Things to do in Hong Kong this week
Our pick of this week's best events, things to do, festivals, nightlife and more
Want to plan ahead and fill up your calendar for the next seven days? Discover the biggest and best things to do in Hong Kong from Monday morning to Sunday evening with our ultimate list. From the latest restaurant openings and the best art exhibitions in Hong Kong to pop-up events and free community classes, we’ve got you covered for the rest of the week. And if you're looking to get some fresh air after a long day at work, why not fit in a hike on a weeknight?
This week's best events
Chinese Opera Festival
Cantonese opera was once the most popular art form in our city and our greatest cultural export. This two-month-long festival pays tribute to that. The celebration brings to Hong Kong a diverse range of performers including theChina National Peking Opera Company and Shanghai Jingju Theatre Company, who will showcase the different styles and unique charms of regional Chinese opera.
Diageo Whisky Academy
Diageo, a global leader in beverage alcohol, is dedicated to building the Diageo Whisky Academy. DWA is a worldwide professional whisky education course that consists of a three-level course and examination. This July will be the first official launch of DWA in Hong Kong, beginning with the Level 1 course ($1500) at Tai Kwun. Level 1 course: The Whisky Crawls is an entry-level course for the general public. Participants will be able to explore the origins and basic categories of whiskies, and experience the different styles and flavours. If your interests run the gamut from whisky to gin to tequila to wine to sake, check out the best specialist bars in Hong Kong.
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.
International Arts Carnival 2019
The annual family-friendly festival is back again. The carnival puts on an array of performances all over town, providing great opportunities for family bonding. Expect everything from a stage production of The Little Mermaid featuring whimsical sets and puppets and a musical adaptation of Oscar Wilde's short story, The Nightingale and the Rose. Perfect to keep the kids busy this summer.
SummerFest
Summer is officially here and that only means the return of Central Harbourfront SummerFest. This year, the 68-day festival features a wide range of 30 large-scale events and the city’s first-ever Smartizen Park, which showcases the latest technologies and demonstrating how new technologies are being integrated into our daily lives. Some highlights to look forward to include the large-scale Sound Color Stone exhibition, showcasing more than a hundred pieces of stone art paintings by various artists from around the world, and Pure Playground, an all-out outdoor yoga party. Best of all, everything’s free.
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.
Toy Story & Pixar Pals Summer Splash
Make a literal splash at Hong Kong Disneyland’s summer event – the Pixar Water Play Street Party. Bringing together all the popular Pixar characters, including the likes of Woody from Toy Story, Joy and Sadness from Inside Out, Russell and Dug from Up, as well as The Incredibles, look forward an array of new floats as characters on it splash and spray water to the crowds during the parade. It’s certainly a way to cool down.
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. As usual, there’s a theme of this big calendar event and this year is no different. The festival is diving into the world of sci-fi and mystery this year, and will feature multiple lectures and book signings throughout the week-long event, as well as appearances by internationally renowned writers and literary heavyweights including bestselling Canadian author Steven Erikson (July 18; 3pm-4.30pm), emerging British author Will Dean (July 19; 3pm-4.30pm), World Fantasy Awards-nominated young British author Emma Newman (July 19; 6pm-7.30pm) and Swedish author Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin (July 20; 6pm-7.30pm). Make sure you register for a seat here ahead of time! Other highlights include seminars Speculative Fiction with Natasha Pulley (July 17; 7pm-8.30pm), Reality vs Fantasy: How to Develop Imagination? with Bernard Werber (July 21, 6pm-7.30pm) and How South Asians Helped to make Hong Kong with Mark O’Neill (July 22; 6pm-7.30pm).
Our Toy Stories
Woody and the rest of the gang of Toy Story 4 has taken over Harbour City! In celebration of the latest instalment of the Pixar series, the popular Tsim Sha Tsui is bringing the toys to life with a themed carnival featuring game booths and challenges, a mini art exhibition, kids’ workshops, an interactive digital game, as well as a pop-up store. Also be on the lookout for a Toy Story themed pop-up dessert store and photo spot presented by Hong Kong Disneyland.
Murakami vs Murakami
Charming both fine art and mainstream audiences worldwide with his cute and psychedelic works, which often feature colourful flowers with smiley faces and original characters like Kaikai and Kiki, eccentric Japanese artist Takashi Murakami returns to Hong Kong for a major survey exhibition. The exhibition will be taking over all the art galleries at Tai Kwun, showcasing more than 60 paintings and sculptures in an immersive setting that explores the multi-faceted work and life of Murakami. Those range from large-scale post-apocalyptic works to interpretations on classical Japanese paintings and Buddhism to his creative collaborations, including the character Doraemon. Also at the exhibition are some of the artist’s iconic and outlandish costume designs, video works, samples of his private art collection and the artist’s spectacular wall and floor art.