The best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend (August 15-17)

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. 

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!

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.

If you haven’t managed to get tickets for GD’s concert, you can still enjoy a slice of this K-pop legend’s star power with his Übermensch media exhibition, running from August 15 to September 7. A combination of virtual reality, 3D motion graphics, and real-time hologram projections will bring visitors into the heart of G-Dragon’s newest single ‘Take Me’, while multiple 5G-powered hologram projectors throughout the venue will also screen life-like performances of ‘Take Me’ and ‘IBelongIIU’, bringing the K-pop star closer to fans than ever before – it’ll certainly feel closer than watching him in concert. 

Don’t miss the special art installations such as the ‘Daisy Garden’, where a giant 4.4-metre daisy stands as the centrepiece. Official merchandise that is exclusive to the Übermensch exhibition will also be brought in from Korea and available for sale on-site – look out for special limited-edition gift sets and the chance to collect the G-Dragon art series in full.

Ever since Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) launched its pet-friendly bus services, the response has been overwhelmingly positive in Hong Kong’s pet owners. KMB has since gamely added new routes to service more people, with stops now available in neighbourhoods like To Kwa Wan, Sham Tseng, Stanley, and more. Click below to find out more about week day pet bus routes, additional weekend buses, monthly tickets, and August-exclusive adventure buses!

In need of a sweet treat to cool down this summer? From now until September 28, The Lobby Lounge at Regent Hong Kong is churning out exclusive ice cream creations that are sure to please any dessert fiend. Stop by from now until August 24 to dig into vibrant, summer-y flavours with the Golden Tropics – a refreshing blend of coconut ice cream and passionfruit sorbet, garnished with a medley of tropical fruits and crispy pineapple slices. Then, from August 25 to September 28, be sure to return for the decadent Pistachio Gold Baklava, featuring rich honey pistachio ice cream, crispy kataifi, roasted pistachios, and sweet honeycomb.

Book your table for The Lobby Lounge on Regent Hong Kong’s website and savour these decadent desserts today.

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.

Step off the burning sand of Repulse Bay Beach and into the air-conditioned comfort of The Pulse shopping mall to find a bar made to look like it’s encased in ice blocks, a ‘frosted tree’ pumping out bubbles filled with cool smoke, and interactive photo spots like an adorable polar bear installation. 

The Ice Bites Market happening every Friday to Sunday will bring alcoholic beverages, desserts, sweet treats, Hong Kong-style snacks, and more to everyone, while DJs will spin beats to keep the party vibes up coming nighttime.

Mira Place’s Gimme LiVe Festival returns for its 13th year with a vibrant mix of popular artists and fresh talents! Running for four weekends in August with the likes of Dear Jane, Kiri T, ROVER, Chantel Yiu, and Gordon Flanders promising to wow audiences with their sets, the eclectic lineup is studded with local acts performing every Saturday, with additional busking on Friday evenings to support the local music industry. What’s more, award-winning music producer Terry Chiu, consultant to the festival, will make special appearances to collaborate with emerging musicians and join them for live jams.

Click here for details on getting tickets.

Before G-Dragon even performs in Hong Kong, the K-pop star’s pet cat beats him to the stage 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 cynical-looking Zoa sits in the middle of Times Square’s second-floor atrium, surrounded by flowers and the daisy A&ne. Walk through and snap pictures at photo spots, explore Zoa’s room, and see plenty of artworks, decals, BTS captures, and more. There’ll be a range of Zo&Friends products on sale, such as soft toys, plush keychains, kitchenware, rugs, stickers, and wearable accessories.

From now until the end of August, purchase a McDonald’s Happy Meal to receive a Chiikawa toy. There are eight versions altogether, with each type being offered on specific dates throughout the promotion period, so make sure you keep an eye on the dates to get your favourite. There’ll be a Chiikawa notepad and penholder, an Usagi hotcake box, a Momonga pen cap, a Hachiware photo frame, and more.

Order a Happy Meal via the designated webpage on the McDonald’s app, or visit 40 select outlets across Hong Kong to get your hands on these collectables.

Eight oversized blind box characters from Crybaby’s Crying For Love series have taken over Festival Walk 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 ball pit, though we also really liked the angel and devil Kiss Kiss characters pouting towards each other in a smooch.

Stop by the Pop Mart pop-up store to find products from the Crying For Love series – like angel and heart plushies, an adorable straw cup, and vinyl plush hanging dolls – as well as Crybaby’s other lines, such as the animal-themed Wild but Cutie series, the tutu-wearing Shiny Shiny series, their Powerpuff Girls collab, not to mention scented candles and fragrances. 

Italian restaurant Pane e Latte went viral for selling the largest commercially available pastries in Hong Kong, and now they’re back again with huge cookies, available in monthly flavours. After the hazelnut and pistachio flavours of July, August sees them rolling out a raspberry cookie, featuring raspberry cookie dough with a luscious raspberry ganache filling, as well as their classic cookie, which features the quintessential chocolate chip dough filled with rich chocolate ganache.

These two flavours will be paired with a tropical shake, which blends pineapple juice, coconut milk, vanilla gelato, and whipped cream, topped with dried mango for a beachy island vibe. Each giant cookie is available at $68, and for an extra $28 you can add additional toppings, because why not?

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.

