The 2026 International Audio-Visual Arts Carnival will take place in Jing'an District in Shanghai from Sept. 24 to Oct. 18, according to Xinhua Silk Road. The announcement said the event is intended to give the public an immersive audiovisual arts experience that brings together audiovisual technology, arts and culture, and commercial consumption, and to give audiovisual professionals from around the world a place to exchange ideas. It is also meant to support the upgrading of Shanghai's audiovisual industry and its cultural tourism economy, the announcement said.
The carnival has four sections: an international audiovisual arts experience exhibition, an audiovisual wonderland-themed immersive show, an international audiovisual arts and technology salon, and the international Audiovisual Arts Night. The experience exhibition, part of the opening programme, is to present technological achievements from national-level media organizations, international audiovisual brands, domestic technology companies and emerging creative forces from universities.
The immersive show is scheduled for Sept. 25 to 27 and combines music, dance, intangible cultural heritage, light and shadow, and live performances. 3D mapping, motion capture, light-shadow tracking and LiDAR-based interactive technology are to be used, which the announcement says are meant to turn traditional culture into stories that audiences can touch, empathize with and experience.
Jing'an District will also stage a series of cross-period, multi-scenario events from Sept. 19 to mid-October, which the announcement says are intended to sustain the momentum of the carnival and stimulate consumption across the district. They include the fourth edition of "Shining Shanghai Light Up Jing'an", artificial intelligence and Mid-Autumn Festival-themed audiovisual arts innovation and creativity activities, the 14th Shibei Beer Festival and the Jing'an Music Carnival.
An international sci-tech culture and fashion week will be held in the Nanjing West Road commercial area from Sept. 28 in partnership with Tencent Music Entertainment Group, featuring nearly 100 special events. It is to showcase Jing'an's innovation and industrial vitality in areas including AI, the metaverse and fashion consumption, turning the century-old commercial street into what the announcement calls an "innovation laboratory" where technology and culture converge. By deepening the integration of culture, commerce, tourism, sports and exhibitions, the district says it will extend audiovisual arts, light and music, sports and trendy entertainment, parades and pop-up events into every corner of the district.