Best Hong Kong events in July
Your definitive guide to all the best events, festivals and exhibitions throughout July 2019 in Hong Kong
Summer is officially here and there’s an amazing lineup of events to go with it. Day to day you can take advantage of the beautiful July weather and relax at one of Hong Kong’s best rooftop bars. When you’re not planning your next big junk trip or topping up your tan at our city’s beautiful beaches, there’s a host of awesome festivals and parties taking place this month. These highlights are the very best things to do in Hong Kong in July.
Best things to do in Hong Kong in July
Van Gogh Alive – The Experience
A multi-sensory exhibition that brings Vincent Van Gogh’s iconic and lesser-known paintings and artworks to life. Set to a classical score, this immersive experience allows you to explore more than 3,000 images projected across walls, columns, and even floors of the venue. Don’t miss the interactive drawing room filled with rows of canvas stands where visitors can try their at drawing following the projected video, as well as a real set of the Bedroom in Arles for photo-ops.
Narcos Live: The Real DEA Agents Steve Murphy and Javier Pena in Hong Kong
Whether you’re a fan of the Netflix show Narcos or not, the rise and fall of the Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar is a riveting true story that will interest everyone. DEA Agents Steve Murphy and Javier Pena played key roles in capturing Escobar and will be sharing their experience in bringing down this infamous narcoterrorist. This evening will allow Murphy and Pena to reveal their input into the show and the stories that didn’t make it to the big screen. A Q&A session will also be held, allowing the audience to hear directly from the DEA agents.
Hong Kong Book Fair
The city's annual literature extravaganza is back again this July. Head down to pick up the latest popular fictions or catch up on your summer reading and purchase books in bulk. There's also multiple lectures and book signings running throughout the six-day event, including appearances by internationally renowned writers and literary heavyweights.
Miku Expo
Unlike the Tupac hologram at Coachella back in 2012, Japanese virtual singer Hatsune Miku has become a music sensation in Japan and have gone to have a sell-out global tour and boasting 2.5 million followers on IG. People have been going wild for this computer-generated blue-haired teenage girl, thanks to some incredible 3D graphics and a repertoire of pop hits. Celebrating the five year anniversary of her international shows, Miku is bringing “her” live band, electrifying dance moves and instant costume changes – because, you know, it’s not real – to Hong Kong for the first time.
Westlife: The Twenty Tour
The super Irish pop group, who has sold over 55 million records worldwide and holds the Guinness World Record as the only band to achieve seven consecutive number one singles in the UK. Though they disbanded back in 2012, Westlife has gotten back together last year to much fan frenzy and released their first single (and instant chart-topper), Hello My Love, in eight years. But if you can’t wait for more new tunes, worry not because the boyband is bringing their The Twenty Tour to Macau celebrating their 20-year career of hits including Swear It Again, Flying Without Wings, You Raise Me Up and Unbreakable, as well as performing some of the newer tracks.
Audrey by Bob Willoughby
Audrey Hepburn is undeniably one of the greatest Hollywood icons of all time, and while we can still experience and witness her beauty and talent on film, Hollywood photographer Bob Willoughby has managed to capture her effervescent charm and shows an intimate side to her life. Celebrating what would have been Hepburn’s 90th birthday and marking a decade since the passing of Willoughby, this rare photography exhibition (and a first in Hong Kong) features an outstanding selection of some of Willoughby’s most memorable photos of Hepburn.
Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s answer to the San Diego Comic Con, the annual Ani-Com and Games Expo brings together comic books and anime fans, as well as gamers under one roof surrounded by limited edition comics, figures and other collectibles from Hong Kong, Japan and around the world. The event is also one giant cosplay gathering, where fans dress up in their favourite characters in impressive outfits and designs. Pick the latest console game and find out the winner of the competition for best cosplay.
From Paris to Venice, a Photographic Journey by Willy Ronis
Dedicated to one of the most internationally famous French photographers Willy Ronis, this exhibition showcases his most iconic works as well as less known ones. Many of Ronis’s best-known photographs are micro-narratives, portraying men and women, on the street, in ordinary, everyday activities. Ronis’s lens also highlights social injustice and the underprivileged classes of society.
The Pansodan pop-up
From May through July, Sai Ying Pun is getting a proper Burmese pop-up, courtesy of Hong Kong-born restaurateur Ivan Pun. The Pansodan, an outpost of the same restaurant in Yangon named after the bustling street in the former capital, brings the vibrant flavours of Myanmar to Hong Kong — a rarity in these parts. Expect a range of tangy, funky, spicy and bright dishes, from salads to noodles to grilled meats and seafood specialties. Top it off with botanical-driven cocktails, and you've got a meal unlike any other you'll have in Hong Kong.
Looking for quirky things to do instead?
Quirky and unusual things to do in Hong Kong
Find yourself returning to the same places and the same attractions week after week? Follow our guide to the more far out things to do in Hong Kong.