We're stumbling over the finish line this week as we dip into the weekend. Lots of cool stuff to do with your two-day reprieve as always in Shanghai. For club kids, Abyss is celebrating its two-year anniversary, with two nights of parties on Friday and Saturday nights and international guest DJs bringing darkness and oonce, oonce, oonce in equal parts. The Pearl is back and firing on all cylinders with the Red Stars house band and a RHCP tribute show we're looking forward to. Meanwhile, our friends at DB Racing Academy are hosting an Aprilia Racers Days event, featuring the Aprilia RS 660 and Aprilia RS 660. Ideal, if you've got the need for speed.

Get into it and scroll down for details...

Clubbing and Live Music

No one celebrates Californication more than The Pearl. The Pearl's house band tributes the funk rock kings, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Songs like ‘Can’t Stop’, ‘By The Way’, and ‘Under the Bridge’ will be brought to funky rocking life on stage. Tickets 150-180rmb. Show starts at 8:30pm. 

Abbey Road hosts in a very fitting band for a night of live music at the pub: The Shanghai Beatles. Don't miss The Beatles on their home turf, spining through the classics of the fab four. Starts 8pm. No entry fee. 

A full weekend of dark techno, hard dance, and EBM sounds at Abyss as the basement club celebrates their two-year anniversary. Milo Rad and Valarie Ace are the guest DJ on Friday night, bringing pounding hard style to the club. The party continues on Saturday night with Blame the Mono and X.I.R.A. Don't forget your Kiss My Abyss shirt. Expect a packed at sweaty one at the underground venue. Start 10pm both nights. 

Nova Events and Paramount Events presents the last Rooftop Party of the year on September 23 from 4pm until 10pm at The Roof Garden of Shanghai Edition Hotel. Get ready to be transported to a tropical oasis in the heart of the city, with stunning views of the skyline and lush greenery, this urban garden rooftop is the ideal backdrop for an unforgettable evening of fun and relaxation. Sip on exquisite cocktails, enjoy gourmet bites, and dance under the stars with a live DJ spinning euphoric beats with more than 6 hours of music. 

Cafe Mondo is an emerging DJ collective from Vienna with 4 selectors who share a passion for digging and spinning rare funk, disco, house, and groovy club gems. They're dropping at Roza, starting at 10pm. 100rmb entry, including a drink. 

Bouncey Bouncey celebrates 2 years of breaks on the dancefloor with special guest Dubrunner, coming in from the UK.  A veteran of Keep Hush, Fabric and Outlook, Dubrunner is addicted to bass and inspired by the Future African movement of the nineties. The Leeds underground pioneer combines British beats with dub music, grime, reggae, and funk. He's joined by Siesta, echocatcher, and MC T2 for a busy night on the floor at Elevator. Starts 10pm. 

Specters goes full-on Britpop. Compact Dicks is blowing through all the constant Pulp requests. She came from Greece she had a thirst for knowledge! That one… whats that one called. “Common” something. Come on down and shake it to the likes on Suede, Menswear, Blur, Pulp, sigh...Oasis...umm… what else. Elastica! Republica! You get the idea. As always, no cover. Starts 10pm.

Dining and Tastings

Local foodie platform Social Supply is bringing back their annual Crush Wine Festival back from October 27 to October 29, and they're hosting a rare wine-tasting dinner to get warmed up. Teaming up with natural wine connoisseur Neil from WineS.N.O.B., he's bringing 7 bottles from his private collection of rare limited-edition wines to share with you. Stiller, owned by Michelin-starred chef Stefan Stiller, has prepared a menu of 10 sharing dishes for the evening. The event showcases a line-up of rare reserve collection wines that are hard to find anywhere else. You'll be sipping on special Chinese vintages, 1.5L magnum bottles, and wines from as early as 2004, originating from various vineyards around the world. 888rmb per person. Starts 7:30pm.

Sunday Service is back. This regular kitchen takeover series sees the Yaya's team invite their friends for a Sunday afternoon full of delicious food, great music and even better company. Join them for A Roman Holiday this Sunday as they invite the team from Bambino lead by Head Chef Lucky Lasagna to takeover the Yaya’s kitchen. Chefs Lucky and Dan Li are cooking up dishes from Rome, while local legend Enzo Grasso will hit the decks in The Pasta Room. This Sunday marks the last day of International Negroni Week, and to commemorate this quintessential Italian cocktail, they've also teamed up with Peddlers Gin Company to offer a special negroni menu.

RAS hosts a coffee tasting and coffee-focused discussion about urban renewal: "Shanghai is the city with the most coffee shops in the world. Yet some of the most popular cafés and coffee houses aren't giant brands but local cafes that use old architecture and heritage to create new community sites and culture. In this talk, local urban planner and preservation expert Yo Ma will discuss how coffee has adapted to Shanghai tradition and reignited the city's active lane life." The event will start at the speaker's café, LANERS, situated at the entrance to a historic lane house on Yongjia Road called Shen Cheng Li which was built in 1931. They will then walk to a nearby coffee roaster to learn about the process of roasting coffee beans. Attendees will taste several types of coffee beans and learn how to differentiate between each distinctive roast and blend. 200rmb participation fee. 2pm. 

Concerts and Stage

Experience the primal power and majesty of taiko drumming as Japan's pioneering Kodo brings this centuries-old art form to New Bund 31 theater. The taiko is a traditional Japanese drum with limitless rhythmic possibilities. Kodo's mission is to explore these possibilities, and in the process forge new directions for a vibrant living art form. Don’t miss this group’s exciting performance in honor of their 40th anniversary. The tour stops by Shanghai for 2 nights only from September 21 to 22.

