The best things to do in Hong Kong this week (August 18-24)

McDonald’s Hong Kong has just released a range of Happy Meal toys on Chiikawa and friends, to be changed up each week. From now until the end of August, purchase a McDonald’s Happy Meal to receive a Chiikawa toy. There are eight versions altogether, with a new type being released on Mondays and Fridays throughout the promotion period, so make sure you keep an eye on the dates to get your favourite.

For the fourth event in their Tastemaker Series, LMO Freshly Baked is collaborating with chef Vicky Lau, the culinary mastermind behind the two-Michelin-starred Tate Dining Room, for an exclusive menu that’s rooted in Chinese heritage but framed through modern techniques and presentation.

Four time-limited grab-and-go dishes will be available until August 31, featuring chef Lau’s take on the chicken scallion oil rice with the shredded chicken and scallion focaccia sandwich ($78), and a Hong Kong-style sour and spicy borscht soup ($48). There’s even a sweet taste of Hong Kong with the exotic manga sago drink ($48), an upgraded version of the classic local dessert enhanced with pineapples, bananas, and passion fruit.

Among Hong Kong’s fantastic films, a popular recurring theme is that of the undercover agent. After all, who can forget Chow Yun-fat’s world-weary cop in City on Fire, or Tony Leung and Andy Lau’s globally famous cross-undercover enemy duo in Infernal Affairs? This summer, Tai Kwun is running a special exhibition that explores this cinematic genre, the duality of light and darkness in these characters, and what makes them so appealing to Hong Kong audiences.

See recreations of scenes from classic crime films, such as the iconic tea house shoot out in Hard Boiled, the psychiatrist’s office in Infernal Affairs, a gun fight in a hideout in City on Fire, and most dramatically, a disastrous car chase breaking the fourth wall, where visitors can either play a role on set or pose from the director’s chair behind the camera. 

One of Hong Kong’s most anticipated film festivals makes its return! From August 13-25, the Summer International Film Festival (Summer IFF) organised by the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) will bring a diverse curation of more than 40 films to the city across five cinemas, from movies making their Asia premiere to beloved classics.

Included in the exciting lineup are It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi, Eddington by Ari Aster, and Ikeda Chihiro’s Kowloon Generic Romance, alongside many other new films released in 2025 from France, South Korea, Canada, Japan, Australia, the US, and more. Late director David Lynch will also be honoured with a screening of Welcome to Lynchland by Stéphane Ghez, a documentary recording the auteur’s artistic legacy.

The pet cat of K-pop star G-Dragon takes over our city with the Zo&Friends pop-up in Times Square. Inspired by his Scottish fold named Princess Zoa, GD has spent two years creating and designing this original IP, and the results can’t be any cuter.

A large Zoa sits in the middle of Times Square’s second-floor atrium, surrounded by flowers and the daisy A&ne. According to the brand, Zoa looks cynical and even somewhat gloomy (it has a literal cloud hanging over its eyes) but hides a soft, gentle nature. Walk through and snap pictures at photo spots, explore Zoa’s room, and see plenty of artworks, decals, BTS captures, and more.

For those who couldn’t fend off scalpers to snag the latest Labubu series at PopMart, you’ll be delighted to know that Belgian premium chocolatier Godiva has collaborated with this mega-popular franchise to launch the Icy Delights Collection, featuring the cheeky creatures as the stars of the show. Snack on three indulgent soft serve flavours and two creamy milkshakes, all inspired by Dubai chocolate – yet another viral sensation that Hongkongers can’t get enough of.

Each sweet treat is generously topped with dried mixed berries and crispy pistachio-flavoured kunafa, and comes in limited edition Labubu 3D packaging. Plus, the soft serves include a limited-edition stainless steel Labubu ice cream spoon, which is sure to add a touch of playfulness with each scoop.

The highly anticipated Chiikawa Days exhibition has finally taken over K11 Musea! Even after two separate rounds of ticket releases, entry was all sold out within half an hour, so the organisers have decided to extend the exhibition until August 31. Additional tickets for the extended dates of August 25 to 31 (excluding August 28) will go on sale at 5pm on August 1 via Klook, so get clicking!

Expect to see multiple giant inflatable sculptures in the mall’s outdoor areas, including some adorable food-themed ones that we love. There are also over 100 3-D figures and lifelike recreations of scenes from the beloved manga. Observe the cute Chiikawa Days critters at play, in battle, in jail, at mealtime, and more. 

Don’t forget to stop by the merch store afterwards to pick up themed cookies and snacks, as well as the special Hong Kong collection of yum cha-themed plushies designed exclusively for this event by Chiikawa’s creator Nagano!

