https://www.scmp.com/rss/23/feed Find all the latest movie and music reviews, listings, celebrity news and interviews en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Enid Tsui Enid Tsui At first glance, Mandy El-Sayegh’s The Campaign (2026) at the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (BACC) looks like a luxury boutique whose creative director has gone for an “Oriental spiritual” look. Mannequins draped in patterned silks guard a red-floored, high-ceilinged temple, its walls plastered with silkscreened collages in amber and cumin tones. Above a video of the work’s making is a neon sign resembling a designer monogram. But it is all camouflage. The sign is the amateur radio identifier of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373809/why-bangkok-art-biennale-now-one-asias-most-relevant-international-exhibitions https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373809/why-bangkok-art-biennale-now-one-asias-most-relevant-international-exhibitions Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:15:07 +0000 Christopher Halls Christopher Halls Describing his life-affirming Symphony No 8, composer Gustav Mahler told lyricist and writer Richard Specht in 1906 that he had completed the huge score in a feverish two months. “It was like a lightning vision – I saw the whole piece immediately before my eyes and only needed to write it down, as though it were being dictated to me,” he said. Representing a paradigm shift in his symphonic style and sung from beginning to end, Mahler’s epic eighth in E-flat major was unprecedented, fusing two... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373772/mahlers-symphony-no-8-dazzles-hong-kong-under-tarmo-peltokoskis-baton https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373772/mahlers-symphony-no-8-dazzles-hong-kong-under-tarmo-peltokoskis-baton Mon, 09 Nov 2026 10:15:09 +0000 Oliver Giles Oliver Giles Thanks to a wave of new galleries, exhibitions and initiatives, queer art is currently in the spotlight in Southeast Asia. While this partly reflects greater queer acceptance in the region – gay sex was decriminalised in Singapore in 2023 and same-sex marriage legalised in Thailand in 2025 – many of these openings are also the result of the determination of LGBTQ artists, collectors and curators to build their own platforms, rather than waiting for established institutions to make room for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373501/5-spaces-making-waves-queer-art-southeast-asia-singapore-bangkok https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373501/5-spaces-making-waves-queer-art-southeast-asia-singapore-bangkok Sun, 08 Nov 2026 10:15:06 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui Gustav Mahler’s rarely performed Symphony No 8, a work requiring such a large orchestra and choir it is known as “Symphony of a Thousand”, finally received its Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra premiere on Saturday, heralding an ambitious new chapter as the 26-year-old Finnish conductor Tarmo Peltokoski officially took the podium as music director. The 5pm performance at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre involved nearly 600 musicians and singers from six choirs: the Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus; the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3373659/tarmo-peltokoski-begins-hk-phil-tenure-mahlers-monumental-symphony-no-8 https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3373659/tarmo-peltokoski-begins-hk-phil-tenure-mahlers-monumental-symphony-no-8 Sat, 07 Nov 2026 13:31:49 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo After artist Oscar Chan Yik-long left Hong Kong for Europe – first to Paris, then Helsinki – in 2019, he did not return to the city for many years. Widely considered one of Hong Kong’s most promising young talents, Chan even missed his 2021 solo exhibition – a display of the gothic, monochrome works he is best known for – at Gallery Exit in Aberdeen, Hong Kong, because he could not bring himself to board a long-haul flight. What kept him away was fear. At the time, Chan was suffering from severe... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373342/artist-oscar-chan-examines-religion-myth-and-trauma-haunting-hong-kong-exhibition https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373342/artist-oscar-chan-examines-religion-myth-and-trauma-haunting-hong-kong-exhibition Sat, 07 Nov 2026 08:15:06 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Although he had visited Hong Kong a couple of times before, American-Korean violinist, singer and television personality Danny Koo performed in the city for the first time when he headlined the opening concert of the Hong Kong Generation Next Arts (HKGNA) Music Festival on October 30. The 35-year-old’s debut came about after he befriended Hong Kong conductor-violinist Andrew Ling when the two played together at the Busan Chamber Festival in 2024. Hitting it off immediately, Ling introduced Koo... