Cooler mornings and evenings, occasional showers, and a packed lineup of events are in store for Shanghai this week. The World Laureates Forum opens on Oct 30, and the city hosts food events and international performances. Here's what's happening this week.

Weather outlook

Shanghai will see mostly cloudy skies early this week, with relatively cool mornings and evenings. Brief showers are possible around midweek and on Sunday, with alternating dry and rainy periods during the second half of the week. Temperatures will range from lows of 15–18 C to highs of 21–23 C.

World Laureates Forum begins Oct 30

The 2026 World Laureates Forum will take place from Oct 30 to Nov 1 at the Lingang Center in Pudong New Area. This year's theme is "New Science Paradigm: Break Through for the Next Decade." The opening ceremony and main forum will be held on the morning of Oct 31.

Six parallel forums will focus on six emerging or frontier fields: future semiconductors, biomedicine, aerospace information, artificial intelligence, future energy, and quantum science.

Events to check out this week

'Scruffy puppy' gets an autumn makeover

When: Through Nov 29

Where: Suhewan Central Green (苏河湾中心绿地)

The popular puppy-shaped floral installation has received an autumn makeover, decorated with 491 pots of chrysanthemums from Shanghai Gongqing Forest Park.

A Taste of Rockbund

When: noon to 8 pm, Oct 30–Nov 1

Where: Rockbund (洛克·外滩源 ROCKBUND)

The festival brings together international cuisines, cooking workshops, cultural pop-ups, and interactive activities amid Rockbund's historic buildings.

Autumn waterside market at Panlong Xintiandi

When: 11 am–9 pm, Oct 30–Nov 1

Where: Panlong Xintiandi (蟠龙新天地)

An autumn edition of the Panlong waterside market will celebrate the harvest season, with traditional rowing boats transformed into floating stalls offering seasonal produce, handmade crafts, and local snacks. The program will also feature boat parades, craft workshops, and evening illuminations.

Performances not to miss this week

Le Roi Soleil

When: Oct 30–Nov 15

Where: Shanghai Culture Square (上海文化广场)

The French musical Le Roi Soleil makes its China debut in Shanghai, its only stop in the country. Featuring the cast of the 2025 revival and 30 musical numbers, the production brings the story of Louis XIV and the splendor of the French royal court to the stage.

Aida

When: Oct 30–Nov 1

Where: Shanghai Grand Opera House (上海大歌剧院)

Conductor Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theatre will present Giuseppe Verdi's Aida in Shanghai. The new production, which premiered in 2025, will debut in Asia.

He Who Falls

When: Oct 30–31

Where: Shanghai International Dance Center (上海国际舞蹈中心·大剧场)

French artist Yoann Bourgeois brings He Who Falls, an acclaimed performance combining contemporary dance, acrobatics, and physical theater, to Shanghai.

First presented at the Lyon Dance Biennale in 2014, the work explores balance, gravity, and human movement through performers' interactions with a moving stage.

Sources: General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism