The Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) has unveiled the full lineup for its 55th edition scheduled for February and March 2027, featuring innovative reimaginings of classical works and a special interactive arts technology project to mark the milestone anniversary.
The festival will bring together more than 1,500 international and local artists across 45 programs in over 190 performances, alongside 300 educational and outreach activities.
Speaking at the press conference on Tuesday, HKAF chairman Lo King-man said the festival’s total budget this year is expected to exceed HK$160 million. He thanked the government for a recurrent subvention that covers around 11 percent of annual income through the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, as well as 21 percent through the Matching Grant. Ticket sales are expected to contribute 24 percent of revenue, while sponsorship and donations will make up 44 percent.
Executive director Flora Yu Kit-yee said that despite its half-century history, the festival remains committed to thinking out-of-the-box and presenting cutting-edge works alongside world-class masters. It will also bring rare cultural showcases from Central Asia, Central Europe, and the Caucasus.
Canadian pianist Bruce Liu performs Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto alongside conductor Rafael Payare and the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.
Astana Opera’s State Ballet performs Yuri Grigorovich’s Spartacus.
The festival opens on February 18, when Canadian pianist Bruce Liu joins conductor Rafael Payare and the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal for Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto. It concludes on March 19 with Kazakhstan’s State Ballet Company of Astana Opera Theater staging Yuri Grigorovich’s heroic Spartacus, accompanied live by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
Theatre highlights will showcase bold, unconventional adaptations. These include Alexander Ekman’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Ballett Dortmund, which draws on Swedish midsummer traditions rather than Shakespeare’s plot, and Tian Gebing’s The True Story of Ah Q, a new Cantonese interpretation of Lu Xun’s anti-hero.
The True Story of Ah Q
Music highlights feature Thomanerchor Leipzig and Gewandhausorchester Leipzig marking the 300th anniversary of Bach’s St Matthew Passion, as well as Hankyung arte Philharmonic x SM Classics, bringing orchestral arrangements of K-pop hits with guest vocalists Ryeowook from Super Junior and Wendy from Red Velvet.
To celebrate its 55th anniversary, the festival will present Deep Space Hong Kong, an immersive multi-user environment in collaboration with Austria’s Ars Electronica that turns physical space into interactive worlds exploring games, local geology and natural science.
Advance bookings open on Wednesday, offering up to 15 percent off until November 20.
Deep Space Hong Kong, an interactive multi-user environment exploring games, cultural heritage, and science.
Thomanerchor Leipzig and Gewandhausorchester Leipzig perform Bach’s St Matthew Passion
