Jul 2: Pop-Up Office Yoga

Free, fast, no pre-booking required and no need to BYOM (bring your own mat): this might be just the yoga session your tight Monday schedule needs. Join instructor Yiyang at Zarah for a 20-minute reinvigorating break – your neck will thank you later. 

Mon Jul 2, 3-3.20pm; Zarah, see event listing.

Jul 2 & 3: Guest Bartender Li Tong

Park Hyatt Beijing will be hosting the award-winning Li Tong, of Lotus Lounge in Guangzhou, for a two-night bar takeover. Li is the champion of the 2017 Global Patrón Perfectionists Cocktail Competition. 

Mon Jul 2-Tue Jul 3; China Bar, see event listing.

Jul 4: 4th of July by Murrica

Freedom isn’t free, but free-flow beer and vodka mixers are only RMB100 for five whole hours this Independence Day. Murricans and non-Murricans alike are welcome to join this Budweiser-soaked celebration hosted by WeChat-group-turned-party-promoters ‘Murrica.’ Wear red, white and blue – and something tacky, because it’s at Hooters. 

Wed Jul 4, 6-11pm; Hooters (Sanlitun), see event listing.

Jul 5: rRoxymore

dART presents rRoxymore, an innovative producer of intriguing, iconoclastic dance music. The Berlin-based DJ’s EP Precarious/Precious ripples with nervous grooves, cosmic synths and surprising sounds. rRoxymore has been recognized as pioneer of the future of electronic music the world over, and will be bringing her brain-bending sound to Dada this month. 

Fri Jul 5, RMB80; Dada Beijing, see event listing.

Jul 6: Thai Kitchen Confidential

JW Marriott Beijing invites you to try Thai delicacies by a master chef. Thai chef Nakul Kavinrat from renowned restaurant The Never Ending Summer in Bangkok will make an exclusive 12-course menu, while Australia-based Chinese sommelier Pak Chan will help you pair the food with the newly-launched Western Australian wine Chauffon. Let yourself be seduced by the exciting combination of Thai spices and superb wine, and don’t miss this opportunity to try unique Thai recipes passed down over many generations. 

Fri Jul 6, 7:30pm; RMB1,688/person; JW Garden @ JW Marriott Hotel Beijing, see event listing.

Jul 6: Young Clan

Gongti’s Mix Club hosts a night of live hip-hop by rap group Young Clan. Check out rappers DOMLE, EVOL, BeCareful, UglyZ, Coach D and more at the show. Your ticket also gets you access to an open bar for the night. 

Fri Jul 6, 8.30pm-late; RMB100 (presale), RMB120 (door); MIX, see event listing.

Jul 6-8: Cinderella Ballet

A classic tale is brought to life by one of Italy’s oldest theaters, Teatro di San Carlo Ballet Company. The gorgeous three-act show includes music by Sergey Prokofiev and a libretto by Nikolai Volkov. If you don’t know who those people are, just know this: you will be touched. 

Fri Jul 6-Sun Jul 8, 7.30pm; RMB100-600; NCPA, see event listing. Buy tickets here.

Jul 7: All-4-One

The award-winning R&B group All- 4-One brings its 1990s chart toppers to Beijing. The group is best known for their No. 1 hit ‘I Swear,’ which won them a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Their hit ‘So Much In Love’ also was a major commercial success, peaking at No. 5 on the US Billboard chart.

Sat Jul 7-Sun Jul 8, 7.30pm; RMB460; Blue Note Beijing, see event listing.

Jul 7: Big Miz

Suànpán (算盘) bring in up-and-coming producer and DJ Big Miz for a night of inventive house music. Though he began by running a club night in his home city of Glasgow, Big Miz has since moved on to playing festivals across the UK and Europe. He also has a Boiler Room set under his belt. Beijing’s Tanner and Juhstynn support. 

Sat, July 7; tickets TBD, Dada Beijing, see event listing.

