Gamers and eSports fans around the world are heading to Shanghai's iconic Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall this month for a 10-day digital entertainment carnival.

The 2026 G-Power Digital Entertainment Carnival opens Friday at Century Square and runs through August 9.

The event brings eSports tournaments, anime-style performances, short-drama fan meetups and street sports together on China's best-known shopping street.

The fair covers more than 3,000 square meters, or nearly half the size of a standard soccer pitch. The carnival is split into six themed zones: a main stage, a short-drama zone, a culture and tourism zone, a basketball court, a market area and a gashapon (capsule toy) zone.

Each zone targets a different slice of young visitors, from gamers to K-pop dance fans to families hunting collectible toys.

The 150-square-meter main stage sits under a 10-meter LED screen. Daytime programming is built around competitive eSports, including tournaments for the mobile game Honor of Kings and the dance game Just Dance.

A radio-controlled model aircraft racing contest and a drone soccer match add a tech-sport flavor to the afternoons.

At night, the stage becomes an eSports and anime-performance venue. Sixteen fighting-game players will face off one-on-one in the second round of the GTW City Battle tournament. Winners advance to the next stage.

On August 3, from 4pm to 9pm, the stage will host anime-style dance shows, group photo sessions and dance-imitation challenges. Visitors can pick up free badges, plush toys and themed hats while supplies last.

The nearby 800-square-meter zone belongs to Hongguo Short Drama, a free short-drama streaming app under ByteDance. Visitors complete simple tasks to collect stamps, which they can trade for limited-edition merchandise tied to the app's mascot character.

A cosplayer playing the lead character from one of the platform's most-watched titles is expected to make a surprise appearance over the weekend, giving fans a chance to meet a character they normally see only on their phones.

Another 500-square-meter zone gathers major gaming and entertainment brands, including Tencent, Ubisoft and Kuro Games, the studio behind the action role-playing game Wuthering Waves.

A giant inflatable figure of the game's character Phoebe stands alongside a Just Dance display.

Eyewear brand ZEISS has built an interactive display with actor Julian Cheung, and Juneyao Airlines has set up a travel-themed booth with its capybara mascot.

A market area sells eSports merchandise, city-branded souvenirs and tourism items. Next to it, a gashapon zone focused on Disney-themed capsule toys gives visitors a place to browse and buy after watching the competitions.

Organizers said the event is part of a push to turn Nanjing Road from a shopping street into a broader entertainment destination, with more themed carnivals planned throughout the year.

If You Go:

Event: 2026 G-Power Digital Entertainment Carnival

Date: Through August 9

Site: Century Square, Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall, Huangpu District

Admission: Free