June Highlights: 11 happenings not to miss in Hong Kong this month

Looking for the hottest arts and cultural shows and exhibitions to fill your social calendar? Look no further than these 11 event highlights in Hong Kong that are not to be missed this June.

Karen Mok: The Ultimate Grand Slam Show
11 – 13 Jun
Iconic Hong Kong pop singer Karen Mok bids farewell to performing on stage and moves on to the next chapter of her life in the final stint of her three-year tour to 40 cities worldwide. Held over three nights within the Hong Kong Coliseum in Kowloon, her last large-scale concert serves as the star’s last hurrah in her decade-long career in the showbiz industry. Though it remains uncertain whether the artist will be retiring from performing completely, it is definite that this concert would be the last of its kind for the megastar and is surely a historic event that is not to be missed.

Price: From HK$380
Location: Hong Kong Coliseum, Hung Hom Bay
For more information: sunconcert.com

Music After Work @ Xiqu Centre
Until 24 Jun
If you’re seeking a relaxing end to a busy Thursday, perhaps a visit to West Kowloon’s most prominent arts and culture venue, Xiqu Centre, will offer you just the escape you need. Presenting a weekly slew of live musical performances by the likes of local jazz bands, folk singers and songwriters, the live ensemble will take place at the venue’s front entrance, generously offering the public a soundscape of lyrical tunes and sweet harmonics to unwind to.

Price: Free entry
Location: Xiqu Centre entrance, Tsim Sha Tsui
For more information: westkowloon.hk

Hi! Flora, Fauna
Until 30 Jun
One of the oldest zoological and botanical centres in the world, and the city’s oldest park, the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens provides the lush backdrop for an art project that exhorts visitors to explore their relationship with nature. ‘Hi! Flora, Fauna’ exhibits 17 different artists and groups using various media, including painting, photography, sculpting and installation. The experience is further enlivened with a collaborative audio experience by Hong Kong New Music Ensemble.

Price: Free entry
Location: Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, Central
For more information: lcsd.gov.hk

Calligraphy Rhapsody: Retrospective Exhibition of Georges Mathieu
Until 4 Jul
Co-presented by non-profit organisation K11 Art Foundation (KAF) and the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong & Macau at K11 MUSEA. Calligraphy Rhapsody is the largest Georges Mathieu exhibition in Hong Kong  that marks the French artist’s centenary. Curated by Catherine Kwai, featuring 14 oil paintings loaned from important private collectors, three of which span 6-meters wide and were specially created for Mathieu’s Grand Palais retrospective in Paris in 1978.

Price: Free entry
Location: Shop 605, 6/F, K11 Musea, Tsim Sha Tsui
For more information: k11musea.com

Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival 2021
Until 16 Jul
Organised by the Tourism Commission, the Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival continues its three-year pilot scheme to instigate a new experience of art through the integration of culture, heritage and nature in everyday life. The festival takes on a virtual space to showcase its varied artworks in digital format, inviting viewers to immerse in a 360-degree virtual reality exhibition that encapsulates the unique natural landscape and history of the Sai Kung village.

Price: Free
Location: Online
For more information: yimtintsaiartsfestival.hk

Between the Lines: The Legends of Hong Kong Printing
Until 26 Jul
This fascinating exhibition presents stories and illustrations of traditional printing techniques and movable type tools, as well as works and designs by emerging young designers who have assumed the mantle of reviving and modernising the craft of letter printing. Curators at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum train a special spotlight this month on the disappearing art form of lithography.

Price: Free entry
Location: Thematic Gallery 5, 1/F, Hong Kong Heritage Museum
For more information: heritagemuseum.gov.hk

Chinese Surrealism
Until 7 Aug
In association with the month-long Le French May arts festival, the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong & Macau partners with Alisan Fine Arts to present Chinese Surrealism. The exhibition of contemporary Chinese ink paintings and sculptures focuses on dreamscapes and explorations of the unconscious mind – imagery more commonly associated with Western names such as Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. Young Hong Kong female artists dominate a six-strong group selected for their impressive interpretation of surrealism through a Chinese lens.

Price: Free entry
Location: Alisan Fine Arts, Aberdeen
For more information: alisan.com.hk

Colour The World
7 Jun
D2 Place, together with the French May Arts Festival, proudly present an extraordinary art exhibition that showcases two talented Hong Kong-based artists, The French Girl (Caroline Tronel) and Rainbo in a joint collaboration to bring French and Hong Kong culture together in an extraordinary art journey — co-creating a giant 10m-long mural painting titled Smell of Stars. Other highlights at the event include a series of artworks courtesy of the new knitting brand hoopla.

Price: Free entry
Location:
The Garage, G/F, D2 Place TWO
For more information: frenchmay.com

Romeo + Juliet
18 – 20 Jun
The Hong Kong Ballet brings to life one of the most epic love stories of all time, Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet, with a contemporary Hong Kong-inspired twist. In this local iteration of the timeless tale of star-crossed lovers, the duo is caught in a war between rival triad families in the ’60s Hong Kong. The narrative follows their passion and tragedy in a fusion of dance and drama with original choreography by Septime Webre, Prokofiev’s dramatic score, and sumptuous cheongsam costumes.

