This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to Hong Kong

One of the globe’s critical commerce hubs has a culture and sports scene to match its financial clout. With religious celebrations, arts festivals and a flight of opera productions, 2024 in Hong Kong is chock-full of must-dos. Below are a selection of our highlights on the city’s cultural calendar. This is not an exhaustive list, so do share yours in the comments.

January

Art

‘Neo Rauch: Field Signs’, David Zwirner

An exhibition of new paintings by the German artist. The titular piece is a huge oil linen, and other works include equally large Surrealist landscapes. Until February 24; further information and tickets here

‘Zhang Enli: Faces’, Hauser & Wirth

‘Melon Farmers’ (2023) by Zhang Enli © Zhang Enli / Hauser & Wirth

The first exhibition at Hauser & Wirth’s new Hong Kong gallery traces artist Zhang Enli’s artistic development towards a loose, abstract aesthetic and the impact of literature on his recent works. Until March 9; further information and tickets here

‘Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from The National Gallery, London’, Hong Kong Palace Museum

‘Irises’ (1914-17) by Claude Monet will be on display as part of this Hong Kong exhibition © The National Gallery

The London institution displays pieces from its collection for the first time in Hong Kong, featuring 52 artworks by 50 artists from between the 15th and early 20th centuries, including Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Goya, Turner and Monet. Until April 11; further information and tickets here

‘Chan Kwan Lok: The Connection with Nature’ and ‘Leung Chi Wo: Tears of Tempo’, Hong Kong Museum of Art

Chan Kwan Lok: The Connection with Nature explores the Hong Kong artist’s ink works inspired by Venetian painting, which attempt to address what he discerns as the contemporary chasm between city and nature. Until February 28; further information and tickets here

‘Tears of Tempo’ (2023) by Leung Chi Wo © Image courtesy of artist and Hong Kong Museum of Art

Leung Chi Wo: Tears of Tempo is also informed by Venice. In this site-specific installation, Murano glass lamps from the late 19th century to the 1970s — which the Hong Kong artist says are “much more than a display of history, they bear the memories and experiences of the past” — are set against a soundtrack recorded by Leung of waves breaking on the docks in the Italian city. Until February 28; further information and tickets here


February

Art

Hong Kong Arts Festival

February marks the start of the month-long festival’s 52nd edition, with an eye-popping programme packed with classical concerts, opera, dance and theatre at some of Hong Kong’s most renowned and grandest venues. February 22 to March 22; further information and tickets here

‘Shanshui: Echoes and Signals’ and ‘Movana Chen: Knitting Conversations’, M+

© M+, Hong Kong. M+ Council for New Art Fund, 2021|M+
© M+, Hong Kong. M+ Council for New Art Fund, 2021|M+

Shanshui: Echoes and Signals is a reconfiguration of artworks from across the M+ collection that examines the intersection between humanity and environment in a society that is increasingly online. From February 3; further information and tickets here

Movana Chen’s Knitting Conversations is a monumental installation exploring the Hong Kong artist’s musings on female labour through the medium of yarn. From February 17; further information and tickets here

Performance

Xiqu Centre Fifth Anniversary Celebrations

The Xiqu Centre in Kowloon is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year © West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

A series of productions to celebrate the performance arts centre’s fifth birthday includes: Romance of the Phoenix Tower (February 3) and The Dainty Gallant (February 4) by the Ming Chee Sing Chinese Opera company; and The Emperor (February 10 and 11) and Mistake at the Flower Festival (February 12) by the Canto Op troupe. Further information and tickets here

‘WestK x Rooftop Productions: Songs of Innocence and Experience’ at The Box, Freespace

A multidisciplinary exploration of coming of age through a montage of theatre, music and references to pop culture, inspired by Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience and Milton’s Paradise Lost. Until February 4; further information and tickets here

Sport

Hong Kong Race Week

A view of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club © Getty Images

The sailing regatta at the Middle Island location of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. Until February 4; further information here

Festivals and events

Well-wishing Festival

One of the traditions of the Lunar New Year celebration. Head to Lam Tsuen Wishing Square and write your wish on a red or gold piece of paper (colours that represent good luck), tying it to an orange and tossing it into a tree. February 10 to 24; further information here

Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade

A throng of floats is followed by a slew of performances among a party atmosphere in the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui. The parade starts at Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, and culminates outside Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel and Towers. February 10; Find information here.

