Take in Broadway classics from Andrew Lloyd Webber, have a picnic on the grass while enjoying classical music, immerse yourself in the world of Studio Ghibli, and more! Here are the fresh tips and updates we have for you on exciting events around town.
Shanghai International Film Festival Hits the Big Screens This June
The 26th annual Shanghai International Film Festival is set to take place from June 14 to 23 at 47 movie theaters across the city. This year the theme is "City of Films," and the festival received over 3,300 entries from 105 regions and countries. The jury for the Golden Goblet Awards Main Competition will be led by director and scriptwriter Tran Anh Hung, who won Best Director at last year's Cannes Film Festival for "The Taste of Things." The Golden Goblet is awarded to movies in the categories of Main Competition, Asian New Talent, Animation, Documentary, and Short Film. Outside the competition, many other movies will also be shown on the big screens during the festival including classics like "2001: A Space Odyssey" on IMAX.
Screening tickets will be available for purchase starting on June 7 at noon on the taopiaopiao (淘票票) app, and also by clicking Alipay's movie icon. The schedule and list of nominees can be found on the SIFF website (https://www.siff.com/page/paipian) or on the official WeChat account: SIFFinShanghai, although it is currently only available in Mandarin.
Da Marco Celebrates 25 Years
Beloved Italian restaurant Da Marco celebrated its 25 year anniversary on May 18. Founder Marco Barbieri started his namesake restaurant back in 1999 alongside his wife. From the beginning, Da Marco has had a family feel among its customer base. The community that has grown around the restaurant is best represented by the large feast painting on the wall with faces of regular patrons photoshopped in. Congrats on 25 years!
School of Rock The Musical Returns
Andrew Lloyd Webber's School of Rock The Musical comes to Shanghai from July 18 to August 4 at Pudong's New Bund 31 BOCOM Performing Arts Center (777 West Gaoqing Road). The broadway hit is adapted from the popular film starring Jack Black, and follows a substitute teacher who transforms a studious class into a rock band. The tour also includes Beijing, Guangzhou and Suzhou. Tickets range from 280-1080 RMB on smartticket.cn.
Enter the World of Studio Ghibli
Our love of Studio Ghibli continues with an immersive exhibition with 24 exhibit areas displaying the cherished animated works from the Japanese studio. The Studio Ghibli Story opened in April and runs until October 31 at the International Media Port Art Center (10 Longtai Road). Single tickets are 158-198 RMB, while child tickets are 88 RMB. Family packages are also available.
London City Ballet
From Aug 29 to Sep 1, London City Ballet will perform at the FANCL Arts Center Grand Theater (466 Jiangning Road). After closing in 1996, Christopher Marney has brought the company back to life. The company will perform Kenneth MacMillan's Ballade, Ashley Page's Larina Waltz, Christopher Marney's Eve, Macmillan's Concerto, and Liam Scarlett's Consolations & Liebestraum. Tickets are 158-770 RMB at 247tickets.com.
Student Voices English Speech Competition Enters Semi-Final Rounds
The 2024 Student Voices English speech competition held multiple rounds of semi-final competition in schools and at the Shanghai Family Spring School Expos. Competing students spoke on this year's topic "Transform into Green, Thrive with Dream." They thought of creative ways to help improve their households and school campuses to become more eco-friendly. The creativity of ideas, informative research and captivating presentations all left a memorable impression. As always, the audience and judges were left very impressed with the skills displayed by the youth. Congrats to all participants, and we look forward to the final round in the fall!
SSO Begins Annual Music in the Summer Air
Get ready for Shanghai Symphony Orchestra's annual summer treat. Music in the Summer Air is back for the 15th year. This year's music series kicks off on July 1 and runs until July 15. Highlights of the lineup include The New York Philharmonic conducted by Jaap Van Zweden in two concerts of music by Mahler and Brahms with soloist Thomas Hampson, followed by Mozart and Copland symphonies.Fabio Bonizzoni will direct La Risonanza along with Handel and Vivaldi with the Shanghai Camerata. Get your tickets on 247tickets.com.
The MISA Open Air free outdoor concert series returns with seven concerts at the Shanghai Urban Music Lawn surrounding the Cadillac Shanghai Concert Hall (523 East Yan'an Road). Check out the SSO website (misa.shsymphony.com) for a complete calendar.
Phantom of the Opera
Tickets for the classic love story musical are going fast. The international tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's acclaimed musical comes to Shanghai Grand Theatre (300 Renmin Avenue) from August 27 to October 13, along with stops in Shenzhen, Xi'an, Suzhou, Chengdu, and Beijing. The cast is led by Jonathan Roxmouth as The Phantom. Tickets range from 480-1180 RMB on 247tickets.com.