Active Jing'an
Jing'an launched the 2025 Shanghai International Trendy Sports Festival on October 4, spanning seven consecutive weekends through November 16. Events across major commercial hubs offered residents a blend of high-energy competitions, music and lifestyle experiences.
The festival centerpiece, the 2025 Asian University 3x3 Basketball Championship and Shanghai University 3x3 Basketball League opener, took place on October 24-26 at Daning Park, hosting 28 university teams from China and abroad. The first Jing'an Street 3x3 Basketball Tournament ran from October 4 to November 2 across key commercial areas, with 96 teams and nearly 500 participants, creating a citywide grassroots basketball platform.
The festival also explored crossovers between sports and culture. On October 11–12, Suhewan MixC World hosted an anime-themed sports music festival with virtual idols, popular streamers and a live orchestra performing sports animation classics.
On October 2, the 2025 Head of Shanghai River Regatta took place along Suzhou Creek, spanning 4.2 kilometers. About 80 percent of the race ran through Jing'an, showcasing landmarks such as Sihang Warehouse, Jing'an International Center and Suhewan Center.
From October 1-28, Zhangyuan hosted a Yonex pop-up store and a tennis-themed activation on Maoming Road N., translating professional tennis techniques into interactive experiences.
Later in the month, a tug-of-war event will run along the Suzhou Creek waterfront (October 27–31), followed by the "Hot Pets" festival on November 1–2, combining pet-friendly sports, evening runs and a pet market.
Cultural Pulse
Jing'an hosted over 800 performances spanning opera, circus, comedy and tech-driven shows, drawing 90,000 attendees and generating well over 20 million yuan (US$2.8 million) in ticket sales. The large-scale outdoor symphonic and choral concert "Carmina Burana" at the Shanghai Exhibition Center opened the 24th China Shanghai International Arts Festival, attracting 2,400 on-site viewers and 130,000 online. Shanghai Circus World celebrated the 20th anniversary of its multimedia spectacle "Era."
Venues across Jing'an, including the Majestic Theatre, Shanghai Natural History Museum and Fotografiska Shanghai, welcomed domestic and international visitors, with museum attendance rising over 20 percent during the holiday.
Catering to younger audiences, the district promoted the ACG (animation, comics, and games) economy. At Jing'an Joy City, 13 pop-ups and more than 15 IP activations drew 730,000 visitors and generated over 10 million yuan in sales.
Fashion Forward
On October 10, Jing'an kicked off its "Fashion Consumption Season" alongside the 2026 Spring/Summer Shanghai Fashion Week, spotlighting emerging local brands and integrating technology, art, culture, and sustainability.
The LABELHOOD Pioneer Fashion & Arts Festival debuted along Suzhou Creek with over 10 Chinese designers presenting their 2026 spring/summer collections. Local label SHUSHU/TONG marked its tenth anniversary with a headline show.
Designer trade shows enabled local brands to transition from concept to market. TUBE SHOWROOM highlighted seasonal collections from cutting-edge designers, while NOT SHOWROOM and LAB SHOWROOM offered immersive experiences blending street energy and historical context.
Harrods' "From London to Shanghai, A Celebration of Two Global Cities" showcased Chinese designers to international audiences, while Yongyuan Road debuted the "Fashion Weekend," featuring brands such as ATTEMPT, Sagrada Madre and FOREVER 21.
Commerce in Motion
"The Louis" acted as a key anchor during the holiday period. Nearby HKRI Taikoo Hui recorded foot traffic and sales increases of nearly 70 percent, while Zhangyuan and Wang Jia Sha posted sales growth of 43.67 percent and 46.14 percent, respectively.
Malls marked the holidays with anniversary celebrations and promotions. Plaza 66 offered triple points on purchases, Jing'an Kerry Center celebrated its 12th anniversary with lifestyle installations, the inaugural "JAKC 2025 Photography Contest," and the East China debut of Barbie, while Jiuguang Department Store marked its 21st anniversary with festival gift packs sold online and offline. HKRI Taikoo Hui's "Dare for More Dare to Art" season blended art and trend elements into commercial spaces, appealing to visitors of all ages.
City of Lights
The "Shining Shanghai" 2025 Jing'an Light Festival ran from September 29 to October 8, illuminating the Nanjing Road W. and Suhewan commercial districts.
The event helped boost overall sales by 4.78 percent on Nanjing Road W., while Suhewan saw a remarkable 119.35 percent jump, with Suhewan MixC World reporting double-digit growth in both foot traffic and revenue.
Holographic lights along Nanjing Road W. and Changde Road turned the cool autumn streets into a shimmering galaxy. Amid the city's bustle, visitors could slow down, wander through glowing corners, and capture Instagram-worthy moments in the radiant urban landscape.
A light show at Jing'an Park based on Dunhuang reimagined the old Silk Road. Inside an immersive pop-up, a scale model of Cave 220 from the Mogao Grottoes set the stage for large-scale light projections, music and dance.
Dancers in flowing Dunhuang costumes performed before shifting wall projections, where color, rhythm and melody intertwined – as if celestial musicians had stepped straight out of the murals and into modern Shanghai.
Along Suzhou Creek, 20 standout works from this year's International Light Art Open Call were on display. The competition drew 154 submissions from 145 artists across 32 countries, over half of whom had previously won awards at major festivals.
The light show "Illuminated Canvases" brought classic paintings to life, immersing visitors in the lavish brilliance of Gustav Klimt and Henri Rousseau's tropical visions. Another installation, "Drifting Lights," used light as a vessel to explore fantastical interpretations of "home," from forests and fields to oceans and skies.
The fitness trail at Suhewan Central Park became the "Autumn Leaves Light Avenue," with ground projections, historic building projections, bubble machines, and Snoopy-themed lights from "Peanuts," creating lively nighttime city walks. (Source: Shanghai Daily)
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