Spring Lantern Festival

Part of the Lunar new year celebrations are glowing lanterns created in shapes representing good luck © Alamy Stock Photo

Another Lunar New Year celebration. Huge lantern exhibitions sprawl across the city, including at the HK Cultural Centre. They are often created in shapes representing luck and prosperity for the coming year, such as goldfish, pomegranates and dragons. Throughout February; Lantern Carnival, February 24; further information here


March

Art

Art Basel Hong Kong, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre

Art Basel Hong Kong showcases artists from across the Asia-Pacific region © Alamy Stock Photo

The Hong Kong edition of the international art fair will highlight the diversity of works from across the Asia-Pacific region. March 28 to 30; further information and tickets here

Art Central, Central Harbourfront

This annual fair is part of Hong Kong’s Art Week and features a wealth of different disciplines, from performance to video art, sculpture and painting. March 28 to 31; further information here

‘Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China’ and ‘Noir & Blanc: A Story of Photography’, M+

Madame Song explores the late creative’s contributions to China’s arts scene during the cold war and beyond. The exhibition traces her life and artistic methods and their impact on contemporary cosmopolitan China. Until April 14; further information and tickets here

The museum’s debut photography exhibition features 250 black and white images by 170 pioneering photographers, including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Man Ray, Diane Arbus and William Klein. From March 16; further information and tickets here

Performance

‘The Rule Breakers’, Hong Kong Ballet

The Hong Kong Ballet performing ‘The Rule Breakers’, which includes works by three different “rule-breaking” choreographers © Conrad Dy-Liacco

The company tackles three ballets by “rule-breaking” choreographers: George Balanchine’s Serenade, William Forsyth’s In the Middle, Somewhere Elevated and Strangelove, a new work by Andonis Foniadakis inspired by the music of Depeche Mode. March 22 to 24; further information and tickets here

Sport

Hong Kong Lacrosse Open 2024, HKU Stanley Ho Sports Centre

One of Asia’s most anticipated and high-stakes sports tournaments. March 29 to 31; further information and tickets here

Events and festivals

Dior Pre-Fall Collection Show

Kim Jones’s pre-fall menswear designs are set to grace Hong Kong in March. March 23.

Hong Kong Flower Show, Victoria Park

A display at last year’s Hong Kong Flower Show © Credit: Sipa US / Alamy Stock Photo

The theme of this year’s show is “Floral Joy Around Town”, with the angelonia (Angel Flower) as the star bloom. There will be stalls, food, books and, naturally, flowers aplenty. March 15 to 24; further information here

Hung Shing Festival

The island of Ap Lei Chau will be filled with Chinese opera performances, parades and dragon and lion dances during this religious festival in honour of Hung Shing, a fishermen and maritime traders’ deity known as the “god of the Southern Sea”. March 22; further information here

Hong Kong International Film Festival

This year’s edition will feature screenings alongside masterclasses, as creatives descend on the city en masse. March 28 to April 10; further information here


April

Performance

Let’s Enjoy Cantonese Opera, Bamboo Theatre at Tin Hau Temple

Cantonese opera performers inside the Bamboo Theatre © NurPhoto via Getty Images

A celebration of Cantonese opera in an alfresco bamboo theatre. English subtitles are provided and performances are usually held once in the morning and once in the early afternoon. Dates to be announced; further information here

Festival

Songkran HK, D2 Place

The Thai New Year “Water Splashing” festival takes over Hong Kong’s “Little Thailand” neighbourhood in early April, with locals donning plastic ponchos and arming themselves with huge water pistols. There is also a parade, food stalls and a fashion show. D2 Place is the hub. Dates to be announced

