Going into this weekend we couldn’t imagine anything better in the world than eating pizza. But after today we’ve come to realize that the only thing better than eating pizza is eating pizza with thousands of other pizza lovers.
Because honestly, what good is pizza without a bunch of taste-buds to share in the deliciousness?! And that’s what you are, you’re our taste-buds! Taste-pals! Taste-amigos! And this pizza party is just getting started.
As soon as those gates opened we knew this year’s Pizza Fest was going to be one for the books. The air was ripe with the smell of juicy tomatoes, golden crust and creamy mozzarella melting into an excitement so palpable you could slice it with a … well, pizza slicer. Hordes of hungry revelers streamed into Galaxy Soho with smiles brighter than the gorgeous sun that hung over our festivities. And I think on-site selfies within the first 30 minutes outnumbered the entire number of pepperonis consumed over both days of last year’s event.
As the day kicked into high gear, DJ Cousin Kippy blessed our ears with beats as fresh as the ‘za on offer, and frankly, we couldn’t tell if people were dancing because of his tunes, or because of how heavenly their food was. We’re thinking it was a combination of the two. Either way, it was obvious that some sort of divinity was moving the collective spirit in the name of all that is Pizza.
Folks, today has truly been an incredible time and we’re so grateful to those of you who have come out. If you weren’t able to make it, fear not! We’ll be back out here tomorrow from 11am-8pm, enjoying all the live entertainment and activities while hangin’ out with the city’s finest pizza purveyors as they sling sizzilin’ slices to the masses.
Tickets can be purchased at the event for RMB 25.
How to get to this year’s Pizza Festival
This year’s Pizza Fest once again takes place at a venue we’re now very familiar with (and fond of): Zaha Hadid’s swooping Chaoyangmen building, Galaxy Soho.
Located just a hop, skip, and a jump from central Beijing, Galaxy Soho is a breeze to get to no matter where in the city you’re coming from.
Red dot: unadulterated slices of Beijing’s best pizza
If you’re planning to get there by taxi, ask your driver to take you to 银河Soho (yínhé soho) or 朝阳门桥西南角 (cháoyángmén qiáo xīnánjiǎo, literally “the southwest corner of Chaoyangmen bridge”).
Now that you know how to get there, the only thing left to do is scoff down as many slices as you can on Saturday and Sunday to give yourself the best understanding of Beijing’s pizza scene – it’s what the Romans would have wanted. That knowledge will go a long way to informing your votes in this year’s Pizza Cup, which officially starts at 11am on Saturday, with the commencement of the festival and just as the first revelers enter the Galaxy Soho grounds.
In unison with this year’s Beijing Pizza Festival, DiDi’s English version is offering riders 25 percent off for their first ride of every Saturday throughout October (max. RMB 10)! Simply input a destination anywhere in China and set off on your discounted ride!
Sherpa’s are offering new users RMB 50 off (min. spend RMB 99) food delivery and RMB 10 off any movie ticket purchased through the Sherpa’s App. Simply scan the QR below and follow the instructions.
Photos: Uni You, the Beijinger
