BEIJING, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- "Battle of Shanghai", an original Chinese acrobatic theater production, will premiere at the Shanghai Grand Theatre Friday night as the 21st China Shanghai International Arts Festival kicks off, Friday's China Daily reported.

This will be the first time that an acrobatic show becomes a part of the festival's opening, the newspaper quoted Wang Jun, president of the organizing committee of the festival.

Jointly created by the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe and the Shanghai Circus School, the production tells the story of young revolutionaries on the eve of Shanghai's liberation in May 1949, featuring a combination of acrobatic stunts, video projections and novel stage designs.

According to the organizers, the festival will comprise 97 theater performances, eight of which are to be shown for the first time.

A most anticipated performance is the Shanghai Huju Opera Theater's "Highly Confidential," which will premiere on Wednesday. This revolution-themed play tells the story of a revolutionary who spent years protecting secret documents for the Communist Party of China.

The festival will conclude on Nov. 17 with a concert at the Shanghai Grand Theatre by the NDR Radiophilharmonie, conducted by Andrew Manze.