26/07/2016
Detailed information about the ball seems to be somewhat hidden in the ABOUT section to the left. Here, then, so you don't need to go hunting for it, is all that detail, and notes on how to book:
It’s now almost 25 years since we held the first China Coast Ball, at the iconic Peace Hotel in Shanghai. And we’re going to celebrate with a 25th Anniversary China Coast Ball back at the same location. Shanghai has changed immeasurably since those days, and there is now much in the way of lively nightlife. But we’re confident that this will be the most exciting and classy private event ever held in the city, as ground-breaking as was our first ball there in 1991.
Over 25 years we’ve lost touch with so many of the people who were with us at the Peace Hotel in 1991 & 1992 (and 1997). We hope that those who are reading this will forward it to everyone they know who was there, and who might like to come back this year. And of course we will warmly welcome people who were not in Shanghai in the early days, or who may not even have been born then!
In many ways we’ll be recreating the format of the first ball, and its successor in 1992, with an all-night program of music, dance and cabaret in the elegant Peace Hall (in the 1930s the Cathay Ballroom, the most glamorous venue on the China Coast). But in keeping with the increased sophistication of the city, and in celebration of this milestone, we’ll have a much expanded showcase of extravagant entertainment from many of the sensational artists who have entertained us at China Coast Balls over the years.
In 1991 we had a big and colourful drag cabaret, followed by Paul Husband’s disco – which was very exciting at the time. In 2016 we’ll again have fabulous cabaret and late disco, but there will also be two international bands: Graham Dalby and the London Swing Orchestra (successor to the Grahamophones) as well as the Fabulous Mar Dels from San Diego. Many will recall that the Mar Dels played for us at several 1990s Bela Vista Balls in Macau, and in Beijing in 1997. And the Grahamophones played in Shanghai in 1997. Then at the end of our 1997 season we had both bands at the Handover China Coast Ball at Café Deco in Hong Kong.
At each of our original China Coast Balls in 1991 and 1992 we had around 500 participants, but many of those people were seated separately from the main group in the Peace Hall. This year there will be a maximum of 250 places, so that everyone can be comfortably accommodated in the Peace Hall. During the advance booking period (until 30 August 2016) we will be selling tickets only for full tables of 10, allocating, in order of booking the best table locations in the hall. Then, assuming there are still places left, we will offer the remaining available tickets individually.
Reverting to our original 1991 format, tickets will be for the ball only, rather than for a multi-day, multi-event program of the sort that we have developed and operated around the world during the last 25 years. We want to make it possible for people to travel to Shanghai just for the one night, if they wish. But for those who would enjoy a full-weekend program, there will be other events during the ball weekend. We will be offering tickets for those events separately, after all tickets to the ball have been taken up. Those optional events, echoing the ancillary events that we held in 1991 and 1992, will include:
Friday 18 Nov
Welcome drinks at the Peace Hotel
Chinese Dinner at the Peace Hotel
Late drinks on the Bund
Saturday 19 Nov
Garden Party Lunch close to the Bund
Sunday 20 Nov
Recovery Brunch on the Bund
How to book: if you plan to attend, you should first organize your table group of 10 (if you want to book during the advance period). Then, once you have your group sorted, you should contact us on our dedicated email address [email protected]. We will then let you know the final price (which we’re still working on), when to pay your deposit, and how much. We will also at that time give you information on rooms at the Peace Hotel, and how to book if you wish to stay there. In due course we will be contacting the organizer of each table (and the others in their group, if we have their email addresses) about the ancillary events over the ball weekend. Anyone is of course welcome to contact us at that dedicated email address at any time!
How much will it cost? 25 years after our first China Coast Ball, the world, including Shanghai, has become much more expensive. And it costs a lot to present this huge international entertainment line-up. So the ball will cost considerably more than it did in 1991! We haven’t quite finished our costing & budgeting, but we think it will be around HK$6000, that’s about US$750, per person.
Accommodation: in 1991, 1992 and 1997 almost everyone stayed at the Peace Hotel. This year we will have a large number of rooms at the Peace Hotel, but we realize that these days there are countless high quality hotel options in Shanghai, and that many people will have their own favorites.
