Shanghai’s notoriously decadent 1930s nightlife scene entered a prolonged lull following World War II and the 1949 Communist Revolution. Half a century later, in the early noughties, bar and club culture exploded, mirroring China’s economic boom. Today, Shanghai’s nightlife compares favourably with any hard-partying metropolis.
Midnight is the witching hour in Shanghai, when the city’s night owls start to prowl the streets. The clubs and bars of choice change frequently, as newer, bigger and better-designed challengers throw open their doors. The result is a dynamic club culture that is packed with after-dark temptations, ranging from glamorous cocktail bars to DJ-fuelled dance clubs, to crowded live music bars. Shanghai is a party that doesn’t stop until the sun peers over the Huangpu River, and sometimes not even then. Get dressed up and make your way to one of the following venues.
Customers enjoy drinks and laughs at the Glamour Bar
Ryan Pyle/Apa Publications
Wall art using beer bottles
Ryan Pyle/Apa Publications
Bars and clubs
No. 88
2/F, 291 Fumin Road; tel: 6136 0288
Up a twisting wooden staircase, 88 is an insanely over-the-top Chinese-style dance club with flamboyant furnishings, roving performers and elevated dancefloors. You’ll have to buy by the bottle to get a table – the Champagne arrives with flaming sparklers. Drink up and enjoy the unique party atmosphere.
Bar Rouge
7/F, 18 Zhongshan Road East No.1; tel: 6339 1199; www.bar-rouge-shanghai.com
This big Bund 18 hotspot draws upscale crowds with its cranberry-coloured lounges, hot red lighting and professional DJs – despite its famously snooty service. The best tables are on the terrace overlooking the Huangpu River; be sure to reserve or arrive early for an outside perch.
Cirque Le Soir
4/F, 22 Zhongshan East No.2 Road; tel: 400 9910088; http://cirquelesoir.com
High-end circus-themed nightclub from London and Dubai on the Shanghai Bund. Runs the gamut from sexy to surreal with everything from shirtless clowns juggling on stilts to tattooed, scantily clad female axe-throwers.
M1NT
318 Fuzhou Road; tel: 6391 2811; www.M1NT.com.cn
Shark tanks, Bund views, beautiful people and more in this lavish club perched atop a 24-storey building behind the Bund. Entertainments include seasoned DJs, a spacious dance floor, bar, restaurant, rooftop party area and superb modern design. M1NT claims to be members-only, but go before 9.30pm and you will be ushered right in.
Shanghai Studio
Building 4, 1950 Central Huaihai Road, near Wukang Road; tel: 6283 1043; www.shanghai-studio.com
A labyrinthine concrete lair in a former bomb shelter, this popular alternative hangout is known for its friendly staff, stiff drinks, welcoming vibe and over-the-top costume parties. Expect a maze of rooms, many of them featuring offbeat Asian art, a small dance floor, and a mixed local and expat crowd.
The Shelter
5 Yongfu Road, near Fuxing Road West; tel: 6347 0400
Every city needs a nightclub like The Shelter: concrete walls, black paint, rock-bottom drinks prices and consistently good music. This basement club draws a youthful alternative crowd, who are joined by locals looking for a good time in unpretentious surroundings.
Unico
2/F, Three on the Bund, 17 Guangdong Road; tel: 5308 5399; www.unico.cn.com
A classy late-night venue at Three on the Bund decked out with giant lanterns, colourful armchairs and a central bar. Choose from a fun cocktail/tapas menu arranged and paired according to Latin American compass coordinates, and sway to the beats of live Latin musicians and guest DJs.
Cocktail lounges
Bar Constellation
251 Huangpi Road North, near Jiangyin Road; tel: 5375 2712
This 1930s-themed cocktail bar is much loved for its fine mixology. Its classic cocktails are perfectly balanced and never too sweet, and whisky and other drinks on the rocks are served ‘Japanese style’ with a single large ice cube, so they stay cold without getting watery.
Glamour Bar
6/F, 5 Zhongshan East (No.1) Road; tel: 6329 3751; www.m-glamour.com
A sophisticated waterfront bar below sister restaurant M on the Bund with a mirrored cocktail bar, champagne bar, wine-tasting table and superior bar bites. Jewel-coloured velvet armchairs, Art Deco lamps and arched windows overlooking the Bund set the elegant ambience.
The Long Bar
6/F, 2 Zhongshan East (No.1) Road; tel: 6322 9988; www.waldorfastoriashanghai.com
This legendary Shanghai watering hole dates back to the 1920s, when it was an exclusive British gentlemen’s club with the longest bar in Asia. Noel Coward famously remarked that ‘one could see the curvature of the earth along it’. Now part of Waldorf Astoria hotel, the bar has been restored to its former glory and serves well-mixed cocktails, along with fresh oysters from the Oyster Bar.
