Sunday for an afternoon full of vinyl and good times. Join them as the Garden DJs serve up their favorite records, paired with cold beers from Baeren and Japanese pasta specials from Chef Dan. "Come kick back, boogie down and end the weekend on a high. Come as you are, no reservations."

Concerts and Stage

Shanghai Grand Theatre invites four Broadway stars to perform some of the most famous musical hits to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The line-up includes Jenn Corella ("Come From Away"), Joseph Morales ("Hamilton"), Keri Rene Fuller ("Six"), and Zachary Noah Piser ("Dear Evan Hansen"). Show runs from August 23 to August 27; ticket price ranges from 180-1080rmb. Check out the SmartTicket page for currently available tickets.

For the upcoming Talking Body performance, SIDC have invited WANG Jianhui from Nederlands Dans Theater and independent performer Shu Yaohui to stage two distinct choreographed pieces, to follow the lead of the body, and to explore the multi-faceted self. The show is twi nights only on August 24 and August 25. Ticket price 80rmb-580rmb.

"Growl", an English-language children's musical created by the British National Youth Musical Company, will be performed by Serious Play, an international musical theatre troupe created by Shanghai Fresh Prime Limited and NYMT. This musical is the real story of the Big Bad Wolf. As the forest guardian, the big bad wolf silently protects a beautiful forest and the small animals living there. Suddenly one day, a clever lumberjack and his cronies decide to cut down the forest and build a new community. To beat the wolf, they spread doubt among the wolf's friends. The wolf and his woodland family will be pushed to the breaking point, and even the gentlest of creatures will learn that there are times when you just have to be Big and Bad. Purchase tickets on SmartTicket. Two nights of performances on August 23 and August 24, at 7:15pm.

Enjoy a 90-minute concert performed by a live chamber music group, at the immersive light art gallery teamLab, delivering theme songs from many iconic Ghibli animation films. The music has six parts in total, with the light exhibits changing with it! After the concert you can continue to enjoy teamLab till 10:30pm. Only two nights: August 25 and August 26. Limited flash tickets are on sale now for only 158rmb per person. The presale price is 188rmb.

As a choreographer and artist, NiNi Dongnier triggers her homesickness and thinks about nomadic life, integratingnatural phenomena, animals, human walking, intimate emotions and the universe, abstracted as kinesthetic and visual materials in space. The theater is re-set as a ‘performance scenery’ in which the audiences are invited to slow down the perceptual movement, to meditate again on the dance scene. The show length is 60 minutes and ticket price is 280rmb.

Community and Activities

Mountain Cat Club presents a hiking trip from Shanghai to Wenzhou for experienced hikers. Longjing Canyon in Wenzhou boasts one of the most pristine water in the area. The entire trail is about 10km, requires climbing up waterfalls, maneuvering through narrow gaps between rocks, and traversing challenging terrain. This offers a thrilling and energizing experience ideal for a hiking veteran. Starting from 7pm August 25 in Shanghai Hongqiao Station and returning in the afternoon of August 27. The estimated cost is 600-700rmb (train tickets not included) depending on actual participants. Sign-up with 300rmb deposit on smartticket.

ASAS Epic Dodgeball and Water Gun battle is going to fight this Saturday. Join the "ultimate summer" experience with them this weekend. Each player gets a water gun to shoot around on the field. The "Weapon" Water Guns and Dodgeball. The whole event lasts two hours, starting at 1:30pm. Scan the QR code on the flyer for more information and to sign up. Early bird: 95rmb; Regular: 110rmb.

Family Friendly

On the last weekend of August, Theater YOUNG will host The French Cartoon Concert series, inviting international artists to present three works: ‘Not Afraid of the Wolf’, ‘The Little Mole’ and ‘In My Forest’, suitable for kids three and up. ‘Not Afraid of the Wolf’, and ‘The Little Mole’ are voiced with live music by French musicians while the classic animation is playing in the background. ‘In My Forest’ will also feature live improvisational projections by French visual artist Sherley Freudenreich. Three performances on August 25 and August 25, with tickets, 180rmb-380rmb.

Dance Flow Studio is hosting trial classes for kids looking to get into jazz or ballet classes. "Our experienced instructors will guide your child through the basics of ballet and jazz dance, helping them to develop their coordination, balance, and rhythm. This is a great opportunity for your child to try something new, make new friends, and have a blast while doing it!" Contact the dance studio for further details. 150rmb for the hour-long trial class.