Jul 20: Carl Barât

Carl Barât, best known as being co-frontman of beloved garage rock band The Libertines, graces Beijing fans this month. The British musician has had a slew of side projects from indie group Dirty Pretty Things to his own album and had even formed a band via applicants on Facebook called Carl Barât and the Jackals in 2014. Catch up with the living legend at his solo show at Tango.

Fri Jul 20, 8.30pm; RMB330 (presale), RMB400; Tango, see event listing.

Jul 22: Intelligence Valley and Liyuan Library Hike

We love a good hike and especially one that will make us smarter – yes, there is such a thing. Like Beijing Hiker’s Intelligence Valley hike, so called because it is said that if you walk down the valley, you will become more intelligent. The easy-going walk takes hikers past Liyuan Library (“the world’s most beautiful library”), too. A meal is included afterwards. 

Sun Jul 22, 8am departure; RMB450, RMB405 (members), RMB200 (under 12); departs from Lido Hotel Starbucks (for more info and to sign up email info@beijinghikers.com), see event listing.

Jul 26-Jul 29: Hans Christian Anderson 'Life's a Fairytale' 

Directed by Steen Koerner, this visual extravaganza is bound to wow audiences of all ages. Offering a brand new interpretation of fairy tales written by Hans Christian Anderson, the production includes crazy effects, a fun soundtrack and jaw-dropping stunts. The show is a mash-up of all your faves: dance, theater, acrobatics, animation and singing. 

Thu Jul 26-Sat Jul 28, 7.30pm, Sat Jul 28-Sun Jul 29, 2.30pm; RMB100-580; NCPA, see event listing. Buy tickets here.

Jul 27: The Hacker

Legendary French producer The Hacker has influenced club, indie and foward-thinking pop music for a decade. He returns to Beijing this month with his blend of techno, New Wave and rave music. Don’t sleep on this one. 

Fri Jul 27, 10pm; tickets TBD; Dada Beijing, see event listing.

Jul 28: Double Clapperz X ONJUICY

Experience the sounds of Tokyo grime with Japan’s finest grime musicians. Double Clapperz are a producing duo who blew up after they showcased Japanese grime MCs for Boiler Room Tokyo with Skepta, where rapper and MC ONJUICY also performed. Support comes from Puzzy Stack, Yesen and Mouna Press. 

Sat Jul 28,10pm; tickets TBD; Dada Beijing, see event listing.

Jul 28: 'Midnight in Peking' Walking Tour

In his 2012 Midnight in Peking, author Paul French enthralled readers with his take on the true story of a young woman’s murder from almost a century ago. Whether you’ve read the book or not, you can now relive the unsolved mystery in its original setting in an author-approved walking tour by Bespoke Beiijng. This tour features brand new historical research. 

Jul 28, 6.30-9.30pm (tours take place the last Saturday of every month); RMB388/person (to purchase tickets email info@bespoketravelcompany.com), see event listing.

Aug 1: HONNE

HONNE is the electro-soul brainchild of Londoners James Hatcher and Andy Clutterbuck. Taking notes from legendary musicians like Stevie Wonder, the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye and The Supremes, HONNE reinvents classic soul music as you know it, distilling it with poppy synths and giving it a funky electronic edge. The result is extremely danceable and inescapably catchy. It’s been dubbed baby-making music at its finest – soul-baring lyrics layered overtop sultry R&B beats. Catch the suave duo's China debut at Tango.

Wed Aug 1, 8.30pm; RMB320; Tango, see event listing. Buy tickets here.

Through July

Mental Health Peer Support

If you’ve had a tough time lately, let it all out at Candle X’s mental health peer support group, which is geared towards people with a mental condition and those who lack social support. The Beijing support group aims to provide a safe and supportive environment for people living in Beijing and its sessions follow a ‘talk and share’ format. The session is in English. 

Tue Jul 10, Tue Jul 24 (every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month), 7.30- 9pm; RMB50 (free for those with an income lower than RMB6,000/month); location sent to confirmed participants (www.candlex.cn), see event listing.

