Shanghai International Arts Festival to kick off on October 20

The annual Shanghai International Arts Festival is set to kick off in Shanghai with an opening performance by the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra and Shanghai Opera House on October 20.

According to Wang Jun, a member of the festival's organizing committee, among the dozens of performances at the festival, a total of five performances will be making their global debut, while 12 overseas performances will be coming to China for the first time.

The Shanghai Chinese Orchestra's live show The Bund, a work commissioned for this year's festival, will portray the city's landmark buildings through music played on traditional Chinese instruments.

Dance performances will be another highlight at the festival, with 11 shows covering everything from ballet to modern dance.

Among them are Beauty and the Beast by France's Malandain Ballet Biarritz, ballet dance Black and White by the Czech Republic's National Theatre Brno and commissioned work Martial Dance by the Zhao Liang Art Studio.

Additionally, an exhibition featuring artworks from Shanghai-based artists will be held at the China Art Museum in Pudong, Shanghai. 

The Sound and Image exhibition, a tribute to Ludwig van Beethoven, will be held at the No. 1 Art Museum from October 18.

An international alliance of Belt and Road countries dedicated to music festivals is also expected to release its first action plan at the festival, which will end on November 19.