August is the month when most people leave town, but there’s plenty still going on if you’re in Shanghai for the summer. Openings, closings, news and gossip – read on for what’s hot these coming weeks.

1) Hello to…
Shanghai’s Bund-side beach reopened on July 30th after an expansion project that has seen the sandy stretch double to 3,500 square meters. The Laomatou Sunshine Beach near the Cool Docks is now managed by the company behind Rico Rico club. Ticket prices have gone up from 20 RMB to 50 RMB, but it’s still a small price to pay for some sand.

More news from the Cool Docks, as Shanghai Tattoo relocates from the South Bund over to the former French Concession. Their new digs at 1 Maoming Nan Lu will open on September 1st, with a roof garden and terrace.

Imported beer doesn’t come much cheaper than Cheers In, and the guys behind the store have recently rolled out a delivery service. There’s no one case minimum order, meaning that you can cherry pick from their 150 varieties. Same day delivery means that you won’t have to wait long.

If you fancy some food delivery along with your beer order, visit newly opened Nosh Delivery (www.noshdelivery.com). Based on Yongkang Lu, the company makes and delivers a small but interesting menu of sandwiches, quiches, pastas and salads. Delivery is restricted to the French Concession at the moment, but the good news is that it’s free. Soft opening until 15th August sees 20% off all orders.

Hardly a month has passed since the closure of Tara57 on Fuxing Xi Lu, but a replacement is already in the pipeline. Arcade is slated to open in September, run by S.T.D. promoter R3. It will be a cocktail bar inspired by vintage video games, playing indie music. Unfortunately, the renovations have forced the closure of funky Boxha café downstairs.

2) Goodbye to…
As well as Boxha closing its doors, French bistro Epicvre on Xinle Lu has also called it a day. And just as Shanghai is slowly getting used to life without Mesa/Manifesto, news reaches us that burlesque club Gosney & Kallman’s Chinatown in Hongkou is closing down, which is a sore loss to the nightlife and entertainment scene.

 

3) What’s on…
Brett Anderson is coming to town with Suede on August 9th to play at Shanghai Grand Stage for one night only. The Brit pop boy played solo in China last year, but is bringing his band this time, en route to Summersonic in Japan.

More British talent comes our way on August 21st, as James Blunt flexes his vocal chords at the Mercedes Benz Arena to tell us all how “Beautiful” we are. Can’t wait. It’s Blunt’s second time in town, after his inaugural trip in 2008.

The dates for the 2011 Shanghai Art Fair have been announced. Art enthusiasts should keep their diaries clear between September 14th and 18th for the event at Shanghai Mart.

Fans of Toy Story shouldn’t miss the “Pixar 25 Years of Animation” show at the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai between August 1st and October 30th. With installations, sketches and models plus 3D figures, it’s guaranteed to please Pixar enthusiasts the city over.

On a quirkier note, New Zealand artist Maurice Bennett, dubbed the “Toast Art Picasso”, has put together the world’s largest toast mosaic. Featuring Marilyn Monroe, the piece stands four meters high and three metres wide, containing 6,000 pieces of toast. It’s located at the entrance of Xintiandi Style shopping mall if you fancy a peek.

If you’re a fighter not a lover, you’ll be cheered by news from local MMA group Rank Ultimate Fighting Federation (RUFF), who have just announced their inaugural Mixed Martial Arts event. RUFF: Genesis will take place on August 27th at the Shanghai Qizhong Tennis Center.

The JZ Shanghai Music Festival is back this autumn for the seventh year running, and the lineup has just been released. It will run from October 18th to October 22nd at the Shanghai Center Theater and the Shanghai Expo Park. International headline artists are Roy Ayers, Tower of Power, McCoy Tyner, Jazzanova Live, and Jojo Mayer, while Chinese stars include Li Jian, Li Quan, Huang Xiao Hu and Chang Shi Lei.

4) In the news…
Taxi fares have gone up right across the city’s fleet after the July 9th ruling but it’s taken until August 1st for all cabs to switch over, so you can now expect to pay a 13 RMB flag fee for the first 3km instead of 12 RMB. No more striking it lucky in a cab that hasn’t changed over yet…

Shanghai now has a new bus station. As part of the government’s scheme to open five new terminals, Shanghai North Bus Station opened on July 28th joining Shanghai Pudong East Bus Station, Shanghai South Bus Station, Shanghai Hongqiao West Bus Station and Shanghai North Bus Station. Situated at 1717 Jiangyang Xi Lu, the station will grow into a hub for buses, taxis and Metro.

If you’ve been reading the news lately, you’ll know about the frequent food scandals that have dogged Shanghai. In an attempt to cut down on cases of poisoning, the municipal government plans to close down unlicensed street food vendors after September 1st, and fine them 500 RMB. 

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: new openings Shanghai Shanghai watchdog news Shanghai food scandals Shanghai concerts Shanghai