Recently, Xiaohongshu's "Night People Festival" opened at the China Ship Pavilion, located at No. 801 Miaojiang Road in Huangpu District. With the theme of the "Night People Academy," Xiaohongshu has created an exclusive "spiritual healing night school" tailored for adults.
On Xiaohongshu, content related to "night school" saw a 195% year-on-year increase in 2025, while nighttime-related notes have accumulated over 4.8 billion views on the platform. Hashtags like #nightmarket-touring have attracted 180 million views, and #midnightsnacking has garnered 1.96 billion views. These statistics reveal a clear trend: nighttime has become the primary stage for young users' lives.
The "Night People Academy" breaks away from the traditional nightlife logic of merely "eating, drinking, and having fun." Upon entering this academy, newcomers first complete an entrance test, which matches them to one of four faculties: "Wilding Out," "Rehabilitation," "Unwinding," or "Mind Expansion." Each student receives a dedicated faculty identity. The academy's curriculum is exceptionally friendly to adults, offering free trial evening classes such as journaling, magic, makeup, beverage mixing, fun English, guitar, and dried rat snacks crafting. The Night People Sports Meet recreates over 15 retro games, including freeze tag, paper airplanes, and tug-of-war. Facilities like the student cafeteria, convenience store, campus photo studio, Night People Radio, and psychological counseling room are all available, with interactive NPCs playing the roles of dean, school nurse, and student council members throughout the event.
It is reported that tickets for this event are free. Users simply search for "Night People Festival" on Xiaohongshu to access the reservation mini-program and redeem tickets with platform points; those with insufficient points can earn more by completing nighttime tasks. During the event, the Bund's cultural merchandise brand "Hai Shang Shi Guang" is simultaneously hosting a limited-time nighttime market at the China Ship Pavilion. Bund landmark fridge magnets, "The Lovable Bund Family" notebooks, silk scarves, canvas bags, and other cultural products filled with memories of Huangpu are on display. Three original IPs incorporate clever architectural elements from the Bund, and attendees can also receive free limited-edition IP fragrance cards.
The "Night People Festival" landing in Huangpu coincides with the peak season for the district's night economy throughout the year. Across the entire summer, Huangpu District is rolling out nearly 60 nighttime consumption-boosting activities spanning seven key areas: nighttime shopping, dining, touring, entertainment, shows, reading, and exercise. What started as an offline event from an online community has naturally evolved into a new node in Huangpu's night economy—young professionals who work during the day stream into the China Ship Pavilion from all corners of the city in the evening. After experiencing the evening classes at the "Night People Academy," they can continue their summer nights along the route mapped out by Huangpu's nightlife guide.
A representative from the Huangpu District Commerce Commission stated that the arrival of the "Night People Festival" perfectly fills an important gap in the district's night economy landscape: a youthful night-culture landmark built on the core of "local original IP plus immersive nighttime scenes." To support the district-wide nighttime consumption boom, including the "Night People Festival," Huangpu is making strides on two fronts simultaneously. First, the consumption chain is extending deeper into the night. More than 40 merchants in the Nanjing Road business circle are extending their evening operating hours, with brands like Shao Wansheng, Zhen Lao Da Fang, and Dao Xiang Cun collectively joining the "nighttime mode." In the Huaihai Road business circle, time-honored restaurants such as Sheng Xing Tang Yuan and Lao Da Chang have also extended their opening hours. Second, the level of internationalization and convenience services continues to rise. Large shopping malls like Xintiandi, BFC, Bund Central, Hong Kong Plaza, and Ri Yue Guang are offering nighttime parking discounts. Building on existing services such as foreign card payment and departure tax refunds, the three major business circles are being encouraged to improve multilingual services, ensuring inbound tourists enjoy a more convenient consumption experience.
The event will run until August 20, when the "Night People Academy" will officially close with a graduation ceremony, tassel-turning ritual, and a water gun fight. However, Huangpu's summer evening activities will not come to an end. It has been revealed that the 2026 "Wonderful Night Shanghai" Huangpu District series will continue until the end of September.