Rising South Korean cosmetic brand Fwee – viral on social media for their bouncy pudding pot tints for lips and cheeks – has finally decided to bring their latest international flagship to Hong Kong, named Fwee Agit. Makeup fans can now get their hands on all 35 shades of their viral Lip & Cheek Blurry Pudding Pot and its newer, luminous counterpart the Lip & Cheek Glowy Jelly Pot. In the continuing Y2K resurgence, a must-have product from Fwee is their pudding pot keychain, which can hold a handy amount of the Blurry Pudding Pot or Glowy Jelly Pot products for touch-ups on the go – and it also makes for a cute bag charm, with a Hong Kong-exclusive colour.

From their opening day on July 25 to the last day of July, customers to Fwee Agit can enjoy a 15-percent discount, and receive a free mini keychain pot when purchasing a Blurry Pudding Pot, which you can then fill with your shade of choice. Purchases of at least $350 or $580 after the in-store discount will also receive a free pocket mirror or taporin bag, respectively.

Bar Leone has just been crowned top slot in Asia’s 50 Best Bars for the second year in a row, so if you thought the queues were crazy, it’s probably going to get worse. Luckily, Leone’s founder Lorenzo Antinori has just opened a new venture with Simone Caporale, co-founder of the acclaimed Sips bar in Barcelona. From Cuban vibes and cocktails made from original recipes from the 1930s, to Latino music and finger-lickin’ bar snacks, Montana is undoubtedly Hong Kong’s latest drinks hotspot. Click below for our full review!

Whether you’re a casual Instagram user or a photography fanatic, you’ve likely come across a post by Accidentally Wes Anderson, 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.

A good dose of laughter is a great remedy for the stressors of hectic urban life, which is why comedic comics have been so well-received since they appeared in Hong Kong in the early 20th century. By the 1950s, local comics truly began to take off, giving rise to iconic characters like Old Master Q, My Boy, and Sau Sing Chai. Visitors can see beloved comic works spanning from the 50s to modern-day characters used in our everyday group chat stickers.

See what life was like in the legendary Kowloon Walled City and step inside this immersive 'real life' movie set exhibition! Featuring meticulously recreated shops and scenes from the award-winning film Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, the exhibition will take you back into the 1980s inside the famous Walled City to explore everything from the local cafe to the neighbourhood dental clinic.

Check out our guide for everything you need to know about the exhibition, from dates and opening hours to highlights not to be missed.

The team behind Socio have decided to give Hong Kong’s night owls the best of both worlds by combining the nightclub and cocktail lounge concepts into a premium cocktail club, named Gossip. Their drinks menu is inspired by the many traditional masks of Asia, each made with distinctly Asian ingredients such as mango sticky rice, Korean gochujang, and Sichuan pepper.

The cocktail lounge hosts live music performances on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, transforming into a clubby atmosphere when the clock hits midnight from Thursday through the weekend. If you’re bored of the thumping, techno-heavy beats that are spinning in most clubs, then you’ll appreciate that Gossip focuses on playing R&B and hip-hop.

The Ways in Patterns is an immersive exhibition themed around traditional patterns from the Palace Museum’s architecture, ceramics, and textiles, featuring seven immersive spaces that burst into life with projections of colourful Chinese motifs like waves, clouds, florals, birds, and more. Don't leave without creating your own bird or fish to let loose onto a digital canvas, where it will live on the walls of the exhibition, and interact with these thematic spaces to understand the auspicious meanings that these motifs and patterns carry. Visitors can access the exhibition with a general admission ticket (from $70) or special exhibition ticket (from $150).

Sweettooths are in for a treat as Japanese dessert brand Mr. Cheesecake is hosting a time-limited pop-up at IFC Mall from now to August 21. Apart from its signature Mr. Cheesecake classic box, known for its melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich flavours, customers will also be able to try this season's newly launched Basque cheesecake, along with two Hong Kong-exclusive takes on the classic: Matcha, made with Yame Matcha from Yame City (Fukuoka prefecture, and milk tea, a combination of Uva tea and Yunnan tea. Be sure not to miss other hot-sellers like the Mr. Cheescake cream brew coffee, silky chocolate white tonka and black cacao, snowball vanilla tonka, and more. Online pre-orders are available for easy pick-up at the IFC pop-up on selected dates. 

Where: Kiosk LA15, Podium Level 1, IFC Mall

Have some fun under the sun this summer at the annual SummerFest running from now until August 3. From open-air concerts to sports competitions and outdoor markets, there are tons of free programmes this year covering sports, music, dance, and culture. 

Find out more about SummerFest 2025 in our guide

Hong Kong's first large-scale Crayon Shinchan interactive exhibition has landed in Kai Tak Sports Park from now to August 31. Spanning over 10,000 square feet, this playful experience lets you join Shinchan and the 'Kasukabe Defence Force' on a thrilling time-travelling rescue mission. The exhibition features nine immersive zones, including recreations of Shinchan's living room, a UFO spaceship, a futuristic city, and a ninja village. Visitors can enjoy interactive games, AR missions, and plenty of photo opportunities with 3D characters.

There's also a special museum section showcasing 35 years of Crayon Shinchan history, complete with original artwork and movie memorabilia. After the adventure, be sure to stop by the pop-up shop to browse over 200 themed merchandise items or grab a snack at the themed food stall. Tickets start at $108 and are available on INCUTix, K11 Experience, and KKday.

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.

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.