The 53rd Hong Kong Arts Festival in 2025 concluded today

Over 1,300 outstanding international and local artists

staged 135 performances of 51 programmes

More than 90% of tickets available were sold

(Hong Kong, 29 March 2025)

The 53rd Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) celebrated its official finale today (29 March) with a performance by the China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra. The Finale Toasting Ceremony was held after the performance at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. The officiating party included Guest of Honour Mr Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, who was joined by Professor Lo Kingman, Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Festival; Ms Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism; Dr Liu Yagan, Chairman & Executive Director of ICBC (Asia); Mr Lin Nan, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Publicity, Cultural and Sports Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Ms Winnie Yip, Head of Charities (Culture, Sports and Community Engagement) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Ms Fanny Au, Assistant Director (Performing Arts) of Leisure and Cultural Services Department; and Ms Flora Yu, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival. The Festival Finale performance was exclusively sponsored by ICBC (Asia).

[Photos of the closing ceremony can be downloaded here]

The month-long Festival this year presented more than 1,300 acclaimed international and local artists in 51 programmes in 135 performances, including six new works/world premieres, five Asia premieres and two co-productions. The Festival presented programmes across a wide range of genres*, including western opera, traditional Chinese opera, classical music, contemporary music, ballet, contemporary dance, theatre in Cantonese, Putonghua and foreign languages, music theatre as well as VR interactive and arts tech programmes. Over 90% of the total number of tickets available at this year’s Festival were sold.

In addition to the main Festival programme, the HKAF also offered a diverse range of over 300 Festival PLUS, education and outreach events in performance venues and community locations. Festival PLUS activities included exhibitions, masterclasses, workshops, backstage tours, artist talks, film screenings and local cultural tours, enhancing the audiences’ Festival experience. In terms of arts education, the HKAF’s Young Friends Scheme provided students with a diverse arts experience through school tour showcases, in-school workshops, Hong Kong Jockey Club Student Matinee programme, school-based projects as well as arts appreciation performances and workshops targeted at young students. Discounted student tickets were in high demand and more than 12,000 were made available through the Student Ticket Scheme.

The Festival is estimated to have reached about 300,000 people from Hong Kong, mainland China and overseas through its diverse range of performances and events this year.

The HKAF sincerely thanks the Hong Kong SAR Government via the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, commercial sector sponsors, other charitable foundations, Patron’s Club members, individual and institutional donors, in-kind and other supporters, as well as the Hong Kong Arts Festival Foundation patrons for their contribution. The Festival also thanks over 1,300 exceptional international and local artists, as well as audience members and event participants for their support.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The 53rd HKAF is most grateful to its funder, sponsors and supporters, including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government via the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, ICBC (Asia), C.C. Wu Cultural and Education Foundation Fund, China Resources (Holdings) Co., Ltd., Shun Hing Group, and Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund; Gala Dinner Partner Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd.; Official Airline Cathay Pacific Airways Limited; Official Outdoor Media Partner POADmedia Limited; Official Premium Car Partner Dah Chong Hong (Motor Leasing) Limited; Official Video Technology Partner MobileVision.ai; and Major Hotel Partner Grand Hyatt Hong Kong.

The HKAF would also like to express its utmost gratitude to the sponsors of Love in the Bamboo Grove GBA Tour: China National Arts Fund, Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the HKSAR Government, and the Hong Kong Arts Festival Foundation.

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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 leading local and international artists from all genres of the performing arts, giving equal importance to 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 subsequently had successful runs in Hong Kong and overseas. Every year, the Festival also presents more than 250 “PLUS” and educational activities that offer diverse arts experiences to the community as well as tertiary, secondary and primary school students. In addition, through the “No Limits” project co-presented with The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Festival strives to create an inclusive space for people of different abilities to share the joy of the arts together.

For more information about the Hong Kong Arts Festival, please visit www.hk.artsfestival.org.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

For further enquiries, please contact:

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

• Ms Vicki Cheng (Marketing Manager): (852) 2828 4933 / vicki.cheng@hkaf.org

• Ms Stephanie Cheung (Marketing Manager): (852) 2828 4938 / stephanie.cheung@hkaf.org

PROGRAMMES OF THE 53RD HONG KONG ARTS FESTIVAL IN 2025

Western opera and traditional Chinese opera programmes included:

• Bizet’s Carmen

• Klangforum Wien and Needcompany—Amopera

• Shanghai Yue Opera House—Family, The Butterfly Lovers (Yuan & Fan Version), The Jade Hairpin and Selected Excerpts

• 300 Years of Cantonese Opera: The Beginning

• Cantonese Opera—Love in the Bamboo Grove (Re-run)

Music programmes included:

• Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna

• China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra

• Insula orchestra and accentus—Beethoven Wars: A Battle for Peace

• Christian Gerhaher Vocal Recital

• Sir András Schiff and Cappella Andrea Barca

• The Waste Land by Amsterdam Sinfonietta and ISH Dance Collective

• Kian Soltani and Amsterdam Sinfonietta

• Elisso Virsaladze Piano Recital

• Li Biao and The Philharmonic Percussion Group of Berlin

• Pi-hsien Chen Piano Recital

• tritsch tratsch—Concert by Klangforum Wien

• Hong Kong Sinfonietta: Pavel Kolesnikov Piano Recital

• Hong Kong Sinfonietta—Great Piano Concertos: Pavel Kolesnikov Plays Beethoven

• Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra—Daniele Gatti | Mahler 3

• Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra—The Dream of a Concubine

Dance programmes included:

• The Czech National Ballet—La Sylphide

• Nureyev & Friends—A Ballet Gala Tribute

• CR Holdings Proudly Sponsors: Malevo

• Nagauta and Geisha: Treasured Traditions of Japan

• Cristiana Morganti—Jessica and Me

• Mui Cheuk-yin—SOLO

• Louise Lecavalier—Stations

Theatre programmes included:

• Thunderstorm by Cao Yu

• HIPPOLYTUS National Theatre of Greece-Athens Epidaurus Festival-Lykofos

• Jockey Club East-meets-West Series: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

• Bells and Spells by Victoria Thierrée Chaplin starring Aurélia Thierrée with Jaime Martinez

• Crime and Punishment

• Scott Silven—Wonders

• Noh theatre + Kyogen play—School of Hosho and School of Okura-Yamamoto Ke

Music theatre programmes included:

• TIME by Ryuichi Sakamoto + Shiro Takatani

• Emma Rice—Wuthering Heights

VR interactive dance and arts tech programmes:

• VR Interactive Dance—Le Bal de Paris de Blanca Li

• Jockey Club InnoArts Series: No reality now

Officiating Guests at the Finale Toasting Ceremony of the 53rd Hong Kong Arts Festival on 29 March included: (from left to right) Ms Fanny Au, Assistant Director (Performing Arts) of Leisure and Cultural Services Department; Ms Winnie Yip, Head of Charities (Culture, Sports and Community Engagement) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Dr Liu Yagan, Chairman & Executive Director of ICBC (Asia), Sponsor of the Finale Performance of the 53rd Hong Kong Arts Festival; Prof Lo Kingman, Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Festival Society; Mr Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Ms Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism; Mr Lin Nan, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Publicity, Cultural and Sports Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; and Ms Flora Yu, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

Mr Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, gives a speech at the Finale Toasting Ceremony