The Asia-Europe Cultural Festival (AECFest) is set to return for its 7th edition this 2025. Organised by the Asia-Europe Foundation since 2018, this year’s Festival will be held for the first time in China, in Shanghai, from 3 September to 9 October 2025. The event is being held in partnership with ACT Shanghai International Contemporary Theatre Festival and is supported by the People’s Republic of China.
This Festival aims to celebrate and strengthen cultural ties between Asia and Europe through a diverse programme of dance, film, theatre and multidisciplinary art that showcases artistic excellence from China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Spain and beyond.
The programme opens on 3 September with That’s All Folks! by FRITZ Company (Italy), a poetic exploration of identity and the unknown through an international collaboration. On 6–7 September, French choreographer Jérôme Bel joins Chinese artist Xiao Ke in a minimalist performance reflecting on art, politics, and cross-cultural dialogue. The following weekend, Foe of an Arrow Wound by Beijing’s Paper Tiger Theatre delves into Chinese-European history and cultural memory through a multimedia production inspired by an 18th-century scroll. Concluding the programme from 7–9 October, Ocean Cage by Tianzhuo Chen and Siko Setyanto transforms the Drama Salon into an immersive ritual exploring ecology, tradition, and perception.
As a special side event, the Cervantes Institute in Shanghai will host a film screening on 10 September of China 354, a documentary-style project by Spanish filmmaker Luis Castro. Comprising 354 one-minute video fragments filmed across China in 2019, the work offers an intimate, unfiltered portrait of contemporary Chinese life, exploring themes of identity, tradition, family, and the urban-rural divide.
These programmes underscore the Asia-Europe Cultural Festival’s dedication to fostering cultural dialogue, innovation, and artistic collaboration between Asia and Europe.
Full information about the programme here!