THE 18th Shanghai International Arts Festival will take place from October 12 to November 15, featuring about 50 stage performances from home and abroad, as well as various art exhibitions and forums.

Mariinsky Theater, Orchestra and Ballet, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Batsheva Dance Company and Paul Taylor Dance Company are among the top classic attractions, while innovative stage performances combining arts and technology will be new highlights for the festival. These include live music presented by robots.

A series of programs featuring Shakespearean works from Britain and Tang Xianzu from China will be a major theme for the festival this year, to commemorate the two theater masters who lived 400 years ago.