Night Life

Every city has a soundtrack. Shanghai's is jazz — and unlike most cities that borrowed the genre, Shanghai can claim it as autobiography. This was Asia's jazz capital when the music was new: the 1920s and 30s city of ballrooms and taxi dancers, where American bandleaders took residencies, where Chinese composers fused jazz with folk melodies and invented shidaiqu — the pop music of old Shanghai —...

Some neighborhoods have date spots. The Former French Concession is one — a district seemingly designed by a committee of hopeless romantics: plane-tree tunnels lit gold at dusk, lane-house doorways glowing with candlelight, and a density of wine bars, bistros and late-night corners unmatched anywhere in China. At the centre of it all: Anfu Road and its orbit — Wukang, Wulumuqi, Fumin, Changle —...

Shanghai's skyline exists to be drunk in front of. Two skylines, technically — the 1920s stone Bund on one bank, the neon supertalls of Lujiazui on the other — and a whole industry of rooftops built around the view between them. But the rooftop scene turned over hard in recent years, and half the internet's recommendations now lead to closed doors. So here's the 2026 state of play — what's gone,...

Whether you are here for the World Cup, the Premier League, the NFL/NBA/NCAA playoffs, or just want a place to catch a game with a cold beer, Shanghai has plenty of options. The city’s sports bar scene has grown well beyond a few expat haunts. Today, you have dedicated American-style sports bars, Aussie pubs, British-style boozers, and massive multi-sport complexes. Here is a guide to some of the...

When the sun sets over the Huangpu River and Shanghai's skyscrapers begin to glitter, the city transforms. The streets buzz with a different kind of energy – one of clinking glasses, thumping basslines, hidden speakeasies, and rooftop views that will take your breath away. Shanghai’s nightlife is legendary. It’s diverse, world-class, and constantly evolving. Whether you're a cocktail connoisseur,...