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373258/violinist-and-tv-celebrity-danny-koo-fame-and-purpose-im-just-musician https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373258/violinist-and-tv-celebrity-danny-koo-fame-and-purpose-im-just-musician Fri, 06 Nov 2026 08:15:09 +0000 Christopher Halls Christopher Halls Seldom is the idiom to show up “with bells on toes” taken literally, but that is exactly what Moldavian-Austrian-Swiss violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Argentine cellist Sol Gabetta did at their recital at Hong Kong City Hall on November 2. Classical music boundaries have no place in the pair’s playbook, and their theatrical entrance for the last leg of their Asian tour – each from opposite sides of the stage, dressed in bold colours and wearing slip-ons with bell-lined toes – was a clear... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373372/string-duo-sol-gabetta-and-patricia-kopatchinskaja-impress-theatrical-hong-kong-recital https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373372/string-duo-sol-gabetta-and-patricia-kopatchinskaja-impress-theatrical-hong-kong-recital Thu, 05 Nov 2026 11:15:06 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Those recovering from the Halloween weekend may need a relaxing day of meditation or curling up with a film. Others, however, might want to continue the fun with a full day of music and drinks. Regardless, there is something for everyone, whether it is a new market to visit or an exhibition to see. Here are five things to do in Hong Kong this weekend. 1. Goods On Wax Vol. 2 Goods On Wax returns on Saturday, November 7, offering a full day of community gathering centred around music, vinyl... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373354/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-november-6-8 https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373354/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-november-6-8 Thu, 05 Nov 2026 08:15:05 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung The Hong Kong Sinfonietta has spent decades trying to make classical music feel less like a members-only club. The orchestra’s CEO, Margaret Yang, says the belief that classical music concerts are exclusively formal affairs is outdated and restrictive. This is why she is taking classical music beyond the concert hall. The Music in Films festival, launched in October with Movie Movie – the film and lifestyle brand under Hong Kong cinema chain Broadway Circuit – features three recent films that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373112/hong-kong-sinfonietta-unlocks-classical-musics-inner-world-using-films https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373112/hong-kong-sinfonietta-unlocks-classical-musics-inner-world-using-films Thu, 05 Nov 2026 04:45:04 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo Even before its doors opened on October 17, the striking, gleaming-white landmark had long redefined the skyline along the Huangpu River in Shanghai. The Shanghai Grand Opera House, which took 10 years to build, is a massive spiral structure rising above the Expo Culture Park in the Chinese city’s Pudong New Area that captures the gaze of passing ferry passengers and riverfront walkers. By day, it resembles a Chinese hand fan; by night, glowing against the water, it evokes a pearl nestled inside... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373092/inside-shanghai-grand-opera-house-us590-million-performing-arts-marvel https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373092/inside-shanghai-grand-opera-house-us590-million-performing-arts-marvel Tue, 03 Nov 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui Think you can steer a drone using nothing more than your own concentrated thoughts? It may sound like science fiction, but mind-controlled drone-flying is one of the free activities the public can take part in at the upcoming Being Human Festival in Hong Kong. Running from November 5 to 15, the festival is the first Hong Kong edition of the UK’s national festival of the humanities, which was founded in 2014. Organised by the University of Hong Kong (HKU)’s Faculty of Arts under the theme... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3372981/mind-controlled-drone-flying-hong-kongs-being-human-festival-among-varied-programme https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3372981/mind-controlled-drone-flying-hong-kongs-being-human-festival-among-varied-programme Tue, 03 Nov 2026 11:15:06 +0000 Jimmy Shiu Jimmy Shiu Can a global kung fu superstar famous for death-defying stunts and slapstick humour direct a grand Italian opera? When it was announced that Jackie Chan would direct Turandot for this centenary Sino-Italian production of Giacomo Puccini’s final masterpiece, many in the classical music world were understandably sceptical. Yet, Chan’s first opera production proves that his cinematic flair is a remarkably natural fit for the beloved masterpiece set in ancient China. Premiering in Guangzhou in May... