Club call: 4 new(ish) nightlife spots for your radar

Fizzing for a night out? Stay up until the sunrises at these new clubs

By Rupert Hohwieler Posted: Saturday September 11 2021 12:51AM

Shanghai's nightlife scene has a had itself busy summer filled with plenty of comings and goings. We might have lost Le Baron and shortly, X Bar, but we’ve also gained a few fresh (and familiar) faces to dance the night away in. Old favourite Dada is back on the circuit in a new location, there’s another Ninja in Found and two forward-thinking electronic clubs are doing their thing in underground spaces.

Photograph: courtesy Heim

Heim

A community-driven club Heim has taken up residency in the two-storey villa next to Inferno. Spread across a living room, bedroom, courtyard and terrace, the venue is something of a wellness retreat for the city’s alternative electronic crowd (yep, throbbing techno can be calming for some). Lots of the city’s talent have already passed through, from the Swing Cat crew to the HTTP residents, and given a thorough workout to the impressive Element 5 soundsystem – especially on the second floor which will you leave you looking like a sweaty zombie past 2am on a Saturday. Health-minded clubbers take note: the ground-floor bar handily mixes up ‘healing drinks’ like a refreshing vodka, passion fruit and chickpea juice concoction before midnight on weekends. No guarantees those will have you feeling fresh in the morning though.

462 Changle Lu

Photograph: courtesy Ninja

Ninja (Found 158)

The always-rammed hip-hop club Ninja got itself a second venue down in Found 158 at the start of summer, sporting a fresh look and more a commercially-focused music feed (Drake’s new album is most definitely being played here) although one thing that’s stayed intact is the crammed dancefloor – which on Fridays and Saturdays fills every inch of its 200sqm space with bodies bopping to all your crowd-pleasing anthems. While some parts may have changed, regulars at the Xiangyang Lu location will be pleased that live showings from local MCs are still a big part of the weekly programming.

158 Julu Lu

Photograph: courtesy Abyss

Abyss

Formerly known as 151 – a secret underground club opposite Found 158 – this refuge for happy ravers has recently seen a reshape with a new team, sound, lights and name. The ground floor functions more as a chill bar sounded by disco and gentler tunes, but it’s from there when things take a grittier turn underground. We mean that literally as you’ll need to descend a dark passageway to get amongst the main dancefloor action, all happening within an intimate basement space home to pulsing nights of non-stop techno, trance and out-there limb movements. The vibe in general is pretty open with parties reflecting that – see monthly BDSM blowout Hydra.

151 Julu Lu

Photograph: courtesy Dada

Dada

Tears were shed and sorrows were drowned when the original Dada on Xingfu Lu shuttered at the start of 2020 but that mourning was only momentary when the much-loved hipster dance haunt was bought back life in July. Although the new space is a bit smaller and shiner (don’t expect that second part to last), the soul that made the club an underground shelter for many is still very much there with parties as varied and rowdy as ever – over 64 DJs from across the city recently played six-minute sets at the grand opening party and popular mainstay nights like Popasuda and Motel 77 have made repeat visits. While the weekends are for ragers, stop by on a weekday when it’s quieter to sample rare spirits like brandy from Kyrgyzstan and baijiu from Iceland – with the selection changing each month.

Heim

Ninja (Found 158)

Abyss

Dada

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