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JOYCE BEAUTY Presents the British Beauty Festival at Jiuguang, Shanghai
MilestonesApril 2026

JOYCE BEAUTY Presents the British Beauty Festival at Jiuguang, Shanghai

The first British beauty occasion in China to carry official endorsement from both governments, and the international opening leg of the festival's global tour: an awards gala, an immersive pop-up garden, an industry forum with WWD China, and VIP salons across Shanghai's leading retail landmarks.

The 2026 British Beauty Festival is an official strategic project, initiated and delivered by an organising committee formed by Chrysalis, the mainland licensee for JOYCE BEAUTY, the UK Department for Business and Trade and the British Beauty Council.

As the international opening leg of the festival's global tour, the BBF is the first British beauty occasion held in China to carry official endorsement from both countries. The project draws social media reach, government endorsement and the resources of the city's principal retail districts into one programme, and combines online and offline immersive experience to widen how consumers take part. The inaugural edition was supported by the Jing'an District government, and appeared as guest of honour at the Shanghai International Beauty Festival.

Event retrospective

Chrysalis, with a series of significant partners, presented the British Beauty Festival in full: from a high-level industry awards ceremony to immersive experiences in several settings, staged across the city's leading retail and fashion landmarks.

01. Gala and awards

A dedicated awards dinner was held at The Middle House in Shanghai. More than sixty industry leaders and brand representatives from the UK and China gathered to see ten category awards presented for the year.

The awards dinner set at The Middle House, Shanghai.
Guests at the British Beauty Festival step and repeat.
Pre-dinner reception, with the city beyond the windows.
More than sixty industry leaders and brand representatives from the UK and China gathered for the evening.
Conversation across the table during dinner.
A bilingual quiz between courses, played out against the brand wall.
The menu at each place setting.
A long table dressed for the evening, ahead of the ten category awards.

02. Grand opening and pop-up showcase

The festival opened at the Jing'an Reception Hall in partnership with the Shanghai International Beauty Festival, with an address from Sohail Shaikh, Deputy Trade Commissioner for the UK Department for Business and Trade in China. At Jiuguang Department Store in Jing'an we built the British Bloom Garden, a sloped garden installation given over to a considered visual experience.

A glass vitrine of hair and skincare set among the planting.
A second vitrine, framed by hydrangea and allium.
The Jo Malone London installation beside the #BBF letters.
Shoppers gathering on the flowered steps at Jing An Kerry Centre.
The opening ceremony of the 2026 Shanghai International Beauty Season at Jing An Global Connect.
Remarks from the stage at the opening ceremony.
UK and Shanghai representatives marking the launch together.
The full staircase garden, British Root, China in Bloom.
Inside the pavilion, wisteria overhead and brands on plinths of birch.
Guests at the Batiste cart beneath the wisteria.
Passers-by stopping to photograph the installation on Nanjing West Road.
The pop-up seen from the street, opposite Jing An Temple.
EVE LOM presented on the pop-up counter.
Sampling and conversation at the pavilion through the day.

03. Industry insights

With WWD China, we convened an industry forum to examine where the international beauty industry is heading and where its opportunities now lie.

The Beauty Hub set for the forum, its illustrated coffee shop and shelving drawn in line on white.
A panel session at the BBF and WWD China forum, Converging in the Moment.
Johannes Neubacher of WWD Greater China in conversation with Millie Kendall OBE of the British Beauty Council.
A skin diagnostic demonstration for guests on the forum floor.
UK and China partners together at the forum backdrop.
The forum backdrop, British Beauty in Conversation, carrying the partner marks.
Where Beauty Meets Innovation: brands presented along the illustrated counter.
A planted wall inside the venue carrying the GREAT Britain campaign screens.

04. A city-wide VIP experience

The festival worked closely with The Apartment at Bicester Village Shanghai and with Lane Crawford, creating private VIP salons and counter experiences across several brands, and carrying the programme through from senior public relations to retail on the floor.

Nailberry presented on a VIP discovery table, with a QR code linking to the brand.
Floris London, with discovery vials alongside the full bottles.
Hair Laboratory, Evolve Organic Beauty and Nailberry sharing one table.
Sarah Chapman London, with a QR route through to its overseas flagship.
The #BBF letters at the entrance to a partner hotel in Shanghai.
A curated brand table set beneath the hotel window display.
Hair Laboratory, with a scan through to its official WeChat experience store.
Evolve Organic Beauty on display for hotel guests to discover.
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