From casino city to cultural centre: how Macau is betting on art
The 2025 Culture City of East Asia is hoping visitors will buy into its transformation to a hub for art installations and concerts
But if Macau is no longer a place where baccarat is king and sic bo dice tumble endlessly across the baize, then what is it? It’s now “Cultural Macau”, or so policymakers would have you believe. They may have a point.
The impressive new Poly MGM Museum exemplifies what the city is capable of, but beyond such grand openings, Macau’s calendar of visual arts events has embraced everything from contemporary art from the Portuguese-speaking world, to festivals of graffiti and open-call salons. To support the idea of “Cultural Macau”, casino operators – or “concessionaires” as they’re euphemistically called – have endowed generous art prizes and routinely strew the city with pop art installations that are either vibrant or hideous, depending on your point of view. But they are well intentioned.
Strides have been made in the performing arts, too. In 2023, Macau presented more than 2,000 concerts. Big productions at the casinos drew an audience of a million people and generated MOP1.1 billion (HK$1.06 billion) in ticket sales.