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373074/jackie-chan-has-directed-his-first-italian-opera-did-action-star-crush-it https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373074/jackie-chan-has-directed-his-first-italian-opera-did-action-star-crush-it Tue, 03 Nov 2026 09:15:06 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui Yuja Wang will be juggling two things when she returns to Hong Kong on November 9: playing both of Brahms’ piano concertos in the same concert and conducting the Mahler Chamber Orchestra from the keyboard while she does it. The Beijing-born megastar will play in two concerts as part of Premiere Performances’ 20th anniversary season. On the first night, at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, she will play-conduct Brahms’ Piano Concerto No 1 and No 2 back to back. The following evening will see her... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3372661/piano-megastar-yuja-wang-her-next-extreme-feat-she-returns-hong-kong https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3372661/piano-megastar-yuja-wang-her-next-extreme-feat-she-returns-hong-kong Mon, 02 Nov 2026 04:45:10 +0000 Robin Zebaida Robin Zebaida The marketing of classical music concerts has increasingly focused on the musician rather than the music, with the often ephemeral cult of personality perceived as more valuable than what is played, at least in drawing an audience. So, it was refreshing to hear the fine young musician John Lee perform. After studying at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, where he is now a member of the faculty, Lee earned a master’s degree from the Royal College of Music in London with distinction. For... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3372718/hong-kong-pianist-john-lee-does-justice-rachmaninov-and-more-despite-dry-acoustics https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3372718/hong-kong-pianist-john-lee-does-justice-rachmaninov-and-more-despite-dry-acoustics Sat, 31 Oct 2026 08:15:06 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui Hong Kong’s M+ museum, New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Centre Pompidou in Paris signed an agreement on October 30 to establish a three-way cultural alliance, aiming to redefine how visual culture is collected, exhibited and shared globally. The framework agreement, signed at M+ in the West Kowloon Cultural District, departs from conventional short-term blockbuster touring exhibitions and fee-based satellite franchises. With no money changing hands, the institutions will focus on... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3372366/hong-kongs-m-forges-new-alliance-moma-and-centre-pompidou-redefine-museum-loans https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3372366/hong-kongs-m-forges-new-alliance-moma-and-centre-pompidou-redefine-museum-loans Fri, 30 Oct 2026 03:15:06 +0000 Laura Luo Laura Luo In her New York solo exhibition at 47 Canal, Hong Kong-raised artist Cici Wu animates the gallery space with 11 paper lanterns made using traditional techniques. Inside the lanterns constructed with bamboo and willow sticks and sheathed in mulberry paper, she has placed pulsating LED lights that cast moving shadows. There is something cinematic about these luminous sculptures that are traditionally vessels of memories and loss. The pulsating light in each lantern corresponds to a section of the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3372517/how-hong-kong-raised-artist-cici-wu-turns-her-diasporic-experiences-poignant-works https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3372517/how-hong-kong-raised-artist-cici-wu-turns-her-diasporic-experiences-poignant-works Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:15:06 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo When Shanghai-born, Macau-based artist Mio Pang Fei (1936-2020) held his inaugural exhibition at the Luis de Camoes Museum in Macau in December 1985, his abstract canvases infused with Eastern philosophy sent ripples through the then-Portuguese colony. At the time, cross-pollination between Chinese ink art and Western abstraction had flourished for years in neighbouring Hong Kong, championed since the 1960s by Lui Shou-kwan and the New Ink Movement. At the same time, Paris-based masters such as... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3372281/how-macau-based-artist-mio-pang-fei-stunned-art-world-his-neo-orientalist-works https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3372281/how-macau-based-artist-mio-pang-fei-stunned-art-world-his-neo-orientalist-works Tue, 27 Oct 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui In 1935, an exhibition of Chinese art held by the Royal Academy at London’s Burlington House marked a landmark in Chinese diplomacy. Nine decades later, the event is being reinvented at Christie’s Asia-Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. “The Royal Academy International Exhibition of Chinese Art 1935-36: A Commemorative Tribute” runs until November 6 and combines the launch of a six-volume publication about the London exhibition with the reuniting of 15 objects from it. The bilingual... