Where to go

For people who are planning to celebrate Christmas outside, there are some fun things to see and do in Shanghai.

“The Nutcracker” is a wonderful ballet to enjoy with the whole family in the holiday season. In the past few years, Shanghai Ballet’s production had been a must-see before Christmas, but the company will be touring in Europe during the holiday, so they won’t be staging “The Nutcracker” this year.

Shanghai Grand Theater will present a very different Nutcracker on December 20 and 21, “The Nutcracker & I,” a multimedia performance of the classical ballet that combines piano, classical ballet and animation. It’s created by British pianist Alexandra Dariescu, who will play on stage.

From December 23 to 30, Shanghai Grand Theater will also present four performances of a Chinese play “The Nightmare at Christmas” directed by Liu Fangqi.

Mao Livehouse Shanghai has an annual tradition of a Christmas pillow fight, and that will return from December 22 to 24. The stress and tension release event will feature bands, DJs, prizes and giveaways. Brace yourself for pillow fighting chaos.