The best places to do karaoke in Hong Kong
Ever since it gained popularity in the 90s, Hongkongers have been obsessed with karaoke – it even edges out the city's obsession with darts. From the rotten to the resplendent, we embrace anyone who's willing to grab the mic and have a crack. And while the city's largest purveyors of karaoke, Neway and Red Mr, certainly dominate the scene, there are plenty of other choices out there if you fancy a break from the norm.
Alternatively, if you want to host your own karaoke party, our guide to where to buy DJ gear also covers everything you'll need hardware-wise.
Hong Kong’s best karaoke spots
Alabar
If you're of the opinion that karaoke is best shared with the public, Alabar is one of the top places in Hong Kong to do just that. Open late every night of the week, this Happy Valley locale doesn't exactly have the most up-to-date selection – if the 80s or 90s are your thing though, you may have found your new home – but its charm comes from the enthusiastic, friendly crowd and staff. If you're brave enough to get up and tackle a tune, prepare to make some new friends.
Boo Bar
This popular gay bar (supposedly a bear haven, though from what we hear, that's an exaggerated reputation) is another great spot for some convivial public karaoke. It's also one of the more reasonably priced bars around, so you can sit back and enjoy a drink without emptying your bank account. Once you've partaken of sufficient Dutch courage, you can try out Boo Bar's state-of-the-art karaoke system, which has one of the better selections of tunes in the city.
Music Box Karaoke
With more than 160,000 tunes – and 1,000 new ditties added every month – in six languages, this TST staple has one of the most robust song selections in the city. Plus, they offer some pretty solid drinks packages. Grab three or more friends and you can fire into an all-you-can-drink bonanza that includes sparkling, red and white wine, beer, shochu, sake, house liquor and soft drinks, costing just $300-per-person for two hours.
Neway
The 7-Eleven of Hong Kong karaoke. One big advantage Neway has over its rivals is its exclusive licencing contract with some of the biggest record labels in the region. That means they almost always have official videos and backing tracks for the latest Korean and Cantopop tunes. Since they have so many outlets and packages, prices vary, ranging from $79 to $228 per person. Remember, that just gets you in the door. If you want food and drink, there's a dizzying array of choices and prices that are affected by which location you're at, what time it is and more.
Red Mr (Wan Chai)
One of the biggest players in town. Depending on what you're after, you can either opt for a traditional karaoke experience or get a room replete with beer pong, dart board, Xbox and a host of other goodies that serve as ample distraction. Across its five venues, Red Mr's rooms can typically accomodate any number from eight to 30 people and will run you a minimum of about $1,800 to $3,800, depending on when you're visiting.
Temple Street
Want to see or do some karaoke without feeling the pressure of buying a drink or paying the pressure of buying a drink or paying for a package? Well, simply have a wander along Temple Street in Yau Ma Tei and you'll come across numerous little stalls set up with a basic karaoke system. If you want to sing, they'll charge you a nominal amount, which can vary wildly from stall to stall, and you go for it there and then and enjoy the love and admiration of adoring pedestrians.
Sonder
A cracking all-in-one bar that has wall-to-wall darts and beer pong as well as some decent drinks. More importantly though, it has four private rooms in the back where some top-drawer karaoke goes down. Drinks packages start at $220 for ladies and $320 for men during week and get more expensive come the weekend. Should if you get hungry you can add more to include food. Overall, it’s very reasonable.
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