The City that Never Sleeps: Shanghai’s Dance Music Scene

As you all already know, the HBT Crew likes to take their partying habits all over the world. Once every few weeks, we’ll be popping in an article about some of our favourite places to party in various countries/cities so you know where to hit up next time you’re vacationing. All our tips are from locals, so this is firsthand advice about which clubs, festivals, and venues are the best for dance music lovers! Shanghai may be thousands of kilometres away from the States or Europe, but that doesn’t stop chart-topping DJs from visiting this bustling city. As a new must-visit city for the ever-growing EDM industry, Shanghai’s nightlife never fails to impress!

No doubt the biggest attraction of the year, Storm Music Festival brings together thousands of eager fans every year for two weekends of non-stop beats. For any house music lover, this is a must-do when in the city. In previous years, big names such as Axwell, Benny Benassi, Afrojack, and Zedd have taken over the festival, leaving fans with aching bodies and hours of fun. With four main stages of music throughout the day, Storm Music Festival’s killer lineups have proved to be the highlight of the year.

From the opening of lots of new clubs to the first time the Top 100 DJ Festival was hosted, 2014 was a big year for Shanghai’s dance music scene. Steve Aoki and others brought the place down with a successful day full of sick tunes and lots of fun. In this city of over 24 million people, we’re sure you can imagine just how epic these events are.

Okay, so you’re not a fan of big festivals? That’s no problem – Shanghai is home to countless clubs and lounge bars equipped with the best DJs in town. Enjoy local talents while having a drink or two, or get your rave on at parties hosted by some of the hottest artists in the industry at the moment. Just last week, Knife Party and UZ visited one of the best clubs of the year, 7^th Floor. Besides 7^th Floor, other major venues such as Myst, Arkham and Club Mint are also highly recommended for a good time.

As the EDM industry continues to increase its fan base, the number of venues and underground local artists will only grow. Shanghai has already proven itself as one of the hottest cities for house music right now. With parties all day and all night, hosted by industry legends, Shanghai is truly the city that never sleeps – at least not when it comes to dance music!

By: Naomi Schanen