By Li Qian
Jing'an is rolling out a yearlong slate of festivals, sports events and cultural programming for 2026, as the downtown district steps up its efforts to attract international visitors and boost consumer spending.
The Jing'an Flower Festival, which ran through March 29, turned Daning Park into a spring centerpiece, with more than 1 million tulips in bloom. Craft demonstrations and live shows blended tradition and modernity, while flower deity performers moved through the crowds.
At a nearby waterfront stage, robot dancers in Chinese-style costumes performed to electronic music. The festival also extended into surrounding malls and plazas, linking outdoor attractions with retail.
On March 22, the district hosted the opening leg of the Chinese Athletics Association 10KM Elite Series in the Daning area, drawing nearly 5,000 runners for a world-record-eligible race registered with World Athletics. Nearly 60 percent of participants traveled from outside Shanghai.
The course ran along neighboring canals, passing landmarks including Shanghai Circus World before looping back to the park, where spectators lined sections of the route.
The Jing'an Theater Festival, International Flower Show and World Coffee Culture Festival will open in April, followed in May by Shining Shanghai Light Up Jing'an, the Shanghai Illustration & Pop Show and the Suhewan Shanghai Paddle Open.
Summer programming includes the China Annual Trends Summit, Jing'an Music Festival and Dancesport Open Championships. Autumn highlights include the International Audio-Visual Arts Carnival, Valorant Champions 2026 and the Jing'an International Sculpture Project. The calendar continues with the Alltra Games in October, Art Ripples in November and the Shanghai Esports Masters in December.
Year-round programming includes the International Sports Trend and Culture Festival, as well as immersive productions such as "Arcane," "ERA 2 – Spirit of Shanghai" and "Sleep No More."
Officials say the calendar is designed to link cultural programming with retail activity and strengthen the district's position as a destination for global consumers.
In 2025, tax refund sales rose 60 percent year over year, while use of the instant refund option surged more than 13-fold. (Source: Shanghai Daily)
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