Summer is in full swing now, and Shanghai is a great place to be (as long as you don’t mind the heat and humidity). There’s a lot going on, and plenty of stuff to do and see. Here’s a round up of what’s happening in the news, on the stage and around town.

1) Goodbye to…
Shanghai’s best loved late-night venue Dragon Club is closing down - sad news for the city’s party animals. Where else will we go when no other club wants us? Italian restaurant Colabo (which currently shares the building with Dragon) will be taking over the whole space.

Another era is ending down the road on Yueyang Lu with the takeover of Club MAO. With a four-year pedigree, MAO is one of the longest established nightclubs in Shanghai (yes, the scene really is that fickle…) The venue will be taken over by a group of Italians who own the Eleven club in Italy and Hollywood club in Thailand. Come September, MAO will be overhauled and renamed Hollywood, however, it will keep DJ Razor on as the house spinner.

2) Hello to…
One of Shanghai’s best and most versatile Japanese restaurants has gotten a little sister. En Bar & Grill in Tianzifang serves teppanyaki, robata, yakitori and sushi, and has recently opened a second branch on Sinan Lu near Cha’s and Brick.

News comes from Yanping Lu that the triumvirate of new venues at number 98 is nearing completion. Vegetarian restaurant Kush, wine bar D’vino, and the gloriously named Sushi Abuse are putting the finishing touches to their décor, and will be opening within a couple of weeks.

3) Big Events….
Veteran Irish crooners the Cranberries are playing at the Shanghai Grand on July 26th. Well known for hit songs “Zombie", "Ode to My Family" and "Linger", they’ll be playing old favourites along with new material from their recently released album, Roses. In other stage gossip, rumour has it that James Blunt will be gracing Shanghai with his presence in the not too distant future. We’ll report back when we know more.

Table No. 1 at the Waterhouse Hotel is turning one this month and executive chef Jason Atherton is coming to town to celebrate. On Friday July 29th he will showcase a series of dishes from his new London restaurant Pollen Street Social. A sneak peak at the menu reveals roasted pork with beet root, seeds and grains, and beer sauce, and scallop ceviche with cucumber and radish with yuzu soy dressing. Tickets to the tasting are 1,000 RMB– pricey, but how often to you get to taste the creations of a master chef?

Until August 28th, the Happy Valley amusement park is hosting its Carnival with Brazilian samba dancing, parades, beer from Munich, and a water fantasy show. Fun for kids but enjoyable for adults too, it’s a great opportunity to get out of the city for a change of scenery.

Fans of the Toy Story movies should book their tickets early for the “Pixar 25 Years of Animation” show that’s running between August 1st and October 30th at the Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art. Showing installations, sketches and figures plus 3D figure sculptures from movies, it’s a must for Pixar fans.

4) In the News….
After a brief fall in prices due to the opening of the high-speed rail line, airfares between Shanghai and Beijing are back up. Once again, you’ll be looking at 800-900 RMB each way. Contrary to fears that the rail line would take away passengers, figures are not as gloomy as predicted – down just 5% between June and July.

Unfortunately, it’s not just airfares that have gone up. Taxi prices have risen again, with the flag fare now at 13 RMB and a fuel fare of 1 RMB. The change set in on July 9th, and all taxis must adjust by the end of the month. 

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Keywords: new openings Shanghai taxi prices Shanghai Shanghai watchdog news Shanghai concerts Shanghai