Beijing Beats: Beijing Ultra, Afrojack at One Third, Francis Inferno Orchestra at Zhao Dai

Beijing Beats brings you the best in Beijing nightlife each weekend so that you can soothe the woes of a long and stressful week with some out-of-body gyrating and some experiences you'd rather forget come Monday. Check the weekend's full list of nightlife events here.
 

Friday, Sep 14

Andrew James Gustav
With over a decade of producing and DJing experience, Andrew James Gustav can also boast being the resident DJ at London-based Art of Dark, along with co-running its record label offshoot. His sets dabble in everything from US house and German minimal to arguably his most preferred genre, UK garage. Price TBA. 10pm. Zhao Dai

Ozone’s '80s Disco Party
San Francisco hailing DJ Ozone is known for playing only original, vinyl records, from the 1980s. Expect plenty of fun, upbeat, carefree and even silly party music – 1980s synth-pop, Italo disco, post-punk, old school hip-hop, electro, and more to feature on his eclectic playlist. Price TBA. 10pm. Dada

Nigls, Eva Xu, Raffal, Pancake Lee
House and techno are the names of the game at Aurora this Friday, as beloved local party planners Back2Basics coordinate a roster featuring DJs NIGLS, Eva Xu, Raffaele Bruognolo, and Pancake Lee. RMB 50. 10pm. Aurora
 

Saturday, Sep 15

Ultra Beijing Festival 2018 (Day 1)
Beijing dance music had little time to prep for this recently announced festival. But that short notice shouldn't stop them from flocking to see big names like Armin van Buuren (whose single "This Is What It Feels Like” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording), Axwell A Ingrosso (also known for their work in the house supergroup Swedish House Mafia), and many more. The full lineup can be seen on the poster above or find more details here. RMB 1,280-1,580. 4pm. NHC Base, Changping

Suicideyear
This producer is known for crafting abstract instrumentals loaded with heavy hitting bass and fleet-footed, etherial hi-hat hitting. He has built beats for the likes of Yung Lean, Chynna, Denzel Curry, Xavier Wolf, OG Maco, and Antwon, just to name a few. His mastery of not only modern trap beats but also mid-late century American minimalism makes him a unique and singular talent. RMB 80. 10pm. Dada

Francis Inferno Orchestra
Disco, house, acid and more part of this Melbourne DJs repertoire. Widely read dance music outlet Resident Advisor credited him with being a "savior" of that Australian locale's nightlife scene. During a recent Q&A he told us about his love of Daft Punk, recording the sounds of cawing crows for one of his tracks, and more. Ticket price TBA. 10pm. Zhao Dai

Tales of the Desert and Black Sheep
DJs Kimo, Jiali, Juliana Lima and Crystal Bones will bring Egyptian, Middle Eastern, funk, disco and techno styles to fore at Aurora this weekend. Attendees should be especially stoked to see visiting DJ Kimo, a veteran of Cairo's nightlife scene since 2001 known for building beats in a studio overlooking the Great Pyramids. RMB 50. 10pm. Aurora

Pigeon Social Sunset Party
The Hatchery crew wind down their day of eating and exercise with a little sunset party on the roof of 5Lmeet Guomao. There'll be drink and draw, food and drinks stalls, a build-your-won cocktails stand, and, of course, DJs to get you pumped for whatever else you may have planned for Saturday evening. RMB 78, RMB 68 (advance) (includes one drink). 3-10pm. 5Lmeet Guomao
 

Sunday, Sep 16

Ultra Beijing Festival 2018 (Day 2)
Day two of this Ultra touches down on Sunday with no doubt some fuzzy heads from the partying before. No mind, as some of the world's biggest EDM DJs are again on hand to lift spirits into the evening. The full lineup can be seen on the poster above or find more details here. RMB 1,280-1,580. 4pm. NHC Base, Changping

Afrojack
The headliner of this weekend much hyped Ultra Fest will also put on an afterparty set at Gongti nightclub One Third. The Dutch DJ and producer is a major crossover from the dance music scene, scoring pop hits alongside megastars like David Guetta and Madonna, along with snagging spots on DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs list. RMB 180. 10pm. One Third

Need more partying in your life? See this weekend's full roster of nightlife events here.

Images: festivalsherpa.com, courtesy of the promoters