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
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
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
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+
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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 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+
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
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+
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
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+
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
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 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
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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