Fireworks and drone displays expected to start in May, says Tourism Board

The monthly fireworks and drone displays over Victoria Harbour could be started in May at the earliest, the executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board Dane Cheng Ting-yat said on Monday.

The new annual budget sets nearly HK$1.1 billion aside to hold tourism events, including the drone show and fireworks display, in hopes of attracting tourists to the city.

Cheng said the Board could be the coordinator if organizations are interested in sponsoring the drone and fireworks displays.

He noted that the drone and fireworks display would not be running concurrently due to legal constraints, and the first show could be held on the first day of May at its earliest, echoing the Labour Day Golden Week.

The show might not be regularly held on a specific day in a month, and it could coincide with mega events or festival celebrations.

The Board also announced it will revamp the light-and-sound show "A Symphony of Lights," which is expected to roll out in the first half of 2025.

Cheng stated that the original show has been running for over 20 years and is time for a redesign.

He added that the night shows worldwide were excellent and cited Xi An's Datang Everbright City as an example. He believed the revamped light-and-sound show would showcase Hong Kong's unique characteristics more.

Regarding the budget for updating "A Symphony of Lights" to reach HK$100 million, Cheng explained that part of the fund will be spent on upgrading the lighting equipment and installing hardware to cooperate with multiple buildings that are newly joining the show.

It is reported that the format, performance days, duration, and whether there are festivals or holiday special editions for the show are all under review.