The 2026 Shanghai Tourism Festival classic season runs from Sept 1 to Oct 6 and features 170 events across six themes: city classics, gourmet journey, Shanghai after dark, leisure trails, treasure markets, and arts & culture.

This guide highlights the "arts & culture" theme, covering art exhibitions, stage performances, and traditional cultural shows across the city.

On Top of the World Tree: Ancient Civilizations of the Americas

Organized in collaboration with leading cultural heritage institutions in Mexico and Peru, the exhibition brings together nearly 3,000 artifacts across 1,129 sets, offering a panoramic view of ancient Central and South American civilizations. With a 16-month run, it is among the largest and most comprehensive exhibitions of its kind.

When: July 9, 2026 to Nov 14, 2027

Where: Exhibition halls on the first to third floors, Shanghai Museum on People's Square, Huangpu district

A House of Nobility: Aesthetics and Cultivation of Life in the Mawangdui Han Tombs

The exhibition brings together more than 400 treasures unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Tombs in Hunan province. Through silk textiles, lacquerware, bamboo slips, and manuscripts, visitors can glimpse aristocratic life in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) and appreciate the period's refined aesthetics.

When: July 3 to Oct 7

Where: Shanghai Art Museum (China Art Museum), Pudong New Area

From Yuan-Dynasty Water Gates to Waibaidu Bridge

Centered on Suzhou Creek, the exhibition draws on the latest research in history, sociology, and ecology, utilizing artifacts, documents, multimedia, and digital interactives to highlight the creek's role as the birthplace of modern Chinese industrial civilization and its place in Shanghai's urban development.

When: July 18 to Oct 7

Where: Shanghai History Museum, Huangpu district

Imperial Colours: Court Costumes of the Qing Dynasty from the Palace Museum

The World Expo Museum and the Palace Museum present a three-month exhibition of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) imperial and court attire, including formal robes, jewelry, and accessories. About 90 percent of the items are leaving Beijing for the first time, and more than 30 percent are on public display for the first time.

When: July 7 to Oct 7

Where: World Expo Museum, Huangpu district

Exhibition on Khara-Khoto ruins

More than 100 artifacts from the Xixia Dynasty (1038-1227), gathered from four leading museums and research institutions, go on display in Shanghai for the first time. The immersive exhibition invites visitors to explore the legendary ancient city of Khara-Khoto lost to the desert sands.

When: July 18 to Oct 18

Where: Alight Room, Huangpu district

Realm of the World Tree: Agave and Its Friends

Focused on agave and other signature plants of the Americas, the exhibition blends cultural elements with immersive spatial design. As visitors step into the greenhouse garden, they enter what feels like a natural hideaway on a distant continent, where light, landscape, plants, and cultural imagery intertwine.

When: July 2026 to November 2027

Where: Shanghai Greenhouse, inside World Expo Culture Park, Pudong New Area

Art on the Bund 2026 International Art Festival

More than 30 art institutions take part in over 50 exhibitions and events spanning painting, sculpture, and installation. Highlights include the Venice Biennale collateral event Glasstress: The Flowing Carnival of Venice, making its Shanghai debut, and a major retrospective of sculptor Alberto Giacometti featuring works from the Giacometti Foundation.

When: September to November

Where: Huangpu district

Grand Yuyuan Music & Heritage Festival

The inaugural Grand Yuyuan Music & Heritage Festival runs from Sept 19 to Nov 15 across two venues: Yuyuan Tourist Mart and the Bund Finance Center. The festival showcases captivating performances that highlight intangible cultural heritage and blend Eastern and Western traditions.

When: Sept 19 to Nov 15

Where: Yuyuan Tourist Mart and Bund Financial Center, Huangpu district

2026 International Audio-Visual Arts Carnival

Drawing on Jing'an's concentration of ultra-high-definition audio-visual industries, this event features cutting-edge audio-visual technologies, digitally revitalized cultural heritage, and light installations tied to commercial consumption. Most activities take place at the Shanghai Exhibition Center.

When: Sept 24 to Oct 18

Where: Shanghai Exhibition Center, Jing'an district

Meta500 technology and art exhibition

Held at the Meta500 technology and art space on Yuyuan Road, the exhibition brings together leading tech and lifestyle brands, including Z·Pilot, Hoyi, and DSee Lab, offering a one-stop preview of future living that combines shopping, experiences, exhibitions, and interactive activities.

When: Oct 1 to 7

Where: No 500 Yuyuan Road, Jing'an district

The 7th Shanghai Lacquer Painting Exhibition

Lacquer art originated in China and has developed a distinctive aesthetic language. This exhibition draws inspiration from contemporary life and cultural heritage, presenting Shanghai-style lacquer painting that combines historical depth, human warmth, and contemporary relevance.

When: Sept 23 to Oct 31

Where: Liu Haisu Art Museum (Putuo branch), Putuo district

2026 Autumn IS International Theatre Season

The season brings outstanding theater companies from around the world to Theatre Young, featuring 37 performances spanning drama, musicals, modern dance, and high-definition screenings. Among them, 10 works make their Shanghai or Asian premieres.

When: Sept 24 to Dec 6

Where: Theatre Young, Yangpu district

2026 Shanghai Long Beach Art Fair

The art fair transforms waves, sea breeze, and cruise ships into concrete imagery across three sections: seeing the waves, hearing the waves, and joining the waves. It invites young people, families, pet owners, and art lovers to move from spectators to participants.

When: Sept 15 to Oct 6

Where: Baoshan waterfront, Baoshan district

Guyi Garden intangible cultural heritage month

The event weaves historical stories, landmark scenery, and intangible cultural heritage elements into a poetic display of light and shadow, inviting guests to experience the garden's quiet beauty and heritage charm after dark. Visitors can also enjoy immersive opera performances, a bamboo-themed exhibition, and a Chinese-style market throughout the day.

When: Sept 25 to Oct 25

Where: Guyi Garden, Jiading district

Zhujiajiao Jiangnan culture season

Building on its position as a first-stop destination for international visitors to Chinese ancient towns, Zhujiajiao Ancient Town presents an immersive Jiangnan culture season. Scenes inspired by Tang Dynasty (618-907) poetry, street performances, and displays of water town heritage bring the elegance of a Jiangnan autumn to life.

When: Sept 28 to Oct 28

Where: Zhujiajiao Ancient Town, Qingpu district

 

Source: Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism