Shanghai Launches Citywide Programs to Boost Holiday Consumption

Building on Shanghai's drive to become an international consumption hub, a citywide campaign integrating culture, tourism, and commerce has been launched to unlock new consumer potential during the coming New Year and Spring Festival holidays.

Through March, the campaign will leverage online shows, offline performances, and the city's iconic landmarks to offer residents and international visitors dozens of programs covering trendy sports, immersive performances, dining, and hospitality.

During the holiday period, well-known anchors from the streaming platform Kandongfang will guide audiences on diverse tour routes across Shanghai's 16 districts, including ascending the Oriental Pearl TV Tower on New Year's Day, visiting the Yuyuan Garden Lantern Show, and enjoying immersive music performances throughout the city.

The fourth "Shining Shanghai" Jing'an Light Festival will blend AIGC technology with celebrated artist Xu Beihong's horse-themed paintings to present stunning light-and-shadow installations and scenes along Maoming Road North, Zhangyuan Garden, and the shikumen-style Fengshengli neighborhood. Additionally, the Shanghai Puppet Theater will stage a large-scale light-shadow puppet parade, offering a captivating street-art experience.

The popular immersive theater production "Sleep No More," adapted from William Shakespeare's "Macbeth," will extend beyond its stage, bringing interactive musical journeys into the urban landscape.

Meanwhile, the Shanghai Circus World's New Year Carnival, celebrating the Year of the Horse, will feature a series of festive pop-up events, including circus parades and square performances in nearby commercial hubs.

On New Year's Eve at Life Hub @ Daning, the Dream Creating Carriage Troupe will present the fantasy drama Steam Worlds. Powerhouse vocalists from Listen Livehouse will deliver heartwarming performances, while hosts from LoveRadio 103.7's Morning Friends will join top karaoke champions and flash-dance performers for an unforgettable celebration.

At the art museum of the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts, visitors can explore the Guonian (New Year) art exhibition, which showcases the rapid development of the city's cross-media creative ecosystem.

Running through March 15, the exhibition allows viewers to traverse disciplinary boundaries through works encompassing painting, sculpture, public art, and digital media art.

Visitors will witness the integration of traditional ink wash techniques with digital elements, experience a dialogue between artifact restoration skills and contemporary installation concepts, and sense the seamless fusion of animation storytelling and spatial art.