Hot and Spicy Fest 2024 is this weekend and we’re excited for what is guaranteed to be the hottest and spiciest weekend of the year! This year’s theme is Summer of Spice and seeing as the weather is going to be just about as hot as the food, we want to see you sporting your best cooling summer and beachwear.

Grab your Hot and Spicy Fest tickets early and remember, children 1.4m and under get into the fest for FREE every day before 2pm and children under 1.2m get in for FREE ALL DAY!

So why are we encouraging to throw on your favorite beachwear? Not only is this because we want you to embrace the theme but also because we’re going to have a special cool-down area, so you might want to wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet!

Think Hawaiian shirts, shorts, swimwear, kaftans, summer dresses, and more!

To help give you some inspiration, here’s a helpful guide of recommendations that caught our eye.

Shopping Apps

Whether you’re a die-hard Taobao fan or prefer to do your shopping on JD.com just follow these instructions to find all your beachwear needs!

Hawaiian Shirt/Shorts

Now, if you’re looking for that classic Hawaiian shirt or shorts – or both if you really want to make a statement – they’re super easy to find. On your shopping app, simply type in 夏威夷 xiàwēiyí (Hawaii) followed by 衬衫 chènshān (shirt) or 短裤 duǎnkù (shorts). You can also specify if you want to search for a male or female shirt/shorts by typing in 男 nán (man) or 女 nǚ (woman) afterward too.

Swimwear

For those who really want to go all out and embrace the beach theme and stay as cool as possible then why not chuck on some summery swimwear?

泳裤 yǒngkù swim shorts

泳衣  yǒngyī swimsuit

Flip-flops

If you’re wearing beachwear then you need to grab yourself the footwear to go with it and the easiest option is, of course, a pair of flip-flops, so just type 人字拖 rénzìtuō into your shopping app and pick whichever pair you fancy!

Sunglasses

No beach outfit is complete without a pair of sunglasses, search 墨镜 mòjìng or 太阳镜 tàiyángjìng into your shopping app, and away you go!

You can also find a range of novelty sunglasses that fit the theme perfectly.

Leis

Wishing you were in Hawaii at the beach instead of Beijing? Get one step closer by buying yourself a lei! Type in 夏威夷花环 xiàwēiyí huāhuán (Hawaiian garland) and pick whichever color your heart desires.

Sun Hats

In the heat, it’s important to keep your head and face protected with a hat you can search 太阳帽子 tàiyáng màozi (sun hat) in your shopping app and you’ll find everything from sun visors to straw hats to huge beach hats and more.

Parasols 

Not an item of clothing but a pretty good idea if you want to make sure you’ve got some shade at all times! Type in 太阳伞 tàiyángsǎn and get yourself some portable shade now!

Fans

Again, not clothing or exactly part of the theme but we’d recommend bringing some kind of fan, be it a handheld fan or an electric handheld fan, to help keep yourself cool while at the fest. For a handheld fan search 扇子 shànzi for an electric handheld fan search 手持电风扇 shǒuchí diànfēngshàn.

In Stores

If you’re not a big fan of online shopping or are worried about something not coming in time, then that’s no problem at all! We went and scouted out a few major brands to see what sort of things they had available. All of the stores we took a look at below were located at The Place shopping mall, but you should be able to find most of the items in any of their locations.

Find it:
9A Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区光华路甲9号

Uniqlo

Kids Department

Their AIRism collection is great for summer. They’re made with breathable quick-dry material that keeps kids cool while playing outside.

The UV mesh jacket is a great way to keep kids protected from the sun without having to chase them around with a parasol.

Women’s Department

Uniqlo has a couple of flowery shirts that are pretty on theme.

You can even grab yourself a matching skirt too!

Plus a few summery short options.

Men’s Department

For men, they have a range of summer-style shirts made of a breathable cotton blend that are ideal for the fest.

To complete the outfit they also have some matching shorts.

H&M

Women’s Department

As the saying goes when life gives you lemons, chuck them on some clothing and wear it to Hot & Spicy Fest! Yes, H&M has a few lemon-themed pieces that would definitely look great at the fest!

They also have numerous summer dresses that are just fabulous.

Plus some shirts too.

Men’s Department

There was less stuff in the men’s department though they do have a range of swim shorts including this fetching pair that are currently on sale!

Their kids department always has multiple sales going on so be sure to check out those racks for some summer wear as well.

Zara

Women’s Department

Zara has a couple of kaftan-style tops that look super breathable and a great option for the fest.

They’ve also embraced the lemon theme like H&M, lemons must be the it this year!

Men’s Department

For men they’ve got a few shirts that fit the bill, they’re a little like a muted Hawaiian shirt for men who don’t like bold colors and patterns.

Miniso

If you want to nab yourself some cheap accessories in a physical store then you can’t do better than Miniso.

For keeping cool they also have a range of reasonably priced handheld electric fans.

Plus these cooling wipes look like a pretty good idea.

Well, that should have given you all the help you need! So go get your Summer of Spice outfit now!

Our Sponsor

This year’s Hot & Spicy Fest is brought to you by TABASCO®, and here’s a few words from them:

“From our home on Avery Island, Louisiana, McIlhenny Company produces TABASCO® Brand products, including the legendary TABASCO® Original Red Sauce. A household and restaurant staple around the world, TABASCO® Sauce is sold in more than 195 countries and territories and labeled in more than 36 languages and dialects. 

With more than 150 years of pepper expertise, our family-owned and operated company is constantly experimenting with new flavors and products to carry on our legacy of exciting the world’s most popular food and drinks. Our core range of pepper sauces includes TABASCO® Original Red Sauce, TABASCO® Jalapeño Sauce, TABASCO® Chipotle Sauce, TABASCO® Sweet & Spicy Sauce, TABASCO® Cayenne Garlic Sauce, TABASCO® Sriracha, TABASCO® Habanero Sauce, and TABASCO® Scorpion Sauce. 

To learn more about how we #LightThingsUp please visit us at www.tabasco.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn.”

Hot & Spicy Fest will be taking place at C7 Light Theater Outdoor Square, in Universal Creative Park (UCP) from 11am-9pm, Jun 29-30. Early bird tickets are RMB 25, VIP tickets are RMB 130 and standard tickets (available at the door) are RMB 35 . You can purchase tickets by scanning the QR code in the poster above.

C7 Light Theater Outdoor Square C7光合聚场室外广场
UCP (Universal Creative Park) 9 Jiuxianqiao Beilu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区酒仙桥北路9号UCP恒通国际创新园

If you’re a lover of spicy food and would like to stay up to date with everything spice-related in the capital, join our dedicated Spicy Food Lovers group chats! Simply add TBJButler on WeChat by scanning the QR code below and request to become a member.

Images: Taobao, Unsplash, Katie Coy, the Beijingers, Pexels