Old Masters: Australia’s Great Bark Artists

Australia and China might have been at odds lately, but the Aboriginal and the Chinese remain two of the world’s oldest continuing cultures. They’ll meet at the National Museum of China, where you’ll get to see a precious collection of Aboriginal bark paintings from Arnhem Land. These will fly to China just in time to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Australia-China Council, before leaving again for Shanghai, and are certain to impress both Chinese and foreign audiences. 

Tue Jul 3-Mon Sep 3, Tue-Sun, 9am-5pm; National Museum of China, see event listing.

Legit Dumpling House Pop-Up

Dumplings are a quintessential Chinese delicacy and a staple of Beijing life. But what if you could do more than just eat them? Legit Dumpling House, an interactive pop-up exhibition hosted by 见镜 TRENDS, reimagines the iconic jiaozi to create a whimsical museum that is guaranteed to be 100-percent shareworthy. Just remember, the installations are not edible. Too legit to eat. 

Tue Jul 3-Sun Sep 9; Daily, 12:30-9:30pm; RMB85 (door), RMB59 (presale); 见境 TRENDS, see event listing.

Joan Cornellà Exhibition

You may not know his name but you’ve probably seen Joan Cornellà’s quirky work somewhere on the Internet – and now, you can see it in real life in 798. The Spanish cartoonist and illustrator’s artworks are unforgettable, and at times unbelievable, as the artist creates surreal imagery steeped with black humor to delightful effect. “For me personally it is fiction that allows me to laugh. Reality is quite creepy,” Cornellà once said. Indeed. 

Fri Jul 6-Sat Jul 28, 11am-7pm; RMB65 (Alipay); Parkview Green Art 798 @ 798 Art Zone, see event listing.

National Theatre Live: The Leading Man Returns

UCCA isn’t just a gallery – it’s also an excellent purveyor of the performing arts. This July the space presents screenings of four National Theatre Live productions: Hamlet, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, A View from the Bridge and Julius Caesar. The Hamlet production features Mr. Sherlock Holmes himself (we mean Benedict Cumberbatch). 

Sat Jul 14-Sat Jul 28, 2-8.30pm; RMB120, RMB80 (UCCA member), RMB200 (ticket package, adult), RMB160 (ticket package, UCCA member); UCCA, see event listing.

The Closet

La Social’s new weekly event The Closet is a gay-friendly party that happens every Thursday. Stop by for specially-made cocktails – called ‘lubricants’ – like the Power Bottom (RMB88, featuring fresh passionfruit and rum) and Papi Issues (RMB60, featuring basil, lime juice and ginger beer). 

Thursdays; La Social, see event listing.

Sake Samurai Summers at Hagaki

Deals abound at Hagaki this summer, where an order of a bottle of sake will cut your sushi bill in half. Not a big drinker? Sake or no sake, sushi rolls are just RMB1 with the purchase of any sushi roll, platter or main. 

All month; Hagaki @ EAST Beijing, see event listing.

Tel Aviv Brunch

The flavors of Israel are on show at Arcade by Hatchery this summer. The Tel Aviv pop-up, which first debuted at Hatchery’s erstwhile Dongsi location (RIP), is back for weekend brunches. A mezze set, for RMB188 per person, will get you dips, breads, spiced chicken, pulled lamb, shakshuka and a welcome drink. 

Weekends all summer, 11am-4pm; Arcade by Hatchery, see event listing.

Teamlab Future Park

With the kids out of school, parents need not worry about how to keep them occpuied throughout the long summer – Teamlab has it sorted. Open all summer, their Future Park features a series of art attractions that are guaranteed to fill kids (and parents) with awe. Light-up balls that change color and sound and a sketching lab that turns drawings into 3-D artwork are only some of the interactive installations on display. Notice a connection? It’s all about creating together. 

Through Oct 10, Daily, 10am-10pm; RMB120, RMB60 (student, early bird); Yang Museum, see event listing.

Have an event to list? Head here to list your upcoming event. We’ll choose the best new additions to feature on next week’s edition of ‘What's On in Beijing.' Not sure where to start? Here's a full guide on how to list your upcoming events on our website.