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Art Basel
The Hong Kong premiere of Lunar Halo by Taiwan’s legendary dance theatre Cloud Gate will take place at the Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District on July 10, 2026. Photo: WestK
Performing arts in Hong Kong

12 must-see Hong Kong shows and arts events in 2026

From the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical to a show from Taiwanese dance company Cloud Gate, there’s lots on from now until December.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Hong Kong animations are finally turning heads. Meet the artists behind them

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SCMP Highlights

Tokyo Sézanne’s missing stars; beating arthritis at 68: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Art

At 92, British artist Frank Bowling is still trying to make the best painting ever

In his nineties, Frank Bowling defies age with his vibrant abstract art, as seen in his new Hong Kong exhibition, his first solo show in East Asia.

British artist Frank Bowling at his studio in Peacock Yard, London, in 2025. Photo: Frederik Bowling, courtesy of the Frank Bowling Archive
British artist Frank Bowling at his studio in Peacock Yard, London, in 2025. Photo: Frederik Bowling, courtesy of the Frank Bowling Archive
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra pack a punch in back-to-back Hong Kong concerts

The German ensemble performed Beethoven, Schumann, Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich works over two nights at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, June 5-7

Bring your dog or cat to an upgraded indoor pet playground, experience Shakespeare with a twist, watch a new hit horror film and more.

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What to do in Hong Kong

It’s back – revived TEDxHongKong challenges assumptions and reframes beliefs

Creative director Daniella Lopez explains how the June 20 event – the first TEDxHongKong since 2017 – will address globally relevant issues.

Daniella Lopez is the licence holder and creative director of TEDxHongKong. The 2026 event, to be held on June 20, is titled “Adjust Focus: Look Again”. Photo: TEDxHongKong
Daniella Lopez is the licence holder and creative director of TEDxHongKong. The 2026 event, to be held on June 20, is titled “Adjust Focus: Look Again”. Photo: TEDxHongKong
Chinese culture

How China’s ‘Excalibur of the East’ souvenir swords sparked airport warning

Tourists with replicas of the ancient Sword of Goujian, from the Hubei Provincial Museum, were told not to hand-carry them onto planes.

Tourism

James McNeill Whistler’s Asian muse: Chinese ceramics and Japanese fans

Chinese pottery and textiles and Japanese crafts profoundly influenced James McNeill Whistler’s work, as seen in a retrospective at Tate Britain.

Performing arts in Hong Kong

Update | Superb first half let down by second in Hong Kong Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty

Strong dancing was marred by a rushed and confused second-half narrative in HKB’s production of Vladimir Malakhov’s The Sleeping Beauty.

Ye Feifei performs as Princess Aurora and Davi Ramos as Prince Desire in the premiere of Vladimir Malakhov’s Sleeping Beauty by Hong Kong Ballet at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on May 29, 2026. Photo: Tony Luk
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory stars on bringing the musical to Hong Kong

The Broadway musical’s lead actors Daniel Plimpton and Oliver Wong talk about adapting Roald Dahl’s story to the stage ahead of its Hong Kong debut in November.

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A scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the musical. The long-running production that has enjoyed success on London’s West End and Broadway will debut in Hong Kong on November 4, 2026.
A scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the musical. The long-running production that has enjoyed success on London’s West End and Broadway will debut in Hong Kong on November 4, 2026.
Art

This digital ‘puppet’ critiques a screen-obsessed world at Venice Biennale

Li Yi-fan, a video artist from Taiwan, is making waves with his creepy and funny avatars that question the way we see the world around us.

Music

Gustavo Dudamel on his enduring love of Los Angeles ahead of NY Phil move

The Venezuelan conductor shares how 17 years leading the LA Phil shaped him as he looks forward to a ‘super exciting’ New York move.

World of performing arts

‘Burning desire’: Hong Kong-born actress Kaja Chan on her rise and motivation

London-based actress who has appeared on Bridgerton and worked with Jeff Goldblum shares how ‘clarity of vision’ drove her from a young age.

