September is finally here and Mid-Autumn Festival is right around the corner. Like always there is something going on in Shanghai, so get out and experience some of the new openings and great performances on offer…just watch out for strange lights in the sky!

1) Goodbye to
Sad news for Shanghai’s vegans as the Freshary closes its Julu Lu branch. However, their original store in the SML Center on Xujiahui Lu is still open for business.

Prive is the latest casualty to befall the Bund bar scene, following in the footsteps of Drop, which recently served its last cocktail. Tantra on Huaihai has also closed its
doors.

2) Hello to…
There’s good news on the drinks front too, as Belgian beer house Kaiba opens a third branch. Following the success of the original Kangding Lu bar and the second outpost down on Dingxi, manager Rudy Wimmer is placing the emphasis on tap beer, naming the new branch Kaiba Tap House. It’s located in the new Taikang Terrace development, and will be serving food as soon as the kitchen is up and running.

Everyone’s favourite Saturday morning salvation is now serving breakfast. Munchies has launched a new menu at both of its branches, offering pancakes, huevos rancheros, and all sorts of fried treats. It’s on between 08:00 to 14:00 on weekends, and 08:00 to 11:30 during the week.

3) What’s on…
The anticipation is over for the city’s foodies, as Shanghai Restaurant Week starts on September 5th. In collaboration with Dining City, some of Shanghais’ best restaurants offer special discount menus over the course of the week. To find out which restaurants are participating, check out the event’s website: www.shangharestaurantweek.com.

For a frugal late summer outing, try the Shanghai Zhujiajiao Wild Animals and Plants Wetland Park that’s now open to the public for free. The park is blessed with the biggest swan lake in China, and the largest lotus nursery in Shanghai. As well as soaking up some lovely scenery, visitors get to see a huge array of water birds like swans, wild geese and egrets as well as fireflies.

Cirque du Soleil has announced that its Saltimbanco show is coming to Shanghai between the 21st and 25th of September. Meaning “jump on a bench”, Saltimbanco is Cirque’s longest running show, and will play at the Mercedes Benz arena. It has been performed around the world since 1992 to over 12 million people.

If you like your entertainment a little punkier, check out the Black Rebel Motorcycle gig at MAO Livehouse on the 13th of September. Presale tickets are 200 RMB, and it’s 260 RMB at the door. Two nights later, the Pretty Reckless take the stage, led by Gossip Girl actress Taylor Momsen. Presale tickets are 220 RMB, or 300 RMB at the door.

Possibly the biggest name coming to Shanghai over the next few months is Akon. It was recently announced that the “Lonely” singer will play the Mercedes Benz Arena on November 5th. Irish crooners Westlife are on their way over too, stopping off in Shanghai as part of their Gravity world tour. They will play Shanghai Grand Theatre on September 21st.

4) In the news…
If you’re doing any air travel over the next couple of weeks, make sure you arrive at the airport in plenty of time. Heightened security means longer queues at customs and checkpoints at Pudong International and Hongqiao airports.

News from the railways is as confusing as ever. Recently Shanghai Rail Bureau has cancelled another nine high-speed trains, two from the Beijing-Shanghai route and seven between Shanghai and Hangzhou. However despite this, as of September 1st, the Bureau will open four evening-to-morning “sleeper” bullet trains, two from Beijing and two from Shanghai. Tickets for the 12-hour journey cost about 500 RMB.

5) And finally…
Did you notice anything strange in the skies on the 20th of August? Airplane pilots and members of the public in Shanghai and Beijing reported sightings of a ball of light hovering in the skies. The light was visible for 20 minutes, and was reported to the East China Air Traffic Control Bureau. There has been no official explanation for the phenomenon… 

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Keywords: new openings Shanghai Shanghai watchdog Shanghai UFO Shanghai restaurant week performances in Shanghai