The 2026 Qingpu Waterfront Music Festival will bring two distinctive outdoor concerts to Shanghai's riverside landscape this National Day holiday, offering a blend of classic cinematic orchestral works and youthful choral performances.

Scheduled for October 6 and 7 at Shangda Central Park South Garden in Qingpu District, the two shows serve as key waterfront programs of the 25th China Shanghai International Arts Festival's "Art Space" initiative. The landmark project pioneers Shanghai's first three-dimensional "land, water and air" integrated performance system, with waterfront concerts forming a core part of its water-area presentation.

The festival opens on October 6 with Tan Dun's Martial Arts Trilogy, a cinematic symphony concert led by renowned composer Tan Dun and performed by the Shanghai Opera House Orchestra. The repertoire features iconic concerto pieces from three classic Chinese martial arts films, Hero, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Banquet, presenting a complete narrative of martial arts aesthetics, faith, fate and humanity.

The orchestral performance merges grand symphonic arrangement with traditional Eastern artistic charm. It recreates the heroic patriotism in Hero, the pursuit and struggle for freedom in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and the tangled emotions of desire, revenge and fate in The Banquet. Blending cinematic memories with live symphonic sound, the outdoor waterfront concert delivers immersive philosophical reflections on love, life and destiny against the natural riverside backdrop.

Shifting from heroic martial arts grandeur to youthful warmth, the second concert on October 7 will feature Jin Chengzhi and the Shanghai Rainbow Chamber Singers. The popular choir will present a heartfelt lineup of representative works. The performance captures ordinary urban vignettes such as elderly street vendors, stray dogs chasing sprinklers and busy commuters, weaving intimate city memories into melodic narratives.

Set along the serene waterways of Qingpu, the two-day music event connects urban life and Jiangnan water town scenery. It invites audiences to rediscover Shanghai's cultural temperament through live music and build deeper emotional bonds with the city amid relaxing waterfront views.

Event Ticketing Information

Early bird tickets will be available through noon September 21 via Damai. Regular tickets go on sale starting noon September 14. Each buyer can purchase a maximum of four tickets per show across all price tiers.

Tan Dun's Martial Arts Trilogy Concert

Time: 3pm, October 6

Venue: Shangda Central Park South Garden (South Gate, 833 Qing'an Road)

Ticket prices: 100-280 yuan

Jin Chengzhi & Shanghai Rainbow Chamber Singers Concert

Time: 3pm, October 7

Venue: Shangda Central Park South Garden (South Gate, 833 Qing'an Road)

Ticket prices: 100-280 yuan

Hosted as a special program of the 25th China Shanghai International Arts Festival, the Qingpu Waterfront Music Festival continues the district's signature cultural brand. It integrates high-end artistic performances with waterfront public space, presenting a unique holiday cultural feast that combines natural scenery, classical art and youthful vitality.