The next two weeks promise to be heavy in sunshine and sweat. From the boxing bouts on the Bund to the funky grooves of the Friendly Fires at MAO Livehouse, your body will be clamouring for a rest. Thankfully, there will also be plenty of new restaurants opening their doors for you to replenish your strength…so you can go out for more.

What's On…

There are several big names hitting town this month, including British soul singer Joss Stone. She's playing at Shanghai Grand Stage on May 23. MAO Livehouse is hosting Friendly Fires on May 22, which also promises to be a great show. 

The craze for white-collar boxing continues, with another bout of Brawl on the Bund scheduled for Saturday June 2 at the Kerry Hotel (Pudong). The fighters come from a range of countries including the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Italy and Mexico, with a total of eight bouts scheduled. Former champions will make a re-appearance, such as Tim Muse, Pauly Gray and Adam 'Thunder' Thurland. Ringside tickets are sold out, but there are still table tickets available. Guests get a four-course dinner with free-flow beer and wine while they watch the fight. A table of 10 is 8000 RMB, a group of six is 5,200 RMB and a group of four is 3,500 RMB. Some of the proceeds will go to Leo's Foundation, a charity that helps babies in China born with respiratory problems. Tickets are available by emailing boxing@mailmanchina.com or calling 129-185-71723.

There's more sport in the form of the 2012 Baoshan International Men's Basketball Challenge, which runs from May 18-20 at Baoshan Sports Center Basketball Stadium (700 Yongqing Lu, Baoshan District). Tickets for the afternoon and evening matches start at 30 RMB and go up to 200 RMB. Over the course of three days, a total of six matches will be played, featuring Olympic teams from China, America, the Netherlands and Latvia.

In the news…

Some tech news for Metro users – an app has recently been launched for iPhone, which allows you to check the balance of your pre-pay travel card using its serial number. Simply enter your card details once, and whenever you open the app (called Card Checker), your balance will be shown. The app comes from ExploreMetro, who also produce excellent interactive subway maps for Chinese cities. Download Card Checker here.

Finally, if any more proof was needed that Shanghai is China's financial nerve cluster, the Hurun Research Center recently launched its 2012 Shanghai Wealth White Paper, which reveals that there are currently 8,200 people living in Shanghai who have at least 100 million RMB in assets. The figure shows an increase of 5.1% on last year.

Opening…

For expats who can't live without the comforts of home, a new branch of laowai favourite City Shop has opened up in the mall opposite Tianzifang. It has everything you'd expect (rotisserie chicken, tasty sweets, imported deli items, fresh bread), and there's a café on the mezzanine that's set to open soon. Until May 20, take your receipts from the recently closed City Shop branches in Parkson's or Times Square, and you'll get 10% off anything in the new shop.

In restaurant news, Eduardo Vargas has finished his latest project, moving Azul from its former Dongping Lu location to Ferguson Lane. The rooftop terrace is going to prove popular over summer, and the Mediterranean menu is sure to go down well.

The ever-popular Fumin/Changle junction has a new addition in the form of Grill Bull, from the same management as Noodle Bull (and located around the back). The décor is similar, with concrete walls and simple black furniture, and is dominated by a charcoal grill and bar. Set lunches include grilled chicken, stir-fried beef, and salmon steak with a salad, steamed egg, steamed rice, miso soup, and a seasonal vegetable dish, starting at 58 RMB and going up to 88 RMB.

If you're a fan of Baker and Spice but don't like the prices, try one of the two new branches of Brioche Doree. There's one next to Wagas on Donghu Lu, and one on Yanping Lu near the Sushi Abuse / Kush / Dvino triumvirate. The pastries, tarts, quiches and bread are almost as good as B&S, and are much cheaper.

Since announcing that Madison was closing temporarily in March, Austin Hu kept things running until May 13, but the restaurant has finally shut its doors. It is scheduled to reopen at 3 Fenyang Lu on June 15.

Fashion fans who want to browse Shanghai's designer boutiques from the comfort of their sofas should log on to the new online store XinleLu.com. Run by a group of local fashionistas, it sells accessories, shoes, clothes and jewellery from the city's best and hippest independent designers, including Mary Ching. 

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Keywords: Shanghai watchdog Shanghai music performances news in Shanghai 2012 New Openings Shanghai events Shanghai May 2012