This summer, the weeping cuties of Crybaby are taking over Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong with multiple giant installations. Themed after a playground, eight oversized blind box characters from the Crying For Love series are dotted around the main atrium of the mall for fans to admire and take photos with. The centrepiece is the giant Love You Cherry Much figures, sitting side by side in their cherry outfits above a red-and-white ball pit. Other cute installations include the angel and devil Kiss Kiss characters pouting towards each other in a smooch, a Stupid Cupid heart-shaped swing set, and a translucent red box housing a Heart Broken Crybaby.

Pop Mart also brings a pop-up store to this event, with plenty of goodies from the Crying For Love series – like the gift box containing the angel and heart plushies, an adorable straw cup, and vinyl plush hanging dolls – but also from Crybaby’s other lines. Keep your eyes peeled for items that are out of stock online!

If you are experiencing post-concert withdrawals from G-Dragon’s Hong Kong shows, then head on over to his Übermensch media exhibition in Harbour City, which combines virtual reality, 3D motion graphics, and real-time hologram projections to bring visitors into an immersive concert experience like no other.

From music video props and life-like 5G holograms of the singer dancing and ‘interacting’ with visitors, to a VR headset experience to bring you into a GD music video, fans can feel closer to the K-pop star than ever. Don’t miss the chance to film yourself with G-Dragon in a special video that’s tucked the corner at the end of the exhibition, and head on over to Gateway Arcade to see his giant Übermensch daisy installation.

Hong Kong's first large-scale Crayon Shinchan interactive exhibition is now open. Spanning over 10,000 square feet, this playful experience welcomes all to join Shinchan and the 'Kasukabe Defence Force' on a thrilling time-travelling rescue mission. The exhibition features nine immersive zones, alongside a special museum section dedicated to 35 years of Crayon Shinchan history with original artwork and movie memorabilia. Of course, no Hong Kong exhibition is completely without a pop-up shop, so be sure to check it out before you leave to browse through more than 200 themed merch.

Local artist Chang (formerly referred to as Ernest Chang) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of his gallery, The Stallery, with an exhibition exploring the conflicts between time, technology, and life. Chinese scholar’s rocks are typically prized for their natural resemblance to things – ‘Artifice’ overlays the heresy of modern-day symbols onto the purity of natural rock forms, and asks if this strips away its artistic value. To match these rocks, the gallery has been transformed into a Zen garden with pebbles on the floor, artificial grass, and even a traditional Chinese bridge. This exhibition is running until August 31.

Kiang Malingue’s Hong Kong headquarters is currently hosting a collection of recent works by Liu Yin – remember her peach paintings with bright manga eyes at Art Basel? This show is a continuation of Liu’s exploration of nature beginning with her ‘Spring’ series in 2023, which portrays human emotions in greenery, flowers, fruits, and bodies of water. She continues to paint shojo manga eyes over nature, turning the environment into sentient beings.

Among the bright, joyful works, there are also some quieter portrayals of nature at nighttime, where the peaches and a moon above a pond are more solemn and reflective. Don’t miss the intense and more powerful Waves and Rocks, which clearly take inspiration from Japanese ukiyo-e works. This exhibition is running until September 13.

Whether you’re a casual Instagram user or a photography fanatic, you’ve likely come across a post by Accidentally Wes Anderson (or AWA for short), a platform known for showcasing moments in daily life that replicate the American filmmaker’s signature symmetrical style. This internationally acclaimed art project has held exhibitions in cities such as London, Tokyo, Seoul, and Los Angeles, and this July, it’ll be arriving in Hong Kong for the first time at The Mills and Airside simultaneously. Find more information about these exhibitions here.

Stay cool during Hong Kong’s brutal summer by grabbing an icy treat from Snack Baby, one of Hong Kong’s top gelato shops. From now until September 13, the gelateria is holding a pop-up at BaseHall 02, where they’ll be offering a rotating selection of their crowd-pleasing gelatos. Expect flavours such as BB Cinnamon, olive oil dark chocolate, speculoos, pistachio crunch, as well as Strawberry Moon, a BaseHall exclusive strawberry sorbet swirled with strawberry coulis. Snack Baby’s gelato offerings will be updated every fortnight, and customers can enjoy up to three gelato flavours in each cup ($68), so be sure to swing by and try their new flavours.

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.

The second edition of the Chinese Culture Festival (CCF) returns to Hong Kong this summer with over 280 performing arts programmes, film screenings, exhibitions, and other events. 

Running from April 16 through to September 28, keep an eye on the schedule of upcoming CCF performances and events here. Tickets will open for sale from April 15, and prices will differ depending on the specific events, but there will be a limited-time discount of up to 30-percent off until April 30.

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.