Price: From HK$140
Location: Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre, Tsim Sha Tsui
For more information: hkballet.com

Curve of Buoyancy
20 Jun
Michelin-starred cultural and social destination Duddell’s lends its contemporary mixed-use space to an exhibition of 16 thought-provoking works owned by four eminent female collectors, including Mimi Brown, Karen Levy and Li Lin. Curve of Buoyancy spans such diverse subjects as Gothic architecture and functional straps in athleisurewear, and is inspired by the curved lightness of Wendell Dayton’s sculpture ‘For Calder’ (1975).

Price: Free entry
Location: Duddell’s, Shanghai Tang Mansion, 1 Duddell St, Central. Website: duddells.co/art/main/en

Jewellery & Gem Asia Hong Kong
24 – 27 Jun
Asia’s most important jewellery event returns this year, albeit in a hybrid of physical and virtual programmes. Occupying 70,000sq.m of event space within the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the gathering of all that glitters lives up to its year-on-year exciting line-up of exhibitors and special events. The fair’s virtual showing, meanwhile, extends from 17 June to 7 July and grants full access to new products, digital events, specials and more.

Price: Free entry
Location: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai
For more information: hkcec.com

 

January Events: Highlights for Hong Kong’s upcoming month

Kick off the New Year in style by trying your hand at everything from online botanical painting classes to taking in a Brahms requiem. If retail therapy is more your thing, visit the upcoming Discovery Bay Chinese New Year Market. Read on for more events to look forward to in Hong Kong this January…

January Highlights for Hong Kong's upcoming month A Feminist’s guide to Botany Online Botanical Painting Session

Jan 7

A Feminist’s guide to Botany: Online Botanical Painting Session

Step into the magical world of botany and try pairing your green fingers with a brush in an online water painting class dedicated to exploring the history of iconic female artists in the botanical field. The workshop will be led by the London Drawing Group, an all-female art and teaching collective that promises to deliver engaging art classes you can enjoy right in the comfort of your own home. The attendance fee, meanwhile, is on an eminently reasonable “pay what you can” basis.

Details: londondrawinggroup.com

January Highlights for Hong Kong's upcoming month Jing Kewen Cloudless

Jing Kewen: Cloudless

Until Jan 11

Jing Kewen, a leading proponent of the Chinese avant-garde movement, is to present a selection of works he created over the course of 20 years in the first exhibition of his art to be hosted by Massimo De Carlo. The chosen pieces are said to highlight his evolution as an artist, including many deemed to be pivotal expressions of his unique vision during the period when his oeuvre was most influenced by post-modernism and globalisation.

Details: Massimo De Carlo, Central. massimodecarlo.com

January Highlights for Hong Kong's upcoming month Cantonese opera young talent

Cantonese opera young talent

Until Feb 6
With the aim of breathing new life into one of the city’s few homegrown artforms, the Chinese Artist Association of Hong Kong is to stage over 100 Cantonese opera performances and related outreach activities at the Yau Ma Tei Theatre. It is hoped this will help nurture new talents via a programme intended to pass on the art of Cantonese opera to a new generation.

Details: HK$100 Up at Yau Ma Tei Theatre. hkbarwoymt.com

January Highlights for Hong Kong's upcoming month A taste for life The collection and connoisseurship of Mr Low Chuck-tiew

A taste for life: The collection and connoisseurship of Mr Low Chuck-tiew

Until Feb 24
Xubaizhai is presenting a fine selection of highly acclaimed Chinese paintings and calligraphy works from the archives of the late connoisseur of the fine arts, Low Chuck-tiew. In all, the collection is said to showcase some 40 iconic works collected over a 50-year period, which both capture the zeitgeist and reflect the rarefied taste of their former owner. The selection is also accompanied by the personal story behind the acquisition of each work, providing an illuminating journey into the heart of art connoisseurship.

Details: Free admission at Xubaizhai Gallery of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy. hk.art.museum

January Highlights for Hong Kong's upcoming month Brahms The German Requiem

Brahms: The German Requiem

Jan 9
A piece that will move and comfort the grieving heart, The German Requiemis the longest work composed by Deutschland’s own Johannes Brahms. Said to be a tribute to his mother and inspired by the music of Bach, this seven-movement piece will be performed by the Hong Kong Youth Choir under the lead of Christopher Cheng.

Details: HK$180 Up at Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui. up.hkphil.org.

January Highlights for Hong Kong's upcoming month Discovery Bay Chinese New Year Market

Discovery Bay Chinese New Year Market

Jan 12
Ring in the Chinese New Year with a little retail therapy while getting ahead with your preparations for the lunar celebration. As a special edition of the ever-vibrant and lively Discovery Bay Sunday Market, the Discovery Bay Chinese New Year Market is aiming to spoil shoppers with an array of fare from dozens of artisan vendors, all selling handmade crafts and ethically-produced items from local creators.