Kaja Chan, born and raised in Hong Kong, is a London-based actress across theatre, television and video games. She talks about how her passion led her to pursue a career in acting and shares advice to young performers who want to follow in her footsteps. Photo: Phil Sharp
World of performing arts

Meet Daniel Harding, new LA Phil music director with deep Asia ties

Gustavo Dudamel’s successor, who is an Air France pilot and mentor to young musicians, has agreed to a six-year contract with the LA Phil.

Daniel Harding coaches musicians from YMCG (Youth Music Culture The Greater Bay Area), an intensive music training camp and festival based in Guangzhou, China, during a rehearsal. Harding has been appointed the next music director for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Photo: Youth Music Culture the Greater Bay Area
Daniel Harding coaches musicians from YMCG (Youth Music Culture The Greater Bay Area), an intensive music training camp and festival based in Guangzhou, China, during a rehearsal. Harding has been appointed the next music director for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Photo: Youth Music Culture the Greater Bay Area
Art

Hong Kong Gen Z artists show rebellious youthful aesthetic at ‘Free Radicals’

Recent art graduates Bethany Man, Elizabeth Li and Aidan Ng confront the anxieties of adulthood in the Goethe Gallery exhibition.

What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, May 29-31

See Mads Mikkelsen and other stars at Hong Kong Comic Con 2026, indulge in a two-day wellness retreat, watch top cabaret shows and more.

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Music

How sitarist Anoushka Shankar broke her creative block after the pandemic

Shankar, who is playing in Hong Kong on June 3, describes the creative process behind her three-part album Chapters and what’s next.

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Anoushka Shankar will perform in Hong Kong on June 3. She is bringing her Chapters tour to the city for a premiere alongside the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong and guest conductor Robert Ames. Photo: Laura Lewis
Anoushka Shankar will perform in Hong Kong on June 3. She is bringing her Chapters tour to the city for a premiere alongside the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong and guest conductor Robert Ames. Photo: Laura Lewis
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Review | Hong Kong Dance Company’s ode to Wu Guanzhong paints a confusing picture

‘In Between – Wu Guanzhong’s Ink Odyssey’ might celebrate the great Chinese painter but provides little inspiration to discover his works.

Performing arts in Hong Kong

‘I am hungry’: Elim Chan on taking the lead at the San Francisco Symphony

The Hong Kong-born conductor shares why she’s excited to lead the ‘velvety, warm’ SFS and how San Francisco feels ‘a bit like’ her home city.

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Performing arts in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Shakespeare festival offers fresh takes on the Bard’s classics

The nine Shakespeare adaptations include a Cantonese version of Othello starring TVB actress Mandy Wong and a story of Hamlet’s Ophelia.

Hong Kong actress Mandy Wong (right) rehearses a scene from Tang Shu-wing’s Cantonese adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello. Photo: Lee Wai-leung, courtesy of Tang Shu-wing Theatre Studio
Art

How Mr Mahjong is telling Hong Kong stories through his outdoor exhibition

Daniel Wu, a self-professed terrible mahjong player, takes pieces from the traditional tile-based game and carves ‘almost anything’ on them.

Daniel Wu, aka Mr Mahjong, is a Hong Kong-based contemporary artist and designer focused on traditional mahjong culture. His first outdoor “exhibition” takes over a street in Hong Kong. Photo: Sun Yeung
Daniel Wu, aka Mr Mahjong, is a Hong Kong-based contemporary artist and designer focused on traditional mahjong culture. His first outdoor “exhibition” takes over a street in Hong Kong. Photo: Sun Yeung
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Hong Kong-born Elim Chan becomes first woman to lead San Francisco Symphony

Rising maestro emerged as a surprise choice and will begin her six-year term at the famed orchestra in September 2027.

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Art

How Asian artists at the 2026 Venice Biennale are making their voices heard

Using everything from baby dolls to tapestries, Asian artists’ perspectives are strongly reflected in a number of memorable exhibitions.

Art

She started with portraits of strangers on Hong Kong streets. Then built a brand

Cherry Yeung started handing out sketches to spread positivity. Now, her Cute Soulz project includes a doll that represents a person’s inner child.

“I want to remind people that even when you don’t feel it, you are loved,” says Cherry Yeung, the founder of Cute Soulz, which uses art to bring emotional honesty and connection to Hongkongers. Photo: JoyBeMoment
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