Upcoming concerts and music festivals in Hong Kong and Macau 2024

After holding a concert of the same name in January this year, the most flamboyant member of South Korean K-pop group Shinee, Key, embarked upon his Asia tour, and Macau is soon to be one of his stops. Key has always been a unique performer within K-pop, with a distinctive timbre, flashy fashion, and sharp sense of humour. In recent years, he has moved more towards television entertainment, but there’s no doubt that he’ll still be amazing onstage, and fans can likely look forward to hearing tracks from his second Korean EP Good & Great, which was released last year. Tickets run from MOP$738 to $1,688.

Shanghai’s famous cabaret show Candor is performing in Macau for the very first time. They’ve elevated an all-new production of Welcome to Babylon, led by Alexander, one of the most popular dancers and choreographers in China; well-lauded singer Kateryna, and dramatic burlesque performer Cocosanti the ‘Bearded Queen’. With electric dance performances, beautiful costumes and makeup, and spectacular stage sets, audiences can find themselves whisked back to the Moulin Rouge of Paris in the 1880s. Showing only on limited dates between late July and early August, Candor costs MOP$1,688 per table of four guests, inclusive of one alcoholic drink per person.

The third iteration of Unheard Sound and Music Festival returns with a broad range of auditory experiences. This festival is quite unlike any other in that it explores how sound perception is subjective in nature. How do we class certain sounds as music, and other sounds as less worthy? Everyday life sounds are showcased using technology, 3D printing, innovative soundscapes, and more, while participants can also enjoy events like live performances, music documentary screenings, and panels on China’s experimental music scene. Some events will be free to attend, while others will cost $53.

Tai Kwun has dedicated their summer show to the life and works of Hong Kong’s most well-known song-writing talents: Joseph Koo and James Wong. Cantopop is absolutely a cultural phenomenon that has greatly contributed to the popularity and rise of Hong Kong, and this exhibition charts the history of this music genre from the 70s through to the late 90s and the earliest years of the new century. 

During this period, the prolific duo of Koo and Wong co-created 236 songs, but Soundtrack of Our Lives focuses on eight of their most memorable tracks which have touched the hearts of Hongkongers and Chinese people living abroad. Each of these songs is represented by painstakingly detailed sets, such as the Mido Cafe in the past, a living room from the 70s, a teenager’s room from the late 90s, an old-school audio-visual repair shop, a recreation of Koo and Wong’s respective offices, and many more. For Hongkongers who have lived through these transformative decades, expect to be hit with the biggest blast of nostalgia.

Since this exhibition focuses on music, visitors are encouraged to linger in the individual spaces and immerse themselves in the soundscapes. Feel free to sit in the chairs and couches and take your time delving into the melodies, sounds, lyrics, and themes that made up Hong Kong’s radio waves for decades. Look (or listen) out for Easter eggs such as famous commercial jingles, snippets of songs, and other visual cues that define their eras. 

To complement this stunning show, Tai Kwun will also be running several periphery events such as lunchtime discussion sessions with prominent composers and lyricists; conversations with guests such as veteran singer Frances Yip and TV producer Robert Chua; and screenings of films which featured songs by Koo and Wong, such as Pai Niang Niang, A Terra-Cotta Warrior, The Swordsman, and A Better Tomorrow.

Popular Korean hyperpop girl group aespa will be going on their world tour this year, and one of their many stops in Asia includes Hong Kong. Since their first world tour Hyper Line in 2023, the group has gone on to release their chart-topping My World EP, recorded theme songs for the Pokemon and Beyblade anime series, and been the first Korean pop act to perform at the Governors Ball Music Festival in New York. Let’s hope their setlist includes fan favourites such as Savage, Black Mamba, and Spicy. More details about aespa’s concert have yet to be released, but they have also been confirmed to be playing in Macau on September 21.

As part of the celebrations for the fifth anniversary of Freespace, West Kowloon will be hosting Freespace Noise Fest this summer, the first-ever festival dedicated to experimental music. Spread across 10 days, the event will feature more than 30 international, regional, and local groups and performers, who will be showcasing experimental sounds from diverse genres such as improvised music, ambient music, harsh noise, and more.

Watch out for performances from Japanese multi-instrumentalist Yuko Araki, who blends abstract harmonies with noise drone; Mexican musician Vica Pacheco, who creates melodies on her handcrafted ceramic instruments; and Nuriia Khasenova from Kazakhstan who works with both classical music and transdisciplinary practices. The Freespace Noise Fest will wrap up with a powerful double-bill finale with two of the biggest names in the Asian experimental music scene: raw improv on a turntable guitar by Japanese composer Otomo Yoshihide, and the latest tracks from contemporary Indonesian duo Senyawa.

If you’d like to learn more about this sort of sonic creativity, there will also be a range of free workshops and sharing sessions on mixing spontaneous sound creation with physical movements, the intricacies of noise music, and more.

One-day tickets cost $220 while two-week passes are priced at $400. The special finale performance by Otomo Yoshihide and Senyawa is priced at $400. See the Freespace Noise Fest programme here.

Celebrated Japanese singer Utada Hikaru has announced that she is coming to Hong Kong on her Science Fiction tour. This will be her first tour in many years, as well as her first-ever concert in Hong Kong. Tickets will range from $680 to $1,580 – registration for the priority ticket ballot will run from noon on April 22 to 6pm on April 23, and if chosen, priority sales will begin on April 29. General sales will then start on May 8. 

The arguably most handsome of Hong Kong’s Four Heavenly Kings is back on the Hong Kong Coliseum stage after being eight years away! Going by the setlist of his Amazing Kode world tour last year – and the fact that he named this tour Iconic – we might well be treated to some of Kwok’s most famous classic throwback dance numbers like I Love You Forever, Para Para Sakura, Generation Next, and more over 10 days. Tickets are priced from $580 to $1,280, with priority booking for BEA credit card holders opening from June 3 to 7. General sales have yet to be announced, so check back as we’ll update when we know more.

