May holiday is around the corner and that means the kick off festival seasons from multi-day celebrations of music to boozy tributes to beer. Here are 16 festivals to look out for.
Apr 29-May 2: 2016 Shanghai Cocktail Festival
k11 hosts the inaugural edition of this glamorous celebration of mixology on their picturesque sky garden. Top bartenders from around the world will be showcasing concoctions that promise to be a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds. Also they can guide as you create your own cocktail. Single-day passes (RMB80-100) comes with two cocktails and one DIY drink or appetiser. Five-day passes are available for RMB300-380, which includes 10 free drinks and five DIY drinks or appetisers.
Apr 29-May 2, 2-10pm, RMB80-100 (RMB300-380 for five day pass). k11 Art Mall, see event listing. Tickets.
Apr 30-May 1: Spring Wave
A huge festival in Taiwan, Spring Wave takes over Dishui Lake for a massive Mandopop showcase. Stars S.H.E. and Soda Green headline while Mainland act Omnipotent Youth Society represents for the domestic indie scene. There will be a creative market and other on-site activities, plus despite how long it takes to get there, Dishui Lake is a gorgeous escape out of the city.
Apr 30-May 1, RMB198 (RMB360 for two-day pass). Dishui Lake, tickets.
Apr 30-May 1: Changjiang International Music Festival 2016
The Backstreet Boys and Cui Jian headline this music festival held a couple hours outside of Shanghai. The father of Mainland rock and the boy band hall of famers highlight an eclectic bill that includes Mandopop stars (Stefanie Sun, Sandy Lam), indie-favorites (Omnipotent Youth Society) and international metal acts (Onslaught, Scream Maker).
Apr 30-May 1, 2-10.30pm, RMB160-240 (per day)or RMB300-360 (weekend pass). Changjiang International Music Island, Jiangsu Province, 江苏镇江世业洲长江国际音乐岛. Tickets.
Apr 30-May 2: JZ Spring
Over
200 musicians will converge in Jiogn'an for the third annual JZ Spring.
Stages will be set up at Jing'an Park, Jing'an Temple, Jing An kerry
Center and many other unexpected placees for a weekend of free
performances. With a theme of "When Jazz Meets China," the festival
kicks off with an April 29 Master concert between award-winning
Luxembourg trumpet player Gast Waltzing and JZ Club fixture Li
Xiaochuan. The next night, Jesse Harris and Petra Haden will present
the Chinese debut of their collaborative project. The festival
culminates with a Master Hall concert featuring Abu and Eddie Dainels
Quartet. For more, check out our interviews with Gast Waltzing and Jesse Harris.
Apr 30-May 2, 10.30am-7pm, free entry. Jing'an Park, Jing'an Temple Square and Jing An Kerry Centre.
Master Hall Concerts: Apr 30-May 2, 8-10pm, RMB180-380. Shanghai Centre Theatre, tickets.
Apr 30-May 2: Strawberry Music Festival
Modern
Sky takes over Expo Park for their fourth annual music festival and there's a distinct British electronic feel with Disclosure, The Prodigy and Modestep performing. As always, many of China's top bands will also perform to the adorning masses, with plenty of on-site markets and other festival accouterments. For more, check out our Strawberry Music Festival picks.
Apr 30-May 2, 1-9.30pm, RMB240-300 (per day) RMB600-800 (three-day pass). Expo Park, tickets.
Apr 30-May 2: Taihu MIDI Festival
China’s
longest-running festival brand returns just outside of Shanghai. International guests include M83 cofounder Nicolas Fromageau's electronic music project Team Ghost and the Canadian progressive metal standouts Protest the Hero. As usual, the festival is also full of the country's most exciting rock acts including festival fixtures Nova Heart, SMZB and Miserable Faith.
Apr 30-May 2, 2-10pm, RMB150 (RMB400 for three-day pass). Taihu MIDI Park, tickets.
May 6: Stones Throw 20th Anniversary
So we're completely stretching the definition of a music festival but the iconic Californian underground hip hop label is celebrating its milestone birthday with an absolutely stacked bill, worthy of festival status. Label founder Peanut Butter Wolf will be joined by current underground rap kingpin Earl Sweatshirt, electro pioneer Egyptian Lover and rising producer Knxwledge (Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$) for what promises to be a packed night at The Shelter.
May 6, 10pm-late, RMB150. The Shelter.
May 6-8: Guozhou Shanghai International Beer Festival
The seventh edition of the Bevex organized celebration of beer consistently packs Wharf 1846. Join China’s best beer brands, internationally renowned microbrews and local craft beer in what’s always a lively weekend celebration. As ever, the city’s finest bands and DJs will provide entertainment and there will be plenty of food pop-ups to help you avoid making any party fouls.
May 6-8, 6pm-late (Fri) 2pm-late (Sat-Sun), RMB50 (with one bottle of beer). Wharf 1846.