Details: Free admission at Discovery Bay Main Plaza. handmadehongkong.com

 

The Impossible Trial: A Musical

Jan 24 – 31
The Impossible Trial (previously known as The Great Pretender) assembles some of Hong Kong’s leading creators and performers in the revival of this classic fable of greed, justice and redemption, all in a contemporary context in an innovative musical theatre format. Commissioned by Freespace, and co-presented and co-produced by HKRep and Freespace, the performance is said to tell a timeless tale with considerable relevance to modern day Hong Kong.

Details: HK$180 Up at Hong Kong Cultural Centre. westkowloon.hk

 

December events: Highlights for Hong Kong’s upcoming month

Bringing good tidings into the festive month with highlights of Hong Kong’s upcoming events in December.  From The Nutcracker to the Hong Kong Philharmonic orchestra, fill the dates on your calendar with events to lead up to the new year. 
 
December events Highlights Gafencu Magazine ifc find your sparkle High-tech christmas treat
 
Find Your Sparkle
 
Until Jan 1
Ifc mall presents Christmas in a truly delightful and high-tech manner, featuring futuristic Augmented Reality (AR) fun and interactive activities that shoppers and visitors will enjoy. Guests can use their mobile phones to create their own personalised Christmas town, along with the mall’s holiday-themed Instagram filters. The Yuletide cheer at the mall in Central is complemented and enhanced by an imposing six-metre-high Christmas bauble sparkle, creatively employed as a backdrop to the dazzling light show that is enlivened no end by a symphony of music.  
 
Details: Oval Atrium, ifc Mall, Central. Free entry. ifc.com.hk/xmas2020 

 December events Highlights Gafencu Magazine new arts power

New Arts Power
 
Until Jan 31

The Jockey Club New Arts Power joins and beefs up  the city’s thriving  art festival scene. Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, New Arts Power brings together established and up-and-coming local artists in a series of interesting performances including drama, music, dance and visual arts. The new institution will offer an array of arts presentations that highlight local communities and which will nurture the talents of emerging artists. 

Details: Various locations. newartspower.hk

December events Highlights Gafencu Magazine winter wonderland
 
Winter Wonderland
 
Dec 1-Feb 1

Take in the magnificent Christmas light display across the city’s skyline with a view of Victoria Harbour as you enjoy a ride at the iconic Ferris wheel erected at the AIA Vitality Park in Central. Other fun activities that family members can enjoy are the carousel and seasonal activities and events hosted at the park.

Details: Hong Kong Observation Wheel and AIA Vitality Park, Central. Tickets start at HK$20. hkow.hk.

December events Highlights Gafencu Magazine creamfields hong kong
 
Creamfields Hong Kong 
 
Dec 12-13
Following cancellations of major music festivals and much-anticipated concerts this past year, Creamfields returns to the city and brings new excitement to the city’s music scene with a electrifying two-day dance music festival at the harbourside Art Park. 
 
Details: Art Park, West Kowloon Cultural District, Tsim Sha Tsui. HK$1,300 up. livenationelectronic.asia.
 
December events Highlights Gafencu Magazine the nut cracker hong kong
 
The Nutcracker
 
Dec 17-27

An all-time favourite of children and adults alike, The Nutcracker rounds up the festive season with a performance of adventure, fantasy and romance. It is a classic ballet that captivates audiences with its magnificent display of costumes, set decorations and an enthralling score by Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky performed live by the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. VIP ticket holders are granted access to dining privileges at several restaurants at Rosewood Hotel. 

Details: Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui. HK$1000. hkballet.com

December events Highlights Gafencu Magazine stanley christmas market
 
Stanley Plaza Christmas Market
 
Early-Late Dec
The annual Christmas bazaar returns to Stanley Plaza, which will treat visitors to a fun and festive shopping experience as over 50 booths of delectable goodies, gifts and handicrafts enliven this idyllic seaside community. Pre-registration through Link’s Park & Dine mobile app is required prior to any visit, in line with the prescribed proper social distancing measures. 
 
Details: Stanley Plaza, Stanley. Free entry. parkndine.linkhk.com
 

December events Highlights Gafencu Magazine Hong Kong Philharmonic orchestra yuletide treat

Hong Kong Philharmonic Christmas Fantasia
 
Dec 24

Moving performances that will delight the ears and warm the heart are to be presented by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra on Christmas and New Year’s eve. The Hong Kong Children’s Choir and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus, together with the HK Phil, will treat audience to Christmas classics, including The Nutcracker by Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Ave Maria by French composer Charles Gounod.

Details: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultral Centre. HK$220 up. hkphil.org.

December events Highlights Gafencu Magazine New Year's even fireworks display and countdown

New Year’s Eve Fireworks Display and Countdown

Dec 31-Jan 1

Usher in the New Year at the iconic Victoria Harbour against the backdrop of the traditional epic display of music and fireworks. Whether you are propped up by the seaside, watching from the rooftop of one of the numerous skyscrapers along the harbourfront, or enjoying dinner at a restaurant with a view of the city’s iconic skyline, you can certainly take delight in the magnificent illumination of the night sky in this annual countdown that marks the end of the year and celebrates the incoming new one. 
 
Details: Various locations. Free entry. discoverhongkong.com