Conductor Vladimir Fedoseyev leads the Russian Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, the most authoritative, influential, and artistically acclaimed orchestra ensemble performing Tchaikovsky's works today. This year marks the 130th anniversary of Tchaikovsky's death and the Russian Symphony is presenting a repertoire that includes the most representative Symphony No. 5 and Symphony No. 6 'Pathetique'. The performance is one night only on Thursday, September 21 at 7:30pm. Note: Arrive early. The first half of the concert lasts about 45 minutes and latecomers cannot be admitted until intermission. Tickets are 180rmb to 1080rmb.

SpicyComedy is an English stand-up comedy show in Shanghai that features some of the funniest local and traveling comedians. With shows held throughout the week at the SpicyComedy Lounge in Xintiandi, audiences are in for an unforgettable night of laughs. The event showcases 5-6 talented English-language comedians, each performing 8-15 minute sets. The event format varies with everything from spotlight specials with featured comedians and open mic nights for newcomers. See the flyer below for details. Seating is first come, first served, so head down early to get a good spot.

With Mi Carmen Flamenca ('My Flamenco Carmen'), Antonio Andrade and his Andalusian Flamenco Company present an adaptation of the famous "Carmen" (by Bizet) in a production that incorporates elements of jazz, Arabic music, Salsa and Flamenco. After all, Carmen takes place in Sevilla, the cradle of Flamenco. It reshapes the classic opera, recreating some traditional moments and exploring the spirit of new Flamenco. First premiered at the Deutsche Opera in Berlin, it's been touring worldwide. From September 26 to 27 in Shanghai Centre Theater. Ticket price ranges from 180-880rmb.

Community and Classes

Pops Gaming is a friendly and inclusive community. They love to play board games, videogames, table-top RPGs, and more. Join in for a fun night of gaming competition at Bubba's with a friendly Overcooked! 2 Tournament. Prizes awarded to the top teams of the evening. Scan the QR code to join the competition, get added to the Pops Gaming community, and check out the structure and meet key regular members and administration of Pops. Starts 7pm. 60rmb to join the tourney. Free to watch. 

Accredited culinary institute CieCAS is leading Saturday Family Chef classes featuring cuisines of the world, geared for the whole family. Running from September 23 to December 9, on Saturdays, between 9:30am-1:30pm, guests are invited to learn how to prepare a three-course meal from a different part of the world with renowned professional chefs in a proper restaurant kitchen environment (plus drinks!) Classes are available for drop-in guests or for the full run. View the flyer below for the featured cuisines, prices, and more contact information. 

In this Aprilia Racers Days event, Aprilia RS 660 and Aprilia RS 660 Trofeo will accompany the riders throughout the entire process, participating in the feast of speed and passion with the riders on September 23, from 8am to 7pm. Registration fee is 6000rmb per person, including track theory course, track riding course, track use rights and track insurance, lunch, and drinks. Once purchased, the ticket is non-refundable but can be transferred.

Shanghai Pathways is hosting a 2-hour Tea Ritual and Ceremony Class for White Tea. You will be introduced to various types of Chinese tea, use of the tea set, and implements and proper storage of tea leaves. You will learn various methods to make tea, as well as traditional tea culture. This workshop is bilingual, family-friendly, and will be led by Janny Chyn. Meeting point is Da Ning Tea City at 3:30pm. 198rmb for members, 298rmb for nonmembers. Join and register for the event by scanning the QR code on the poster.

Abbey Road hosts a charity fundraiser and movie night to help animals in need. Eleventh Hour Rescues and The Haven screen "A Dog's Purpose" with a 40rmb entry for guests. Proceeds are going to these two animal charities. Starts 6pm. 

Cotton's celebrates 20 years of serving as one of Shanghai's favorite and iconic patio destinations. A milestone indeed for Cotton Ding and the team. The party goes from 4pm onwards and will host in Shanghai jazz saxophonist extraordinaire Alec Haavik, backed by his Jive Lizzards. Raise a glass for 20 years of fun and friendship. Congrats to Cotton's.

Family Friendly

Fans' favorite soundtracks from iconic Studio Ghibli films My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and more will be performed live by original Japanese singers and the NHK Symphony Danyu Orchestra. The concert is in Japanese. Recommended to audience above 14 years old.

ASAS organizes an outdoor sports day to Oriental Land in Dianshan Lake. With three sports for guests to join (sailing, archery battle and frisbee). The price includes three sports activities, an Oriental Land entrance ticket, and insurance. Event runs 1pm to 6pm. The price excludes transportation from downtown Shanghai to Oriental Land. Transportation: Oriental Land Station (Metro line 17) Contact the organizers for more information. QR code on the flyer. Early bird Price: 488 rmb; Regular Price: 588rmb.

Save the Date

Join for an unforgettable musical extravaganza at the Montreux Jazz Festival China 2023 during the upcoming 8-day national holiday. This world-known Festival is going to be held along the Yangcheng Lake in Suzhou from September 27 to October 2, featuring legendary jazz guitarist and Grammy-awarded Mike Stern, Grammy-nominated singer Gretchen Parlato, famous Jazz singer Talie Monin from South Africa, one of the most in-demand live bands Dirty Loops, the most popular London New Jazz Group Kokoroko...The list goes on. The lineup consists of 20 international bands and 10 Chinese bands, presenting jazz, rock, pop, electronic, hip-hop, folk, reggae and other music genres. Regular Tickets priced from 468rmb to 628rmb, and VIP tickets are priced from 880rmb to 1280rmb for single-day entry.