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3372111/landmark-chinese-diplomatic-art-exhibition-london-reinvented-hong-kong-91-years https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3372111/landmark-chinese-diplomatic-art-exhibition-london-reinvented-hong-kong-91-years Mon, 26 Oct 2026 10:15:05 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Johan Famaey is considered the only professional yangqin player in Belgium. When he returned to Belgium from Qingdao, China, in 2009, most people in his home country had never heard of the instrument and knew little about Chinese culture. The 47-year-old musician, who is primarily a pianist, performs with a yangqin in Belgium and beyond, showcasing both Western and Eastern music traditions in his compositions. “Whether it’s a piano, whether it’s a yangqin, we all have this in common that we try... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371842/belgian-musician-fusing-western-chinese-instruments-something-totally-different https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371842/belgian-musician-fusing-western-chinese-instruments-something-totally-different Sun, 25 Oct 2026 11:15:10 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu “Nowadays, we have people listening to AI pop singers,” Chinese-American composer Huang Ruo says during a talk on music and culture in Hong Kong. “They sing so beautifully, but it’s not real. So I do believe theatre and opera are the last dance of humanity.” The 50-year-old New York-based conductor and pianist behind acclaimed cross-cultural operatic projects M. Butterfly (2022) and The Monkey King (2025) made further impassioned statements about performing arts in the modern world. “Seriously,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371875/composer-huang-ruo-why-opera-last-dance-humanity-and-his-hong-kong-show https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371875/composer-huang-ruo-why-opera-last-dance-humanity-and-his-hong-kong-show Sat, 24 Oct 2026 08:15:05 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo British choreographer Alastair Marriott never expected to turn his childhood love of Charlie Chaplin films into a full-scale production in Tokyo with the National Ballet of Japan. Ballet is often seen as high art: formal and reserved. Chaplin, by contrast, built his comedy on slapstick and mime. During the pandemic, Marriott, who was developing a new production at the time, decided to revisit City Lights, Chaplin’s 1931 masterpiece. In the film, Chaplin’s character, Little Tramp, falls in love... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371757/charlie-chaplins-city-lights-gets-ballet-spin-tokyo-classical-dance-meets-comedy https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371757/charlie-chaplins-city-lights-gets-ballet-spin-tokyo-classical-dance-meets-comedy Fri, 23 Oct 2026 08:15:05 +0000 Cathy Fan Cathy Fan While the Tang dynasty (618-907) is synonymous with a golden age of Chinese arts and culture, its glittering reign was fractured by one of history’s most devastating civil wars. Today, the life and work of the revered Tang dynasty calligrapher Yan Zhenqing, a key figure in that 1,200-year-old tragedy, are capturing the attention of millions, partly thanks to an AI microdrama. The series titled Yanbian Qingmei, which roughly translates to Green Plums by the Inkstone, has accumulated more than 100... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371727/how-ai-microdrama-yanbian-qingmei-driving-interest-ancient-chinese-calligrapher https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371727/how-ai-microdrama-yanbian-qingmei-driving-interest-ancient-chinese-calligrapher Thu, 22 Oct 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu As we inch closer to the end of October, the city is ready to embrace the spooky and cosy ambience of the season – though the sweltering weather means we cannot ease into an autumnal mood just yet. Whether it is trying dishes with seasonal ingredients or checking out a new movie, here are five things to do in Hong Kong this weekend. 1. M+’s Myths and Monsters As the first major survey exploring two centuries of Asian fantasy visual culture, the latest exhibition at M+, “Myths and Monsters: The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371736/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-october-23-25 https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371736/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-october-23-25 Thu, 22 Oct 2026 08:15:07 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. This ancient Chinese warrior queen led huge armies and stole a king’s heart Fu Hao is one of the earliest documented female military generals in history, yet relatively little is known about her. Most of the information gathered about her life is from her tomb. 2. How to prevent osteoporosis, from training to eating... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371716/ancient-chinese-warrior-queen-how-prevent-osteoporosis-7-lifestyle-highlights https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371716/ancient-chinese-warrior-queen-how-prevent-osteoporosis-7-lifestyle-highlights Thu, 22 Oct 2026 07:15:06 +0000 Aaina Bhargava Aaina Bhargava Growing up, Thai artist Nawin Nuthong loved playing video games, especially Civilization, where players can create empires as historical leaders. Drawn to playing as King Ramkhamhaeng, who ruled the Sukhothai Kingdom from 1279 to 1298 in what is now Thailand, Nawin soon became interested in how history is constructed. The 33-year-old now combines his twin passions for history and video games through his multimedia practice, which examines how new technology shapes and advances societies. His... