0
Three Things for the Week Ahead in Beijing (May 11-17)
May 10, 2026
Posted 2 hours ago by
There's a Buddy Rich tribute at Blue Note, a new exhibition opening at Zarah and Whisky+ returns to Beijing this week in the capital. Listen – Buddy Rich Tribute Night at Blue Note On Wednesday (May 13), Blue Note will be putting on a special tribute concert celebrating Buddy Rich, the real-life legendary jazz drummer idolized by protagonist Andrew Neiman in the 2014 film Whiplash.
Led by drummer Chang Yichen and the SWG Ensemble, the show revisits the explosive swing and bebop energy of Rich’s iconic 1940s recordings with Buddy Rich and His Buddies. Expect virtuosic drumming, classic jazz standards, and a deep dive into the legacy of one of jazz history’s most influential musicians. The Buddy Rich Tribute Night will be taking place at Blue Note on Wed, May 13 with doors opening at 6.30pm and the performance starting at 8pm. Tickets start at RMB 180 and can be purchased by scanning the QR code in the poster above. You can read more details about the event here. Blue Note 23 Qianmen Dongdajie, Dongcheng District 东城区前门东大街23号 Explore – A Stranger Exhibition Opening at Zarah This Thursday (Mar 14), a new photography exhibition called A Stranger by Danike Mary will launch at Zarah. The exhibition explores alienation, identity and the pressure of modern beauty standards. Blending fashion photography with portraiture and vintage-inspired aesthetics, the exhibition looks at how social media, shifting trends and societal expectations can leave people feeling disconnected, even from themselves. A Stanger exhibition will have its opening reception at Zarah on Thu, May 14 at 7pm and the exhibition runs until Jul 8. Entry to the exhibition is free and you can read more about it here. Zarah46 Gulou Dongdajie,Dongcheng District东城区鼓楼东大街42号 Drink – Whisky+ Beijing Returns to Langyuan Station Whisky+ Beijing will be returning to the capital for its eighth instalment this weekend from May 15-17. Once again taking place at Langyuan Station, it will bring together over 350 whisky and premium spirit brands from around the globe. They'll also have numerous activities, classes and more taking place over the three-day event, you can read more details here. Whisky+ Beijing will be taking place at Langyuan Station on May 15 from 4pm-10pm, on May 16 from 2pm-10pm and on May 17 from 2pm-8pm. Standard entry tickets are RMB 59 and you can see other ticket options and buy tickets via this link. Langyuan Station53 Banjieta Lu, Chaoyang District朝阳区半截塔路53号 READ: Expert Panel Picks Side Street as Their 2026 Juicy Burger Cup Champion Images: Unsplash, courtesy of the venues Provided:Paid:
The Beijinger Blog
Coverage and analysis from China. All insights are generated by our AI narrative analysis engine.