It’s live: your guide to Shanghai’s best gig venues
From swinging jazz clubs and rock dives to sweaty heavy metal spaces – here’s a list of where it’s all happening for music fans in Shanghai
From bars that aim to recapture the city’s 1920s and ’30s jazz heyday, to dive-bar live houses hosting regular rock shows, Shanghai has plenty to offer when it comes to live music. Here are some of the city’s best spots for gig goers.
Modern Sky Lab
“Soft-opened” in mid-May, Modern Sky Lab is the new kid on the Shanghai live house block. Set for a big “grand opening” in August, the venue in a Hongkou shopping mall is the latest venture from Beijing-based record label and promoters Modern Sky. The company behind Strawberry Festival opened their first Lab in the capital in 2015 before extending the brand to Kunming a year later.
Modern Sky say there’s space for around 1,500 but that includes two mezzanines and the main floor area isn’t intimidatingly large – a show need only attract around 300-400 to not feel awkwardly empty. Its location means audiences will likely be young locals, students and dedicated downtown fans of the acts on stage, but if organisers can put together some solid bookings once fully open, it’ll be a welcome addition to Shanghai’s gig venues.
3/F Ruihong Tiandi, 188 Ruihong Lu, Hongkou district
JZ Club