What's Happening: Mark Your Calendars With the Best August Events

In What's Happening we round up some of the most notable events for the coming month – dig in and let loose!

Aug 1-12: Cirque du Soleil’s Toruk: The First Flight
After debuting in Montreal in 2015, Cirque du Soleil's production of Toruk: The First Flight, inspired by James Cameron's movie Avatar, now comes to Beijing. The story of the blue Na'vi protagonists unwinds through a "fusion of cutting-edge visuals, puppetry, and stagecraft buoyed by a soaring cinematic score" that makes for a massive, intricate show and, on a stage the size of five Imax screens, the biggest set pieces Cirque has ever used. Read more about what to expect here. RMB 280-780. 7.30pm. Cadillac Center

Aug 11: Summer Wonderland 2018 [CANCELED]
From the bubbling wave pool to the intoxicating bubbly, there’ll be no shortage of fun ways to cool off at this August’s Summer Wonderland. The outdoor Gongti West bash should also be a scorcher for its line-up of popular local DJs like Freak Rabbits, Eva, Juliana Lima, and Sun Meng. RMB 300, RMB 260 (advance). Midday-10pm. 50 Gongti Xi Lu

Aug 12: Mike Shinoda
A poignant gig for more reasons than one, Mike Shinoda comes to share his grief of losing bandmate and friend Chester Bennington last year with China’s legions of Linkin Park fans at Xizhimen’s Beijing Exhibition Center. The gig is part of a world tour behind Shinoda’s debut solo EP Post Traumatic. RMB 480-1,280. 7.30pm. Beijing Exhibition Center

Aug 24-31: Kinky Boots
Having won every major Best Musical award (including a Tony for Cyndi Lauper’s score) in its five-year run, Broadway’s Kinky Boots now heads to Beijing’s Tianqiao Theater for two weeks of drag, singing, dancing, and of course, more thigh-high boots than you can shake a stick at. Based on the unlikely true story of a factory owner who takes an entertainer up on her harebrained scheme to go into the stiletto trade, the musical has won accolades around the world for its big heart and larger than life production. RMB 180-1,080. Matinee 2pm, evening 7.30pm. Beijing Tianqiao Theater

Aug 25: Vertical Run
Are you the kind of person that curses those who take the elevator two floors up? Well, then the China World Summit Wing Vertical Run may just be the answer to all that pent-up ire. Don’t expect to be beating any records though given that the best can run up the 82 flights of stairs (2,041 steps) in as little as 10 minutes. Read more on what to expect here. RMB 180, RMB 150 (advance). 2pm. China World Summit Wing

Aug 31: Backspace
A 16-date tour on the back of their new album Human Nature Architecture sees this young Beijing-based but Yulin, Guangxi-hailing band douse the land with their neurotic and driving brand of psychedelic rock. Down-to-earth and now signed to Maybe Mars (P.K. 14’s ubiquitous Yang Haisong yet again gets CD production credits), Backspace have been quick to plant themselves in the capital’s music scene and will have the crowd pogoing as they reach the end of this victory lap. RMB 90, RMB 70 (advance). 9pm. School Bar

Until Sep 2: The Art of Kizil Grottoes
M Woods presents two exhibitions revolving around a singular theme: the Buddhist grottoes of Kizil, Xinjiang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014. Representing 20 years of cumulative research, the collection consists of three murals originating from the earliest group of Buddhist grottoes in China as well as a selection of antiquities from the Silk Road. RMB 60. Daily 10.30am-6pm (closed Mon). M Woods

You can find all of these events and many more via our Events page here.

Images: etonline.com, Peng Tao, courtesy of the organizers, Du Huaiyi