Get ready to enjoy the 15 minutes of fine, fine Shanghai seasonable weather, as we transition into market season. We're looking at the much-anticipated return of the Jiashan Market, with local crafters and vendors back on Saturday. On top of that, there are also two afternoons and evenings of food, music, and good times at the Laowaijie Music Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Sounds alright.

Birthday shout-outs this week include house music platform ALTER., turning five and Lounge by TopGolf, turning terrific two with a Y2K-themed party on Friday night. Congrats to y'all.

Scroll on for the details for all these and more...

Clubbing and Live Music

Lounge by Topgolf celebrates two years in the books with a throwback Y2K party -- now, that's what I call an anniversary. Step through the time tunnel and immerse yourself in the dazzling colors of the 2000s. Special guest DJs, giveaways, and more.  Tickets come with 2 drinks. Early bird: 98rmb; Door price: 128rmb. 

The Underground Tracked holds events focusing on underground music, art, and culture, and they're hosting MPH (UK) for his China debut. MPH dishes smooth garage creations with DJ EZ’s label Nuvolve, Kiwi Rekords, and Southpoint, to raucous bassline bangers for the likes of Night Bass and Crucast.  Support from the likes of Salute, Skream, Disclosure, and Chris Lorenzo. The UK-based DJ and producer has played at legendary festivals such as Park Life, Outlook, Glastonbury, and Boomtown to name a few. A night of UK garage, breaks, and baseline at Club Roza. Early bird, 80rmb; presale, 100rmb; door, 120rmb. 

ALTER. celebrates five years of unwavering beats, pulsating rhythms, and electrifying energy. "Join us in marking this milestone and creating memories that resonate." The house music platform marks five years of memories and melodies, with the community together from 2pm to 10pm at Fosun Art Foundation pn The Bund. Then 10pm to 4am at the intimate new venue Playground. Behind the decks are DJ EBP, Dora, Enzo Grasso, Finascia, Inoken, Lindberg, Mickey Zhang, Ray Kong, and Yu Yang. "Bring your spirit and groove - let’s boogie." Day and Night passes: Early bird, 120rmb; presale: 150rmb; door, 180rmb.

The Shanghai EDITION presents Lost in Translation for party goers to get lost on the dance floor. This is the latest of the Electric Circus parties and features a host of DJs playing funky house and tech. Line Up: DJ Tacky hosted by Satoshi, with DJ Chica and performances by PsychoCandy's Queen Beaverhausen. Early bird tickets are 120rmb per person. Door price is 169rmb. VIP tables (up to 6 guests) are also on sale from 2588rmb to 3588rmb.

The long-running Secret Disco night is back for one special edition, as founders and resident DJs Sanlian and Kougar are back in town. Groove queens and funkmasters united again, under the steady thumping beat of the disco mothership. Around 12:30am, things will turn darker, with Dam's joining for techno/house cave music. Free from 9.30pm. Shanghai Secret Disco started as a secret party in 2017. It was then hosted by Mao Livehouse for a year, before becoming a party and community that moved between venues each month, cycling between Elevator, Dada, Roxie, Celia, and more. Its last edition was around this time last year, as founder Charley (aka Sanlian) left Shanghai. 

Dining and Markets

The Cannery hosts another one of their popular Saturday afternoon parties in the venue and on the lawn on leafy Yuyuan Lu. They're installing a pool and a sandy beach, hosting muscles and bikini bod competition, kicking out food and drinks deals, and inviting in special DJs. Guest pop-up from Tacolicious. Dress code is Cali beach vibes. Starts 2pm. Call in for table reservations but no cover fee for walk-ins. 

Artisanal foods, drinks, and local vendors and craftspeople are back in Jiashan Lane for the popular Saturday afternoon market. They're kicking off the market season this Saturday from 11am to 6pm, with a wide variety of food, drink, arts and crafts, homeware, and more. Great activity to get out of the house for the afternoon and support local vendors. No entry fee.   

Nudepeche is hosting its first Yoga Brunch event at Tomatito’s rooftop terrace on Sunday at 10:30am. Starting with a 75-minute focused yoga session led by Tina from Blue Lotus, they will continue the good vibes at the Tomatito terrace with a 3-course brunch. Participants need to bring their own mats (and Nudepeche offers an exclusive 20% off on their antibacterial cork yoga mats for the event). 298rmb all inclusive. 

