Street to screen carnivalesque: Labour, identity and resistance at the 2023 Shanghai Halloween Parade

The 2023 Shanghai Halloween Parade marked a significant shift from previous years, transforming from a modest festivity into a carnivalesque spectacle that served as a platform for cultural resistance and collective expression. This study examines the parade’s evolution in the context of post-COVID-19 China, exploring its manifestation both on the streets and in digital spaces. Drawing on Mikhail Bakhtin’s concept of the ‘carnivalesque’, Franco Berardi’s notion of the ‘cognitariat’ and Judith Butler’s analysis of the potentiality of gender parody, the research investigates how the parade reflected local sociopolitical tensions, particularly those stemming from pandemic-related traumas and economic stagnation. The parade saw unprecedented participation from diverse groups, notably young urban professionals (the ‘cognitariat’) and the LGBTQ community, who used the event to voice dissent against exploitative work cultures and identity erasure, respectively. The street celebrations were characterized by low-key costumes and performances that blended black humour with critical commentary on recent social issues. Crucially, the parade’s impact extended beyond physical spaces into the digital realm. Social media platforms amplified the carnivalesque atmosphere, enabling broader participation and preserving the event’s legacy through memes and creative expressions. However, this online dimension also highlighted ongoing censorship, with certain discussions quickly disappearing from view. This research contributes to understanding how festivals of western originals like Halloween are localized and repurposed in Shanghai, serving as vehicles for negotiating identity and resistance in the face of social and political constraints. It also sheds light on the interplay between physical and digital manifestations of cultural resistance in contemporary China.