Chart-topping singer-songwriter Conan Gray has announced that he will be adding nine Asian cities to his Found Heaven world tour. The Asia dates will kick off towards late August in Jakarta, before bringing Gray to Manila, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Bangkok, Seoul, and Japan. This tour comes straight off the April release of his third studio album, Found Heaven, which has already made the lists of Billboard charts. 

On August 27, Hong Kong fans can expect to enjoy Gray’s homage to 80s tunes in fantastic tracks like Bourgeoisieses, Never Ending Song, and Alley Rose. Tickets run from $598 to $1,900, and are available for purchase on Cityline. Ticket holders for the two VIP tiers can enjoy benefits like exclusive VIP merch, early entry, pre-show opportunity to buy merch before the public, and access to a pre-show Q&A with Gray himself.

After performing two sold-out shows in Hong Kong last September, the Grammy-winning modern jazz sensation Laufey will bring her dreamy vocals and heart wrenchingly relatable lyrics back to our shores. She started her Bewitched US tour in late 2023, which will also bring her across Europe this year, followed by her latest announcement of Asia dates, including Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Taipei, Manila, and Singapore. 

We had the pleasure of interviewing Laufey last year, and we can’t wait to hear her belt out tracks such as From The Start, Second Best, and Lovesick. Hong Kong fans can experience Laufey live on August 29 – tickets will range from $599 to $899. Live Nation members can access the pre-sale on the morning of May 6, while general sales will open to the public on May 7.

After performing in Hong Kong back in February, charismatic Thai singer Jeff Satur is bringing his world tour to Macau’s stage soon. Though he’s only been making music for a few years, Satur has already garnered plenty of attention with his blend of pop, R&B, hip-hop, rock, and 80s sounds. If you didn’t manage to see him in Hong Kong and missed his sold-out shows in Singapore, Indonesia, and Bangkok, then the Macau leg of his debut album tour would be a good chance to experience this versatile talent and his visual spectacles. Tickets run from $699 to $1,799.

Pop-rock sensation Olivia Rodrigo is currently on tour around America, the UK, and Europe until August, but she has just announced that nine dates will be added to the show, bringing Rodrigo to her first-ever run in Asia and Australia. The Asia leg of the Guts world tour will kick off in Bangkok, before moving through Seoul, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Melbourne, and Sydney.

Hong Kong fans, mark your calendars for September 24. Ticket prices have yet to be fully announced, but there will be pre-sales for American Express card holders, as well as a Live Nation pre-sale opening on May 16, while general sales begin on May 17. For an elevated experience, check out the VIP package, which includes priority access to the pit, a VIP bar throughout the night, a specially designed VIP gift item, and more.

We can’t wait to see this multi-platinum, three-time Grammy winner perform hits like obsessed, good 4 u, drivers license, and ballad of a homeschooled girl – expect to emerge having screamed yourself hoarse.

Following from their Hong Kong concert last August, indie pop band Lany are once again returning to our shores later this year in October. Their world tour comes straight off the back of their new studio album ‘a beautiful blur’, with hit tracks such as Alonica, XXL, and Cause You Have To. Let’s place bets on whether they’ll be performing the studio or ‘Hopeless’ stripped back version of Love At First Fight at the live concert. Prices have yet to be released, but fans can secure the first round of tickets at the artist presale on March 11, while the Live Nation presale is available for members on March 13. General sales will then start on March 14.

Platinum British singer Anne-Marie has just announced that she’ll be embarking on an Asia tour this September and October, playing in Osaka, Manila, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taipei. We love her brand of musical authenticity that deals with highly personal subject matters like body image issues, cheating in relationships, and gender-free love, and we can’t wait to experience it live. 

Tickets run from $699 to $799, with the $799 tier split into either seated or standing. The presale for Live Nation members will begin at 3pm on May 23, while general public sales will be released on May 24. 

Hong Kong’s beloved boutique festival Shi Fu Miz will be returning for its seventh edition this year. Head on over to Sai Yuen Farm on the southwestern tip of Cheung Chau, a mere 30-minute ferry ride from Central, to find four stages on the island’s idyllic beaches. The opening night on Friday will see Marie Montexier, Mr. Ho, and Y2K DJ performing in Central, while the weekend festivities will be at the main Cheung Chau venue. This year’s line-up includes electronic music acts such as Chaos in the CBD, DJ Boring, La Mamie’s, Mengzy, DJ Kulu, Marcellus Pittman, Nicola Cruz, and many more. Tickets start from $250 for a single-day pass for only Friday night, to $1,280 for access to all events.

Fourth-generation K-pop group Stray Kids will soon be embarking on their world tour, and yes, it will take them to Hong Kong and Macau. Starting off with four shows in Seoul, the eight-member boy band will then go on to perform in Singapore, Australia, Taiwan, Tokyo, and Manila from August through November, before playing Macau for two nights. There will also be North America, Europe, and Latin American dates down the line, but these will come after the Asian part of Stray Kids’ tour wraps up in Hong Kong in January 2025. Ticket details have yet to be announced, so check back for more details.

Following the announcement that their new LP X’s will be dropping on July 12, Cigarettes After Sex will also be going on a world tour that will extend into 2025. The band’s slowcore, raw, pop sound is gradually drawing from slow dance inspiration from the 70s and 80s. Their music has always been easy to sink into with a sensuality that has become part of their signature sound. As the trio will only arrive in town on tour early next year, ticketing details have yet to be announced, but check back for updates!