The Laowaijie Music Festival is a two-day event that will feature a variety of musical performances, from DJs and live bands to live performances and a variety of food and drinks vendors. There will also be a market area for crafts and a kid's area with a bouncing castle, face painting, and clowns. The festival is family-friendly and pet-friendly. Free entry for all guests.

Stage and Concerts

Tokyo vocalist Yuko Kishi will lead the night of Jazz in Love with Enka at Jazz Lincoln Center on September 8, featuring Peng Junda on piano, Murray James on saxophone, Danny Zanker on bass, and Yifan on drums. Two shows in one night. Single and double entry tickets are available now on SmartTicket.cn.

Inspired by Tolstoy’s article "A Critical Essay on Shakespeare", Director Tang Shu-wing updates the story of King Lear in our time using the medium of wordless contemporary dance. The show consists of an entire cast of women, including actress Cecilia Yip. New forms of presenting timeless themes. Performances are on September 9 and 10 at Theater YOUNG in Yangpu District. Ticket price ranges from 180 to 480rmb.

SSO's 23/24 music season kicks off on September 10 with conductor Long Yu and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra performing a slew of far-flung classics: Zhou Tian's "Metropolis", Bernstein's "West Side Story Suite", and Rachmaninoff's "Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30". Violinist Liu Ming and pianist Zuo Zhang also feature as leads in the performance. The concert starts at 8pm. Please note: tickets are currently sold out.

Community and Classes

Welcome to CCS Chinese Cooking Class, where you can embark on a culinary journey that's as rich in tradition as it is in taste! Get ready to unlock the secrets of the Far East and delve into the world of Chinese cuisine. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned cook, this class is designed to ignite your passion for cooking while immersing you in the vibrant tapestry of Chinese flavors and techniques. Scan the code to register.

Le Wagon's full-time students from batch #1226 have worked very hard for the last 10 weeks, giving their bests in the Web Development Bootcamp. On Friday, at 7pm, they will present their Web products created during their journey in Le Wagon. "Let's celebrate their graduation with an extraordinary event with many pictures, games, free food and drinks, and a stunning afterparty. If you want to know more about how learning tech skills can help you unlock your full potential, join this Demo Day event to see what our students have accomplished and to meet the Le Wagon community. We are looking forward to seeing you there!" No entry fee.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY

The Pearl has been receiving so many requests for family-friendly shows and is happy to oblige. They are pleased to create a series of shows on Sunday afternoons that fans of all ages are welcome to join as the Pearl believes it’s important for new generations to experience live entertainment. Along with the live entertainment, Chef Lung will be creating a special brunch menu featuring brunch staples like eggs benedict but also some of his specialties like Montreal smoked meat and poutine! The kitchen will be open at 12:00 noon and the show will start at 1pm.

Riink throws a Back to School bash for everyone excited to start the new year... and if you're not you can still skate your blues away. Students and teachers show your ID (and even come in your school uniform) to score an awesome BTS third wheel offer -- buy-two-get-one-free skates. Riink's deck-rocking DJ will spin the hottest rolling tunes in a diverse range while you glide on stylish wheels. Party is both Friday and Saturday night from 7pm. 

A three-story water resort with 15,000 sqm of outdoor pools and hot spring pools, massage services, rest areas, and activities to keep your kids entertained while you relax. Their special deal for SmartShanghai readers is back online, one adult ticket is 108rmb with one fruit tea, and one kid ticket is 49rmb. The family package (1 adult +1 kid) is 148rmb, and the couple package (2 adults) is 208rmb. Pool opening hours: 10：00—23：00.

Save the Date!

The French Musical Gala Concert is led by renowned French producer Nicolas Talar and features the original production team of the French-language musical Notre-Dame de Paris, with Laurent Ban, Elhaida Dani, Angelo Del Vecchio, Mikelangelo Loconte, Robert Marien and Gian Marco Schiaretti, together with Chinese and French musicians, present a selection of Notre-Dame de Paris, Romeo and Juliet, Rock and Roll Mozart, and The Musical. The show will feature a selection of some 30 classics from famous French-language musicals such as "Les Miserables", "Les Miserables", "Don Giovanni" and "La Rouge et le Noir", and will show the glorious history of French-language musicals. Currently very few tickets are available from Area B to Area A.