January is for making resolutions, and February is for breaking them. With the start of two new years — Gregorian and Lunar — duly marked and celebrated, the city is settling into 2023 with renewed optimism and energy. Fill your weekends up with music and comedy by international performers, exhibitions to inspire your creative side, and sporting events to benefit the have-nots and have-yachts alike.
Live music
Jason Chan feat. Kowloon Swing Social Club
Calling all Cantopop fans! Catch Hong Kong Canadian singer Jason Chan live alongside Kowloon Swing Social Club. The concert will take place at the city’s largest indoor seated performance venue, AsiaWorld Arena. For something a little more casual and low-key, check out our list of the best bars for live music.
4 February, 2023Entry from HK$388.00
Online tickets
OneRepublic
Is it too late to apologise? Perhaps not! American pop rock band OneRepublic is touring, and they will be making a stop right here in Hong Kong. Apart from garnering fame for their genre-blending ballads and utterly singable tunes, the Grammy-nominated crew was also one of the first major bands to accept crypto as payment for tickets. Who knew!
21 February, 2023Entry from HK$599.00
Online tickets
Theatres, Musicals, Opera
Anime Symphonic Carnival
Can’t wait for the next edition of the Ani-Com & Games Convention? Fortunately, the China Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra is here with a musical extravaganza for Studio Ghibli and anime aficionados. The concert will feature tunes from classic Japanese animation like Astro Boy and Hayao Miyazaki favourites such as My Neighbour Totoro, as well as hits from newer film and television.
12 February, 2023Entry from HK$190.00
Event page
Comedy
Russell Peters Act Your Age World Tour
What’s your take on the comedic value of accents? Whatever your opinion, there’s no denying the fact that Russell Peters is one of the more notorious comics to take the stage. Peters isn’t new to the city: in 2013, performing for over 11,000 fans, he set a new attendance record for the fastest selling and biggest comedy shows in Hong Kong history. His one-night only set this time around will tackle growing old, cancel culture, and beyond. Expect audience interaction and improv aplenty.
15 February, 2023Entry from HK$599.00
Online tickets
Hong Kong Arts Festival
Since first launching in 1973, the Hong Kong Arts Festival has grown into one of the city’s most vibrant cultural events. Celebrating its 51st anniversary this year, the Hong Kong Arts Festival attracts an impressive lineup of artists, ballet troupes, orchestras, dancers, conductors, pianists, and singers. Aside from the range of works commissioned specifically for the festival, we’re especially excited for No Limits, which will feature in-venue and online programmes by international and Hong Kong artists of diverse abilities. Whether you enjoy film, music, dance or theatre, the Hong Kong Arts Festival’s multi-disciplinary showcase has something for everyone.
Exhibitions
The Big Eight
Spend a day among dinosaur fossils at the Hong Kong Science Museum. A large-scale dinosaur exhibition showcasing eight original specimens of the most iconic fossil skeletons, The Big Eight brings the Mesozoic era to life. Connecting the past to the present, the mammoth display introduces novel discoveries in paleontology and highlights risks like biodiversity loss and climate change. Learn more about Hong Kong’s best and most unique museum offerings here.
Until 22 February, 2023Free entry
Online tickets
Beeple: Human One
Head to the M+ to check out HUMAN ONE, a kinetic video sculpture by the American digital artist Mike Winkelmann, also known as Beeple. The work shows the first human born inside the metaverse, conceptualised as a helmeted traveller in a spacesuit walking through an endless landscape. The mesmeric installation, involving four LED screens, was purchased as an NFT for more than $28 million at a Christie’s auction in 2021. Beeple will remotely update the landscape periodically.
Until 30 April, 2023Entry from HK$60.00
Official event page
Hong Kong Modern Architecture of the 1950s – 1970s
We love our city’s rickety low-rise buildings, soaring skyscrapers, and colourful housing estates alike. To learn more about Hong Kong’s architecture, make sure to check out the newest exhibition at Sheung Wan’s Blue Lotus Gallery. A thematic exploration of post-war modern architecture, see photos snapped by Hong Kong-based German urban planner and photographer Walter Koditek. A fascinating look into how built forms tell the story of a city.
Until 12 February, 2023Free entry
Official event page
Expos and conventions
Vegetarian Food Asia
Vegetarianism has a long history in the region. Walk down any street and you’ll likely find a Buddhist Chinese restaurant serving monastic meals free from meat. And as more people look to lighten their footprint, eco-friendly supermarkets and plant-based protein options have exploded in the city.
To delve deeper into the world of green living, pay a visit to Vegetarian Food Asia, Hong Kong’s biggest and most diverse vegetarian expo. This year’s event takes place at Hall 3FG of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, displaying more than 4,000 vegetarian and vegan products from around the world.
Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKDTC) Education & Careers Expo
Broaden your horizons at the HKDTC Education & Careers Expo. With over 780 exhibitors from over 18 different countries and regions, the annual trade show is set to take place at Wan Chai’s Convention and Exhibition Centre— now a lot more convenient to get to thanks to the newly opened MTR station. The fair is all about connecting young people to opportunities to further their studies and explore career pathways.
2–5 February, 2023Free entry
Official event page
Films opening in February
Techno Sapiens
Where does the human end, and the machine begin? Techno Sapiens at the M+ explores the impact of new technologies on human subjectivity, loneliness, and connection. The six-part screening programme will include films by artists, documentaries, and narrative features, alongside post-screening talks. From science fiction blockbuster Her to Asia One, a dystopian short by renowned multimedia artist Cao Fei, this is the perfect forum to ponder the techno-human condition.
Until 26 March, 2023Entry from HK$68.00
Official event page
Sports
Hong Kong Marathon
After being continuously cancelled and rescheduled for a couple of years, the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon is finally back.
After a record number of 74,000 runners in 2019, the 2023 event has ben capped at 37,000 participants, which will include elite international runners.
The runners will start from Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, head north through Kowloon before swinging west through Tsing Yi before circling back, crossing the harbour, and finishing up at Victoria Park on Hong Kong Island.
Hong Kong Race Week
Hong Kong Race Week is the premier sailing event in Hong Kong, and a main fixture in the international youth dinghy scene. Run by the Hong Kong Sailing Federation in conjunction with co-organiser the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, the race starts at the Yacht Club’s Middle Island facility. There are a number of on-shore and on-water volunteer positions available, with many requiring no prior experience.
Oxfam Trailwalker
The Oxfam Trailwalker is a global charity event, and one of the largest fundraising sports events in Hong Kong. The trail starts at Pak Tam Chung Snack Stand in Sai Kung and finishes at Tai Tong Barbecue Area in Yuen Long. Teams will need to be a group of four, be over 18, pay the HK$800.00 application fee and raise the minimum donation of HK$2,800.00. If you’re looking to explore the New Territories, make sure to check out our guide to the best day trips.
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Top Hong Kong Christmas Markets 2023
Hong Kong has plenty of events and festive markets to enjoy this year. To get you started, here are eight Christmas markets we think you should check out.
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December Event Roundup – What's On in Hong Kong
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Hong Kong! Get ready for parties, events, and New Year's Eve fireworks
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Celebrating Lunar New Year in Hong Kong
Chinese New Year is the biggest, most important event in Hong Kong’s calendar, and an amazing time to be in town.
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How to Get From Hong Kong International Airport to the City Centre
No matter how wonderful an airport is, your trip really begins only as you arrive at the city centre.
