Shanghai's 1862 theater unveils 2025/2026 season

Shanghai's MIFA 1862 Theater announced its 2025/2026 performance season on Friday, featuring an international lineup of productions from China, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Argentina, including several world and national premieres.

The new season is branded as 1862 "1:X". "The '1' represents our main theater, while 'X' symbolizes unlimited possibilities," Li Yan, managing director of MIFA 1862 Theater, explained.

"Notably, about 70 percent of our main stage productions in this season are either new creations or premieres in China," Li said. The productions will cover a variety of forms such as environmental shows, immersive shows, Mixed Reality dramas, and idol theaters.

This season's highlights include the return of the Chinese-British co-production the musical Lady M, which attracted over 40,000 viewers to 79 performances across three runs. The English-language production, featuring international stars — including Maya Hakvoort, Kerry Ellis and Gian Marco Schiaretti — reimagines Shakespeare's Macbeth with an innovative double-sided stage design.

Technology takes center stage with Taixu DreamScape, an MR immersive theater production. The show, based on the story of an opera troupe performing the Chinese classic The Dream of the Red Chamber, utilizes volumetric video technology in conjunction with Apple Vision Pro, allowing audiences to interact with both virtual characters and live performers in real-time.

The Sound of Oriental Wisdom, an immersive Chinese folk music experience, will also be featured this season. The show spotlights 20 young musicians performing on over 100 traditional instruments.

The theater is planning to launch 1862 idol, a platform for idol cultivation which comprises the "momo Plan" for idol development and "project: Next" for performance. Japanese girl group, ≠ME, will make their China debut this autumn at the theater, while homegrown boy group "HEXXXA" is set to launch this year as well.

International productions include Argentina's interactive show Fuerza Bruta Aven, which has reached 6.8 million viewers across 37 countries, and Russia's Slava's Snow Show, featuring 60 million custom-made snowflakes and a 1,800-square-meter "spider web" installation.

The world premiere of Barbershop Boys, a collaboration between West End and Chinese creative teams, will transform the audience space into a London barbershop for an immersive theatrical experience.

The theater continues its run with Show in the Rain, a Russian water dance drama, and its sequel, Show in the Rain II, featuring enhanced water control systems and surround sound effects, is scheduled for May 2026.

The theater's experimental spaces, cabin one and cabin three, will host resident productions including Wet Show, a Russian-Chinese interactive dinner experience. Additionally, off-site programming extends into urban spaces, with Silent Disco, a British urban dance experience, offering tours across Shanghai's landmark districts including the Rockbund and the Bund Finance Center.