The best things to do in Hong Kong this September

Move over, Chiikawa – the kings are in the house! McDonald’s has finally confirmed on their social media channels that they are releasing a range of TinyTan Happy Meal toys, and Hong Kong is on their list.

For non-Armys, TinyTan are official animated characters created by Big Hit Music, each based on a member of the massive Korean band BTS. In the announcement video, the seven characters are shown blowing glitter onto a McDonald’s Happy Meal container, transforming it into a TinyTan-themed box. 

The McDonald’s BTS-themed Happy Meal will be released on September 3, while a second drop for a different edition of the TinyTan toys will drop on September 23.

Even though Hong Kong’s wave of business closures seems to be continuing, we’re seeing a spark of delicious hope with Kam Kong Restaurant bucking the market trend to recently reopen in Mong Kok. Taking over a space of almost 8,000sq ft in Gala Place, Kam Kong focuses on handmade nostalgic dim sum as well as authentic ‘kung fu’ dishes – delicacies that take a good deal of time and effort to make.

All of Kam Kong’s dim sum varieties – ranging from $25 to $42 – are handmade by their dim sum chefs, which is rather a rarity nowadays. The cherry on top is that the wooden steamers are piled into dim sum trolleys to be wheeled around the restaurant – again, an old-school touch that is sadly disappearing in the city. Expect old-school dim sum varieties that are not readily available elsewhere, such as pig’s stomach siu mai, birds’ nest-shaped taro puffs, duck’s feet and pomelo peel, cured sausage rolls, and more.

The restaurant management has also revealed plans to collaborate with long-standing local food brands to feature sauces, cheung fun, tofu, and other Hong Kong-made products. To attract a younger crowd, Kam Kong will even host busking and Canto-pop events to diversify their offerings and inject a breath of fresh air into the traditional tea house setting.

Well-loved K-pop group Twice have just embarked on their sixth world tour starting in July, and they’ve put both Hong Kong and Macau on their concert schedule. They’ve just released their This is For album and performed at Lollapalooza Chicago earlier this month, and will soon make their way to our shores. The nine-member girl group will perform at The Venetian Arena in Macau on September 27 and 28, then return to take over the Kai Tak Stadium on December 6. 

We’ve heard that they’ll be setting up 360-degree stages to remove the traditional barrier between artists and audiences, allowing for a more immersive concert experience. Tickets for Twice’s Macau show run from $799 to $2,499, with the VIP package offering access to the pre-show soundcheck, a VIP laminate and lanyard, a postcard set, and an exclusive merch lane. The Live Nation pre-sale starts on August 14 while general sales open on August 15. Keep an eye out for Hong Kong ticketing details further down the line.

From the Magnavox Odyssey – the first home-use video gaming console – to the latest Nintendo Switch 2 release, gamers have seen the rise and fall of many trends and technologies from the 70s to the present day, and you can now reminisce on them all at this exhibition on gaming, its art and designs, and collective memories.

Airside is hosting the ‘Restart! Beyond Gaming Exhibition!’, which explores how gaming extends beyond simple personal entertainment and has become an integral part of Hong Kong’s cultural tapestry. Check out the wall of gaming consoles to find vintage consoles such as the Atari 2600 from the 70s, the Nintendo Famicom from the 80s, over 300 Nintendo games from the 80s and 90s, and more; and try your hand at ‘The King of Fighters ‘98’ and ‘Bubble Bubble’ on arcade machines.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of ‘Little Fighter 2’, the exhibiton will feature the remastered game with an Airside-exclusive backdrop of the famous Kowloon Walled City for an added touch of Hong Kong heritage.

Head to the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) to find our city’s first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to Mughal art. The Mughal empire was one of the world’s most powerful kingdoms that encompassed much of modern-day Indian, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, ruling from the 16th to the 17th centuries. Though they ruled a mainly Hindu population, the Mughals were Muslim with Mongol origins, and were known for their rich culture and architecture – the Taj Mahal is one such legacy from this empire.

Over 100 artefacts from the golden age of the Mughal dynasty, from paintings and jewellery to weaponry, architectural segments, and even some rare surviving textiles from this period are now on show – Hong Kong is this exhibition’s only Asia venue after its London premiere in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Under the rule of three emperors, the Mughal court greatly fostered artistic development and embraced cross-cultural influences, shown here in jade pieces that have incorporated motifs from the Chinese court. Highlights include a casket with mother-of-pearl inlays, a thumb ring from Emperor Akbar’s reign with western enamelling that shows the Mughal court’s hybrid aesthetic, and a beautiful dagger sheath and hilt lavishly decorated with gold and red gemstones.

‘Treasures of the Mughal Court’ runs until February 23, 2026, and tickets are priced from $150 which also grants access to HKPM’s thematic exhibitions in galleries one to seven.