Live music
LOgO
107 Sinan Road, near Taikang Road; www.logoshanghai.net
A youthful favourite that is much loved for its consistent presentation of alternative music, including electronic, punk rock and metal, as well as for its gritty, smoky, laid-back interiors and reasonable cover charges. The house is packed at weekends with crowds of 20- and 30-somethings gathered for a good time.
Shanghai Grand Theatre performance
David Shen Kai/Apa Publications
Shanghai is known for its glamorous nightlife
Ryan Pyle/Apa Publications
Smoking indoors is still largely permitted in Shanghai
Ryan Pyle/Apa Publications
Theatres and concert halls
Mercedes-Benz Arena
1200 Expo Avenue, Pudong; tel: 400 181 6688; www.mercedes-benzarena.com
The oyster shell-shaped performance arena on the Huangpu riverside was built for the 2010 World Expo and is the first in China to have a naming rights deal. A state-of-the-art showplace for culture, arts, sports and entertainment events, it features a multifunctional auditorium hosting everything from rock concerts to basketball games, a Cineplex, ice-skating rink and music club.
Oriental Arts Centre
425 Dingxiang Road, Pudong; tel: 6854 1234; www.shoac.com.cn
This Paul Andreu-designed centre in Pudong has five circular halls that resemble a lotus flower in full bloom. Three theatres – a Concert Hall, Opera Hall and a smaller Performance Hall – all have superb sightlines, state-of-the-art acoustics and nature-inspired designer interiors.
Shanghai Circus World
2266 Gonghexin Road, near Guangzhong Road; tel: 5665 3646
In the city’s north, this modern arena with a revolving stage and digital water curtain, hosts ERA: Intersection in Time, a multimillion-dollar acrobat/circus show that runs daily.
Shanghai Concert Hall
523 Yan’an Road East; tel: 6386 2836; www.shanghaiconcerthall.org
This venerable hall opened in 1930 as the Nanking Theatre, but in 2002 was relocated brick by brick to a new location just over 50 metres away. The classically styled beauty, now with better acoustics and a roomier stage, showcases a rich selection of performances year-round.
Shanghai Conservatory of Music
20 Fenyang Road; tel: 6431 8542/6431 2157
Students are in the spotlight at the conservatory’s He Lu Ting Concert Hall throughout the semester, and performances are open to the public free of charge. Concert schedules vary depending on the courses being offered, and on occasion, visiting musicians from Europe, North America and Asia present performances together with their students.
Shanghai Culture Square
36 Yongjia Road; tel: 5461 9961; www.shculturesquare.com
This massive underground theatre opened in 2011 in a park in the former French Concession. It stages mostly musical theatre and ballet performances.
Shanghai Grand Theatre
300 People’s Avenue; tel: 6372 8702; www.shgtheatre.com
Opened in 1998 in People’s Park, Shanghai Grand Theatre has a striking design that is a modern interpretation of a Chinese hall with upturned eaves that glow from within on theatre nights. It has one of the biggest and best equipped stages in Asia, and plays host to extravagant musicals such as The Lion King and Cats, while smaller performances are held in cosier side theatres.
Film
Grand Cinema
216 Nanjing Road West; tel: 6327 1899; www.shdgm.com
Several cinemas across town show movies in English and Chinese (check to confirm when purchasing tickets). The benefit of going to the Grand Cinema on People’s Square is that you can also enjoy the fabulous Art Deco architecture of this 1933 movie theatre. There’s also a rooftop lounge and mini museum.
House of Blues and Jazz
60 Fuzhou Road, near The Bund; tel: 6323 2779
This gem of a club in a renovated mansion on a quiet Bund backstreet attracts a firm following with its unpretentious but upscale atmosphere and excellent bands that play soul-infused blues and jazz. Its long wood-grained bar, hardwood walls and floors, and Art Deco-style fittings pay tribute to Shanghai’s earlier jazz era.
The Jazz Bar
Fairmont Peace Hotel, 20 Nanjing Road East; tel: 6321 6888; www.fairmont.com/peacehotel
A 1930s jazz institution, the dark and intimate Jazz Bar at the Peace Hotel features the original vintage jazz band (all members are aged 70 plus) playing timeless tunes in the early evening, followed by the more upbeat house band and guest performers, playing late into the Shanghai nights.
JZ Club
46 Fuxing Road West; tel: 6431 0269; www.jzclub.cn
While most ‘jazz’ venues in Shanghai play pop music and blues and even showtunes, JZ remains true to its roots, with an ongoing selection of superlative jazz musicians from China and overseas, plus a fine house band. A friendly two-storey layout, where listeners are almost on top of the stage. Book early for top bands.