Lights, Craft Beer & Bread: Chaoyang's Hottest Night Scene Is Back — And Here's Where to Stay Along the Liangma River

Lights, Craft Beer & Bread: Chaoyang's Hottest Night Scene Is Back — And Here's Where to Stay Along the Liangma River

The 2026 Beijing Chaoyang International Light Festival's Consumption Season is lighting up the city from September 11 to October 11, and this year's program has been seriously upgraded. Limited-time light installations switch on September 24, alongside flagship events including the Beijing Chaoyang International Craft Beer Festival and the Kidumart Breadfest.

This year, the Liangma River Cultural and Economic Belt and the Olympic Center take center stage as the core venues, while the Grand Wangjing Business District, Chaowai UIC Block, the Sanlitun commercial area, the CBD, Gaobeidian and other neighborhoods host a spreading wave of related happenings.

For visitors who want to dive straight into the after-dark energy, the Liangma River belt is the place to be. It launches its first-ever nighttime walking tour, with Chaoyang Park transformed into an immersive theater. Chinese and international artists take to the stages, beloved classic installations are refreshed, and brand-new light shows plus a series of debut outdoor performances are unveiled.

Across the Consumption Season, Chaoyang District stages more than a hundred cultural, commercial, tourist and sporting events and exhibitions — think the China Open, the "Take A Bite" International Carbohydrate Festival, the anniversary celebration of the Weibo IN Interdimensional Gravitational Zone, and showcases featuring showstopping machines from the Tesla Cybertruck to the Optimus robot.

The curtain-raiser: craft beer, bread and late-night eats

As the season's curtain-raiser, the Beijing Chaoyang International Craft Beer Festival pours from September 10 to 13 at Wanren Square in Chaoyang Park. Nearly a hundred top-tier craft breweries from China and abroad gather, pouring a raft of debut brews and signature pours. Hamburgers, barbecue and other street eats round out the spread, while a boundary-free dance floor, the Beer Games tournament, the "Inspiration Market" and more keep the evening buzzing into an immersive night out.

Running in parallel, the Kidumart Breadfest has been refined too. It has expanded by 4,000 square meters, stretching from Chaoyang Park's Fireworks Square to the lawn near the South Gate — home to a curated lineup of lifestyle and cultural-creative brands, plus daily live sets from independent music labels. The festival now runs across two consecutive weekends, each with its own star merchants and limited-edition signature bakes.

Where to stay: three riverside serviced apartments

With the action concentrated along the Liangma River, it makes sense to base yourself right on the water. Three well-established serviced apartments — all set along the Liangma River's tree-lined banks — put visitors within easy reach of the light installations, craft beer tents and weekend bread crowds, without the late scramble across town.

·Beijing Kempinski Serviced Apartments — An upscale, hotel-serviced option in the heart of the Liangmaqiao area, steps from the riverside promenade and the surrounding international dining strip.

·Sanquan Serviced Apartments — A long-standing, spacious apartment-style choice in the Liangma River neighborhood, within walking distance of the festival's core venues.

·Landmark Serviced Apartments  — As the name suggests, these sit right on the riverfront, offering front-row access to the nighttime walking tour and the illuminated banks.