The best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend (September 19-21)

Great news for party animals: Got Balls is coming back to the city this month! For the unacquainted, this version of bingo is a far cry from the stereotypically old folks home-based game – it gets surprisingly competitive, and is sprinkled throughout with live performances, surprise show entrances, and hilarious stage moments. As you can imagine, the free-flow drinks will also ensure the night gets progressively messier and all the more unhinged.

The theme this time is ‘Rock V Pop’, which the Got Balls team has promised means the ‘ultimate battle of the bangers [...] from power ballads to pop floor fillers’, so turn up ready to belt out those tunes from your favourite genre during the epic singalongs! Dress up like a rock star or pop icon (not required, but it’s fun!) and head over to the Hong Kong Football Club on Saturday, September 20, to join the Got Balls party. Tickets are available for $745.

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the legendary Carmen from French composer George Bizet, one of the world’s best-known operas, The Peninsula Hong Kong is presenting a brand-new adaptation of this 1875 opera – but the catch is that it’s set in a Hong Kong bar in the 60s and 70s instead of 1800s Seville. And where else should Les Amours de Carmen Wong be held but within The Peninsula Hong Kong’s beautiful fine dining spaces?

To make the evenings even more special, each performance will be accompanied by culinary offerings specially created for the occasion. Head to Felix on September 20 to enjoy the final performance of this contemporary opera show, as well as a special one-off menu. The extremely limited Les Amours de Carmen Wong opera and dinner experience is priced at $4,800 per person, and is available by reservation only. 

Mandarin Oriental The Landmark, Hong Kong is continuing its Tastemarker series at LMO Freshly Baked this month with celebrated chef May Chow of the award-winning modern Chinese eatery Little Bao, who brings a range of comforting dishes that are available to take away from the Landmark Atrium location.

LMO Freshly Baked’s time-limited menu includes a Szechuan three yellow chicken sandwich ($88) with punchy vinegar, chilli, ginger, and more aromatics, and a refreshing tomato, plum, and perilla salad with prawns in a sour plum dressing ($98) that is great for the hot weather. But our favourite of Chow’s creations has got to be the Hong Kong-style curry brisket pie ($98), which features slow-cooked beef shin in a nostalgic curry sauce – the kind that you get from cha chaan tengs, with a flavour profile that sits in between Indian and Japanese curries – encased in a buttery, flaky pastry. 

Following Grand Hyatt Hong Kong’s immersive Le Petit Chef dining experience, the hotel is set to unveil ‘The Magic Table’, a brand-new dining experience that fuses captivating 3D projection mapping technology with exceptional fare. From September 19 onwards, this one-of-a-kind show features Thommy Ten & Amélie van Tass from America’s Got Talent, as they deliver dazzling magic performances and storytelling to leave guests enthralled.

Diners can choose from the Wizard’s Essentials ($1,550 per person) or the Grand Illusion ($1,850 per person) to enjoy a curated menu with sumptuous dishes like beef tartare, foie gras with port wine gel, butternut pumpkin topped with potato foam, a choice between surf or turf for mains, and a delectable chocolate sphere with poached peaches to conclude.

Central-based casual burger joint, Burger Circus, is rolling out a series of deals throughout the month to honour its 10th anniversary. To celebrate, the restaurant will be returning with crowd-favourites like the Filet-O-Fish, sliders, and the Juicy Lucy, along with Butter’s confetti cake by the slice. If you’re feeling creative, Burger Circus also invites all diners to design their dream burger, and the winning creation will be featured as October’s Burger of the Month.

Be sure to swing by the restaurant on Tuesdays for a buy-one-get-one deal on burgers, or come dressed in pink on Sundays to receive a free burger with a purchase of a drink. Finally, the casual diner will partner with fellow Black Sheep venue Gelato Messina to whip up an exclusive vanilla and root beer swirl-flavoured milkshake from September 22 to 28 – perfect to wash everything down and dunk your fries into! 

Local bubble tea brand Silk. and Cantonese spirit-centric cocktail bar Kinsman are teaming up to combine beloved cha chaan beverages with cocktails. Enjoy an inventive take on yuen yeung with the Silk. Stocking, which elevates the bubble tea brand’s Smooth Latte – made with milk tea and espresso – by adding rice-aroma baijiu from Guangdong and sweet vermouth into the mix. The whole thing is topped with a velvety milk foam made by Black & White evaporated milk, as a cheeky nod to familiar flavours found in cha chaan tengs.

Prefer something tart? Go for the refreshing Homecoming, which combines Silk.’s Smooth Lemon – crafted with cold-steeped lemon tea, lemon infusion, and clarified lemon foam – with fragrant osmanthus wine. Head to Kinsman from September 15 to October 11 to sip on these exclusive cocktails served in bespoke retro glassware.

If, like us, you’re still not over the devastating tale of freedom and subjugation that is Attack on Titan, then you can dedicate your hearts at this officially licensed exhibition that’s in town! Make your way through eight themed zones containing nearly 200 artworks, reproductions of author Hajime Isayama’s precious manuscripts, and a huge nine-metre-long screen showing classic titan battles that’s sure to thrill fans of both the anime and the original manga.

One of the highlights is definitely the 6.2-metre figure of a Colossal Titan peering menacingly over a three-metre wall, which might give you an idea of what Eren Jaeger meant when he said, “Humanity remembered the terror of being ruled by them.” There will be about 40 merchandise items in the gift shop that are exclusive to the Hong Kong event, so this is not the time to be counting those pennies!

Set amidst the greenery and historical landmarks of the Asia Society Hong Kong Center are Lee Kuang-Yu’s sculptures that are inspired by Eastern philosophy and natural aesthetics. Using his distinct ‘open void’ sculptures, Lee’s cubist- and surrealist-inspired pieces blend into the environment seamlessly. These nine sculptures make up his first large-scale solo show in Hong Kong, where his works are complemented by modern architecture and our city’s lush nature.

Kam Kong Restaurant, which was established in 1909, has recently reopened in Hong Kong. Taking over a space of almost 8,000sq ft in Mong Kok’s 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 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. Apart from your standard har gow and siu mai, Kam Kong also serves up 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.

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.

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. 

From August 1 to October 31, the Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) is staging a centenary tribute to Fung Wong-nui, the Cantonese opera legend, to celebrate her impact on Chinese performing arts. Screenings of 16 classic films starring the seminal actress will be shown as part of ‘Phoenix on the Silver Screen – A Centenary Tribute to Fung Wong Nui’ in the HKFA’s Morning Matinee series, making Fung’s influential work accessible to a wider audience.

HKFA has curated a selection of Fung’s films under four categories – ‘Gems of Cantonese Opera,’ ‘The Unforgettable Villainess,’ ‘Martial Heroine,’ and ‘Comedy and Drama’ – to give audiences a comprehensive overview of the actress’s accomplishments and versatile style. Post-screening talks will take place after select screenings, led by notable figures in the performing arts industry such as Cantonese opera veteran Professor Yuen Siu-fai and Ko Lai, one of Fung’s own disciples.

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.

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!

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 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).

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.