The 45th Hong Kong Arts Festival 2017
Over 50% tickets sold by close of Advance Booking
Counter bookings begin on Saturday 10 December 2016

(Hong Kong, 8 December 2016) Featuring over 1,600 international artists and local talents in 149 performances from 15 February to 19 March, 2017, the 45th Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) receives keen response from the audience, selling over 50% of 103,000 available tickets by the close of advance sales. Counter bookings begin at 10:00am on 10 December at all URBTIX outlets (www.urbtix.hk | 2111 5999), while tickets to performances at the HK Academy for Performing Arts will be available also at all HK Ticketing outlets (www.hkticketing.com |31 288 288).

Top 12 most popular programmes

Based on the number of advance tickets sold, the 12 top-selling HKAF programmes are: the HKAF commissioned theatre trilogy A Floating Family, Bayerisches Staatsballett's (Bavarian State Ballet) La Bayadère, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch’s Café Müller and The Rite of Spring, the San Francisco Opera & HKAF co-production Dream of the Red Chamber, Rose Theatre Kingston's All My Sons, The Public Theater’s THE GABRIELS: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Vasily Petrenko and the Oslo Philharmonic, Gainsbourg Symphonic with Jane Birkin, Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, Terri Lyne Carrington’s Mosaic Project: LOVE AND SOUL, Druid’s The Beauty Queen Of Leenane, and National Theatre Brno’s The Makropulos Case by Janáček.

The 45th HKAF Programme & Booking Guide is available at all URBTIX outlets throughout Hong Kong and the Festival Information Counters located at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Hong Kong City Hall. Programme information and ticket availability can also be found at www.hk.artsfestival.org.

Special Events: Super Pool and Chorus

In celebration of the HKAF’s 45th Anniversary, the Festival is co-presenting with The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust Super Pool, a gigantic computerised installation fusing light, sound, technology and human interaction. Designed by renowned new media artist Jen Lewin, the installation will be staged during the Festival period of 17 February – 18 March in different spaces, including Chater Garden, Tsuen Wan Park, Hong Kong Maritime Museum, and Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, welcoming free participation from people of all ages.

Further on light and sound, the hypnotic installation by UK sound artist Ray Lee, Chorus is selected to be one of the events celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Towering above the piazza of Kowloon Park during 2 – 10 March, a series of giant metal tripods with rotating arms will emit a pulsating, harmonic drone, while the red lights on the arms will appear like fireflies or planets, beaming with mesmerising orbits of colour. This cohesive harmonious whole will be an uplifting and transfixing experience for the community which can participate for free.

Performances and more

Topping off the list of live performances, Festival PLUS offers audiences an exciting array of outreach activities including film screenings, masterclasses, cultural walks, workshops, meet-the-artist sessions and backstage tours that enrich the Festival experiences. Details can be found at www.hk.artsfestivalplus.org and in the Festival PLUS Programme Guide 2017 published today.



About the Hong Kong Arts Festival

Launched in 1973, the Hong Kong Arts Festival is a major international arts festival committed to enriching the cultural life of the city. In February and March every year, the Festival presents 1,400 of the world’s top artists and stars of tomorrow in about 120 performances, placing equal importance on great traditions and contemporary creations. The Festival also commissions and produces work in theatre, music, chamber opera and contemporary dance by Hong Kong’s own creative talents and emerging artists, many of which have had successful subsequent runs in Hong Kong and overseas. The Festival also presents about 300 “PLUS” and educational activities that offer diverse arts experiences to the community as well as tertiary, secondary and primary school students.

The Hong Kong Arts Festival is a non-profit organisation. Secured government baseline funding for the Festival in 2017 represents roughly 14% of its HK$120 million budget, with another 9% specially provided by the Government for programmes celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the HKSAR. Around 28% of the Festival’s income comes from the box office, and another 32% comes from sponsorships and donations from corporations, individuals, and charitable foundations. It is anticipated that the remaining 17% will come from the Government’s new matching scheme, which matches income generated through private sector sponsorships and donations.

For more information about the 2017 HKAF, please visit: www.hk.artsfestival.org.

Media Enquiries

For further enquiries, please contact Ms Katy Cheng, Marketing Director, on 2824 3555 or:

Ms Wendy Chung / Mr Louis Cheung (Opera and Music)
Direct Line: 2828 4931 / 2828 4939, Email: wendy.chung@hkaf.org / louis.cheung@hkaf.org

Ms Anthea Leung / Ms Tiffany Ng (Jazz/World Music)
Direct Line: 2828 4936/2828 4932, Email: anthea.leung@hkaf.org / tiffany.ng@hkaf.org

Ms Alexia Chow (Chinese Opera, Theatre and Dance)
Direct Line: 2828 4933, Email: alexia.chow@hkaf.org

Ms Michelle Yeung (Theatre and Dance)
Direct Line: 2828 4934, Email: michelle.yeung@hkaf.org