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Shanghai Grand Theatre
Shanghai's state-of-the-art concert venue hosts everything from Broadway musicals to symphonies, ballets, operas and performances by internationally acclaimed classical soloists.
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Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre
Home of the Shanghai Symphonic Orchestra, the Oriental Arts Center is Shanghai's latest futuristic cultural edifice built to promote the city's status as an international arts centre. Whether or not the symphony is happy with the extraterrestrial design is anybody's guess, but it does blend in perfectly in Pǔdōng.
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Time Passage
Tucked down a small street, Time Passage is that rare thing in Shanghai, a pub that could be your local back home. With friendly staff, cheap drinks and a faithful clientele of local musos, students and expat teachers, it's a businessman-free zone. There's live music on Tuesdays, Thursday and Fridays, wi-fi access and a daily happy hour from to .
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TMSK
A place to visit as much for the décor as for the drinks, TMSK is designed to within an inch of its life. The whole place is full of glass 'art' or, more specifically, pieces of swirled pastel-coloured glass. There's a cool water feature too, but the interior design pales into insignificance once the house band gets going with their unholy fusion of techno and traditional Chinese music. The local crowd who drink here seem to like it though.
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Velvet Lounge
An anomaly amongst the girlie bars of Julu Rd, Velvet Lounge is a relaxed nightspot attracting an eclectic crowd. There's a circular bar to sit around and sofas to sink into; on weekends the old-school party tunes will lure you towards the small dance floor.
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Yifu Theatre
One block east of Renmin Sq, this is the main opera theatre in town and recognisable by the huge opera mask above the entrance. The theatre presents a popular programme of Běijīng, Kūn and Yuè (Shaoxing) opera. A Běijīng opera highlights show is performed several times a week at and ; pick up a brochure at the ticket office or check the website for exact dates. A shop in the lobby sells Peking Opera CDs.
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Yy's
This place isn't as popular as it was a few years ago, when it was a key hangout for the alternative crowd (try the basement late on weekends), but they never close and it occasionally swings.
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Zapata's
Zapata's owes its place in Shanghai's nightlife pantheon to its ladies night on Wednesday. So popular is it that the crowds spill into Sasha's nextdoor garden. Meanwhile inside, the small dance floor seethes as the potent margaritas loosen inhibitions. Not exactly classy, but fun.
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