Sport

Mega Ice Hockey 5s, Mega Ice, L10 Mega Box, Kowloon Bay

This huge ice-hockey tournament featuring 80 teams from around the world is free to watch. The adult division competes April 29 to May 4; further information and tickets here


May

Art

Affordable Art Fair, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Every piece is under HK$100,000 ($12,800/£10,000) at this annual fair, with artists and galleries from around the world represented. May 16 to 19; further information and tickets here

Performance

Swan Lake, Hong Kong Ballet

Dancer Ye Feifei performing Swan Lake © Hong Kong Ballet

The world premiere of San Francisco Ballet resident choreographer Yuri Possokhov’s revival of Tchaikovsky’s classic. May 31 to June 9; further information and tickets here

Sport

HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens

An international seven-a-side soccer tournament. Man City’s Jack Grealish is one of many young players who first drew attention at the competition. Dates to be announced; further information and tickets here soon

Events and festivals

Tin Hau Festival

A dragon dance performance during a parade marking the Tin Hau Festival, which celebrates the birthday of the Chinese goddess of the sea © AFP via Getty Images

A celebration of the sea goddess Tin Hau at temples dedicated to her across the city — and notably the one in Cha Kwo Ling. A unicorn dance is one of the highlights, along with crowds adorned with colourful props and costumes. May 1; further information here soon

Ginsanity

A two-day festival dedicated to the trendy tipple, with more than 100 craft gins to discover, masterclasses and food. Free entry. Dates to be announced; further information here

Cheung Chau Bun Festival

This annual Taoist festival on Cheung Chau island has its roots as a way of ringing in luck for fishermen in local villages. As well as a parade, its traditions include “bun-snatching”: specially selected athletes climb a “Bun Mountain” (13-metre towers covered in thousands of sweet buns) to grab the luckiest ones at the top. May 15; further information here


June

Art

‘Henry Steiner: Graphic Communicator’, M+

Henry Steiner, founder of one of the world’s leading branding design consultancies © South China Morning Post via Getty Images
A 1991 Henry Steiner poster © M+, Hong Kong|M+,香港|

M+ calls Henry Steiner “the father of graphic design in Hong Kong”; this exhibition is a celebration of his works and their impact. You’d no doubt recognise his designs — the current HSBC logo is one. From June 15; further information and tickets here

Performance

‘Opera in Concert: The Flying Dutchman’ and ‘Farewell to our Music Director’, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall

A concert performance of Wagner’s opera by the city’s Philharmonic Orchestra, with American bass-baritone Brian Mulligan as the cursed Dutchman. June 21 and 23; further information and tickets here

And the HK Phil orchestra will be saying goodbye to its music director Jaap van Zweden with two evenings of music selected by the audience via a poll. June 25 and 26; further information and tickets here

Event

Dragon Boat Water Parade

Dragon boats racing in Victoria Harbour © NurPhoto via Getty Images

Locals eat zongzi (rice dumplings) while dragon boats are ferociously rowed down the river to the sound of beating drums. June 10; further information here


July

Events and festivals

International Arts Carnival

Shows take place in a number of venues across the city, and include everything from opera to puppetry and dance. Dates to be announced; further information here soon

SummerFest

An annual festival transforming Hong Kong’s harbour into a vibrant maze of activities with a main stage hosting events with everything from music and dance to night-time yoga. Dates to be announced; further information here soon


August

Art

‘Lee Mingwei: Sonic Blossom’, M+

Opera singer Lee Mingwei in performance © ANITA KAN

An innovative installation where opera singers will approach visitors “to offer the gift of song” — a rendition of one of five of Schubert’s Lieder — and aiming to forge interpersonal connections. August 27 to September 29; further information and tickets here

Sport

World Lacrosse Women’s U20 Championship, Mong Kok Stadium

Since it was founded in 1995, the US has won this quadrennial tournament five times, including in 2019 — will they be knocked off their perch this year? August 15 to 25; further information and tickets here