May 6-8: ECM Festival
The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra pays tribute to the trendsetting German label that has given the world Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett. The label’s unique “ECM aesthetics” will be feted in concerts by Myun-Whun Chung (May 6&7, Concert Hall), Keller Quartet (May 6, Chamber Hall), Tomasz Stańko New York Quartet (May 7, Chamber Hall), Anouar Brahem Quartet & SSO Chamber Orchestra (May 8, Concert Hall) and Susanne Abbuehl Quartet (May 8, Chamber Hall).
May 6-8, 7.45pm (Chamber Hall) and 8pm (Concert Hall), RMB80-300. Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall, tickets.
May 14: NightSHFT Festival
The former 1LoveShanghai crew has been spreading the good times nationwide as SHFT. They’ve organized this mini-national warehouse tour featuring double headliners UZ (Mad Decent) and rising Atlanta rapper OG Maco (pictured), who was included in XXL’s Freshmen of the Year list last year. Rounding things out is a bill filled with Chinese standouts and on-site artistic activities.
May 14, 6pm-late, RMB120-200. One Show Space Warehouse, 569 Shilong Lu, by Liuzhou Lu 石龙路569号, 近柳州路
May 14-15: MYTH Festival
Known for establishing Strawberry
Music Festival as a May holiday institution, Modern Sky delves into the
electronic world with the inaugural edition of MYTH. Mad Decent founder
Diplo headlines bringing his distinct flavor that's allowed him to
straddle the pop world (Usher, Justin Bieber) and the underground (Major
Lazer, M.I.A.). Also recent Tomorrowland headliners DVBBS will perform
and while there are still a ton of names to be announced, organizers are
promises there will be about 50 DJs and producers rocking out across
three stages, designed by Daniel Alexander Oomen (Tomorrowland and
Sensation). For more, check out our early picks for who to check out at MYTH.
May 14-15, noon-10pm, RMB340 or RMB620-680 (two-day pass). Expo Park, tickets.
May 14-15: Shanghai 94.7 Concert on the Green
This annual festival brings sublime music to the picturesque Chenshan Botanical Gardens. During the afternoon, there will be world music acts performing on the small stage like Uighur Diva Sanubar Tursun and Shanghai-based collective Soundscapes. For the main stage evening performances, Robert Ziegler and the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra play classic film scores on Saturday, while Robertas Servenikas leads the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia performs Sunday.
May 14-15, 6-9pm, RMB100-600. Chenshan Botanical Gardens, tickets.
May 27-29: Dragon Burn 2016
Following the 10 principles of Burning Man, this weekend festival is a celebration of art, community, music and fire. Held in a shaded forest on a lake in Anji, Dragon Burn is a festival created by its participants. Bring art, costumes and your creative energy. (Also tents, food and drinks, as there are no vendors on site, and garbage bags so you can clean up after yourself.) Round-trip bus is available for RMB150, departing from The Camel on 9am and 7.30pm from Thursday to Saturday.
May 27-29, noon, RMB250 (plus optional RMB150 for round-trip bus). Depart from The Camel, tickets.
May 28-29: Shanghai Beer Festival
The Boxing Cat Brewery organized beer festival was formerly a Sinan Mansions staple before moving last year to its new spot at The Place in Hongqiao. Despite the new digs, it's the same relaxed outdoor vibes. As usual, breweries across Asia like Beijing's Great Leap and Jing A to Vietnam's Pasteur Street will be on site serving up their craft beers. There will also be DJs and live music performances, as well as plenty of pop-up food stalls. The event caps off Shanghai Beer Week, which runs from May 20-29 starting with their notorious drunken beer cruise down the Huangpu.
May 28-29, 1-10pm, free entry. The Place (Hongqiao).
May 29: Top 100 DJs Festival
As controversial as its fan voted rankings may be, there’s no denying how influential DJ Magazine’s annual Top 100 DJ list is. With the 2016 edition, DJ Magazine China has revived the accompanying festival that packed Pudong Auto Broad Park in 2014. They've scored a major headliner in Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, who topped last year's list. While there are still plenty of names to be announced, some of the confirmed acts include Tom Swoon (current No. 46), Maltese duo Tenishia (currently No. 71), the mysterious Belgian DJ MATTN, singer-songwriter (and collaborator to dance music stars) Jonathan Mendelsohn and the live debut of Ghost Hvnterz.
May 29, 1pm-late, RMB480-580 (RMB580-680 for VIP passes). Broad Auto Park, 189 Guozhan Lu, by Houtan Lu 国展路189号, 近后滩路. Tickets.
June 9-11: MIDI Electronic Festival
Once again, The Mansion takes over the Taihu MIDI campgrounds for a weekend celebration of electronic music. While names have yet to be announced, expect eight headliners and over 100 DJs in what is consistently one of the most vibrant festival experiences in China.
June 9-11, 2-10pm, RMB180-200 (RMB380-450 for three day pass). Taihu MIDI Park, tickets.
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