9 Best Performing Arts Venues in Shanghai, China

Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center

French Concession Fodor's choice

The city's premier theater venue and troupe, the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center presents an award-winning lineup of its own original pieces, plus those of other cutting-edge groups around China. It also stages Chinese-language adaptations, sometimes very inventive, of Western works, such as a festival of Samuel Beckett works reinterpreted through Chinese opera.

Lyceum Theatre

French Concession

Although the renovation of Shanghai's oldest theater sadly replaced the richly stained wood with glaring marble and glass, the design of the space makes for an intimate theater experience. The Lyceum regularly hosts drama and music from around China as well as smaller local plays and Chinese opera performances. On the third floor is cocktail bar and stage Candor which puts on burlesque-style shows in plush, red velvet surrounds.

Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe

Jing'an

This troupe performs remarkable gravity-defying stunts at the Shanghai Centre Theater, inside the Portman Ritz-Carlton.

Shanghai Centre Theater, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, Shanghai, Shanghai Shi, 200040, China
021-6279–8945-Shanghai Centre
performing-arts Details
Rate Includes: Y150–Y280, From Y180, Performances are not daily, but schedule can be found here: www.shanghaicentre.com/cn/theatre/theatre_schedule.php

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Shanghai Concert Hall

City Center

More than a decade ago, city officials spent $6 million to move this venerable concert hall two blocks to avoid the rumble from the nearby highway. Only then did they discover that it now sat over an even more rumbling subway line. Oops. It’s known for hosting top-level classical musicians from around China and the world.

Shanghai Disneyland

Pudong
The first Disney resort in Mainland China opened in 2016. It's high on the must-see list for most domestic and international visitors, so expect it to be busy, particularly on weekends and during holidays. The park is well laid out, with an Adventure Isle, Fantasyland, Gardens of Imagination, Toy Story Land, Tomorrowland, and Treasure Cove. Smaller children will love the whole experience; teenagers and parents will find the Tron ride particularly entertaining.

Shanghai Oriental Art Center

Pudong

This cultural powerhouse presents traditional Chinese works as well as a superb selection of Western shows. The Royal New Zealand Ballet, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, and Netherlands Symphony Orchestra are just three among a slew of groups that have performed here.

Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall

French Concession
Home to the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, this magnificent concert hall holds regular classical music performances between its two performance spaces: The 1,200-seat concert hall and the smaller 400-seat chamber music hall. Set in the heart of the Former French Concession, it’s open daily and also houses a delightful café.

ShanghART

A long-established contemporary art gallery, ShanghART is an M50 mainstay—also with a newer outpost in the burgeoning West Bund Art District. The art space is dedicated to pushing forward China’s contemporary art scene with exhibitions featuring a range of mediums, including multimedia, sculpture, and photography.

Yifu Theatre

City Center

Not only Beijing Opera but also China's other regional operas, such as Huju, Kunqu, and Yueju, are performed regularly at this theater in the heart of the city center. Considered the marquee theater for opera in Shanghai, it's just a block off People's Square.