Festivals and events

S20 Songkran Music Festival, Central Harbourfront Event Space

DJ Say My Nitti performs at the S20 Songran Music Festival © Getty Images

The musical accompaniment to April’s Thai New Year water festival (see above) is billed as “the world’s wettest party”. As famous DJs perform on an enormous stage perched on the harbourfront, throngs of dancing crowds will be drenched by a “360 degree water splashing system”. June 8-9; More information here

HKTDC Food Expo, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

The city’s sprawling food fair returns with stalls, demonstrations and tastings. August 15 to 19; further information here

Hungry Ghost Festival

This spiritual festival marks the beginning of a new moon — and a new season — a time in which it is thought that both heaven and hell release spirits to roam into “our” world. As such, locals pay their respects to deceased ancestors and restless souls by burning incense, lighting lanterns, and providing food offerings. August 18


September

Art

‘Guo Pei’, M+

September brings an exhibition of the extraordinary works of China’s first couture artist, Guo Pei, featuring never before seen garments

Guo Pei’s extraordinary fashion designs draw on China’s ancient history as well as European court dress with phenomenal gowns with dramatic colour and pleating. Her garments are part fashion, part art and sculpture, and this exhibition features never-before-seen works. From September 21; further information and tickets here

Festivals and events

Centrestage 2024, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Dubbed “Asia’s Fashion Spotlight”, this annual event brings together design lovers and fashionistas for panels on what’s happening on runways across the world. It also includes the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designer contest. September 4 to 7; further information here

Mid-Autumn (or Mooncake) Festival

Performers of the Tai Hang fire dragon dance © Getty Images

A full-moon festival marking mid-Autumn on the Lunar calendar with traditions including praying for good fortune, giving thanks to the moon, and moon-gazing. This celebration sees Hong Kong filled with lanterns while locals chow down on mooncakes (sweet or savoury pastries). September 17; further information here

The flaming extravaganza that is the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance is a festival event not to miss. September 16 to 18; further information here


October

Art

New Vision Arts Festival

Dance, music theatre and multimedia sit alongside masterclasses, workshops and stage tours at this daring celebration of the performing arts. Dates to be announced; further information here soon

Fine Art Asia, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

The fair showcases works stretching across 5,000 years of Asian history with everything from ancient bronzes to photography. October 4 to 7; further information here

Sport

Hong Kong Cyclothon

Hong Kong’s biggest cycling race takes place in October © Alamy Stock Photo

Hong Kong’s biggest cycling event, with thousands of amateur and professional cyclists racing around the city and beyond. Date to be announced; further information here

Festivals

Wine and Dine Festival, Central Harbourfront

This four-day foodie fair celebrates the very finest wine and produce, with a wealth of food stalls serving up treats from all over the world. Dates to be announced; further information here soon

Shi Fu Miz Festival, Cheung Chau

A dance music festival held on a farm on Cheung Chau island. House and techno meet alfresco yoga meets coastal strolls. Dates to be announced; further information here soon


November

Performances

Swire Symphony under the Stars, Central Harbourfont

HK Phil’s free annual outdoor concert. Last year’s event drew 12,000 for an evening of Tchaikovsky, Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin. Date to be announced; further information here soon

Events

Muse Fest HK

The city’s museums participate in this annual celebration of Hong Kong culture. The programme is typically packed with talks and activities. Dates to be announced; further information here soon

New World Harbour Race

First held in 1906, this race across Victoria Harbour attracts thousands of swimmers. Date to be announced; further information here soon


December

Performance

‘The Nutcracker’, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

‘The Nutcracker’ performed by the Hong Kong Ballet © Tony Luk

Each year, the Hong Kong Ballet stages this festive staple throughout the Christmas holidays. Dates to be announced; further information and tickets here soon

Festival

Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival, Central Harbourfront

This three-day annual festival is the biggest of its type in Hong Kong. Last year’s acts included Pulp, De La Soul and The Kooks. There are also outdoor art installations. November 29 to December 1; further information and tickets here soon

What are your must-dos in Hong Kong this year? Share your calendar highlights in the comments

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