The 52nd Hong Kong Arts Festival opened today

Featuring a stellar lineup of over 1,400 international and local artists across more than 150 performances of over 45 programmes;

80% of tickets already sold

(Hong Kong, 22 February 2024)

The 52nd Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) officially opened today (22 February) with the Bayerische Staatsoper (Bavarian State Opera) performing Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos. This year, more than 1,400 acclaimed international and local artists will stage over 45 programmes in more than 150 performances during the one-month Festival, including the world premieres of 11 new works, five Asian premieres and three co-productions. As of today, 80% of all available tickets for the performances have been sold.

The Festival’s opening ceremony was held at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Joining Mr Victor Cha, Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, as the officiating party at the ceremony were Mr Raistlin Lau Chun, Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism; Ms Winnie Yip, Head of Charities (Culture, Sports and Community Engagement) at The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Mr Vincent Liu Ming-kwong, Director of Leisure and Cultural Services; and Ms Flora Yu, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival. The Festival Opening Performance was sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

[Download photos of the opening ceremony here]

This year, the Festival continues its legacy of presenting internationally renowned and multiple-award-winning masters and legends, showcasing an impressive collection of timeless classics re-imagined with a contemporary vision and new aesthetics. The Festival also introduces a fascinating line-up of daring and innovative new works that promise to become canonical works of tomorrow.

The 52nd HKAF also brings the arts into the community through over 350 outreach events, including special events for Young Friends, educational activities for students at primary and secondary schools as well as tertiary institutions, and PLUS events for the public, to enhance audience engagement with the artists and their work. In addition, HKartsFestival@TaiKwun continues to offer a series of cultural activities completely free of charge to the community.

“The Hong Kong Arts Festival is an important cultural event in the international arts scene, dedicated to enriching the cultural life of Hong Kong and promoting Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange,” said Mr Raistlin Lau Chun, Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism. He added that: “This year’s Arts Festival has been in preparation for a long time. I would like to thank the Festival team for their meticulous planning, allowing the Festival to return to its pre-pandemic scale and present a series of diverse and outstanding programmes. I would also like to thank the sponsors and donors for their generous support and helping to make this year’s Festival a success.”

Mr Victor Cha, Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Festival Society, said: “The Festival is an important annual international cultural event which promotes cultural exchange and the development of the creative industry in Hong Kong. We hope to provide opportunities for the preservation, promotion and innovation of the arts and the strengthening of Hong Kong’s status as an international arts hub.” Mr Cha also thanked the Hong Kong SAR government, sponsoring organisations including The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and numerous commercial enterprises, as well as donors for their financial support for the Festival.

Tickets to the Hong Kong Arts Festival programmes can be purchased at URBTIX (online at www.urbtix.hk, by phone at (852) 3166 1288, or at URBTIX outlets). Tickets to performances at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts are also available through Cityline.

Members of the public can also visit www.hk.artsfestival.org for detailed information about the programmes as well as registering for selected events of Festival PLUS and HKartsFestival@TaiKwun.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The 52nd HKAF is most grateful to its funder, sponsors and supporters, including the Hong Kong SAR Government via the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, ICBC (Asia), China Minsheng Bank, China Resources (Holdings) Co., Ltd., HKR International, Industrial Bank Co. Ltd. Hong Kong Branch, Primasia Foundation Limited, Shun Hing Group, Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund, and SPDB International Holdings Limited; Official Airline Cathay Pacific Airways Limited; Official Premium Car Partner Dah Chong Hong (Motor Leasing) Limited; Official Outdoor Media Partner POADmedia Limited; Official Video Technology Partner TFI Digital Media Limited; and Major Hotel Partners Grand Hyatt Hong Kong and The Langham, Hong Kong.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

For further enquiries, please contact:

• Ms Katy Cheng (Marketing Director): (852) 2828 4930 / katy.cheng@hkaf.org

• Ms Tobie Chan (Chinese Opera, Musical, Theatre and Dance): (852) 2828 4931 / tobie.chan@hkaf.org

• Ms Stephanie Cheung (Music, Opera and Multimedia): (852) 2828 4938 / stephanie.cheung@hkaf.org

Click here to download the Media Release

Officiating Guests at the Opening Ceremony of the 52nd Hong Kong Arts Festival on 22 February included: (Front Row from Left to right) Mr Vincent Liu, Director of Leisure and Cultural Services; Ms Winnie Yip, Head of Charities (Culture, Sports and Community Engagement) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Mr Raistlin Lau Chun, Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism; Mr Victor Cha, Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, and Ms Flora Yu, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

Hong Kong Arts Festival Executive Committee Members present at the Opening Ceremony included: (back row from left) Ms Joanna Hotung, Mr Sebastian Man, Prof Kingman Lo, Mr Colin Farrell, and Mrs Betty Yuen Cheng.

Mr Victor Cha, Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, gives a welcoming speech

Mr Raistlin Lau Chun, Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, gives a speech at the Opening Ceremony