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371454/thai-artist-blends-history-and-gaming-installation-puts-visitors-control https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371454/thai-artist-blends-history-and-gaming-installation-puts-visitors-control Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:45:04 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui Before Juan Diego Florez became one of the most celebrated opera tenors of his generation, he was on his way to being a pop star. Music was always part of family life. His father, Ruben Florez, was a respected singer of Peruvian criolla folk music; his mother, Maria Teresa Salom, managed a Lima pub with live music. As a boy, Juan Diego Florez would sometimes be asked to stand in and perform with his guitar. That early exposure gave him his first taste of being on stage, and by his teens, he was... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371621/peruvian-tenor-juan-diego-florez-hong-kong-debut-pavarottis-regret-and-singing-food https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371621/peruvian-tenor-juan-diego-florez-hong-kong-debut-pavarottis-regret-and-singing-food Wed, 21 Oct 2026 11:15:06 +0000 Natasha Rogai Natasha Rogai There is nothing more difficult than living up to expectations. Dunhuang: In Search of Light is the first new full-length production for Hong Kong Ballet by the husband-and-wife choreographic team of Ricky Hu Songwei and Mai Jingwen since the multi-award-winning The Butterfly Lovers in 2024. The exceptional success of its predecessor raised the bar, and while the new work offers plenty to enjoy, it does not reach the same level. On the plus side, the lush, atmospheric score by Tian Mi (composer... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371349/hong-kong-ballets-visually-stunning-dunhuang-search-light-fails-fully-tell-tale https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371349/hong-kong-ballets-visually-stunning-dunhuang-search-light-fails-fully-tell-tale Mon, 19 Oct 2026 10:15:05 +0000 Alex Howlett Alex Howlett On September 22, after a five-year trial, 15 men from Sri Lanka’s minority Muslim community were convicted and sentenced to 200 to 260 years in prison each for their involvement in the 2019 Easter bombings. The coordinated suicide attacks on luxury hotels and Christian places of worship on April 21, 2019, remain one of the deadliest terror incidents in the island nation’s history, claiming more than 250 lives. While the devastation and subsequent investigations were covered widely in the global... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370980/sri-lankan-writer-nifraz-rifazs-debut-novel-confronts-islamophobia-after-easter-bombings https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370980/sri-lankan-writer-nifraz-rifazs-debut-novel-confronts-islamophobia-after-easter-bombings Sun, 18 Oct 2026 11:15:06 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo Contemporary photography museum Fotografiska’s newest outpost in Shenzhen is strikingly different from its original venue in Stockholm, Sweden – in the former customs building on the Stadsgardshamnen waterfront – or its Shanghai location, which opened in 2023 inside the Guang San Warehouse. In Shenzhen, a technological metropolis where sleek high-rises and futuristic cultural venues continue to emerge, the museum integrates into the modern urban landscape with a crisp white rectangular facade... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371088/hong-kong-would-be-impossible-why-newest-fotografiska-photo-museum-shenzhen https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371088/hong-kong-would-be-impossible-why-newest-fotografiska-photo-museum-shenzhen Sun, 18 Oct 2026 08:15:05 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo St Stephen’s Society looks more like a contemporary art gallery than a rehabilitation facility. At the non-profit Christian charity’s compound in Hong Kong’s New Territories, there are corridors lined with sketches, canvases and photography and a wall of art supplies. Founder Jacqueline “Jackie” Pullinger, a British missionary now in her eighties, proudly looks at the artwork created by its residents. A selection will be showcased at the upcoming exhibition “285 and Counting”, named for the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371165/missionarys-stories-kowloon-walled-city-live-new-exhibition-hong-kong https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371165/missionarys-stories-kowloon-walled-city-live-new-exhibition-hong-kong Sat, 17 Oct 2026 08:15:06 +0000 Payal Uttam Payal Uttam At the 2026 Jakarta Biennale, visitors can plant cassava in moist soil. An evocative soundscape, including the calls of threatened birds-of-paradise, fills the air. Paintings made with natural pigments on tree bark hang on the walls. The installation by Papua-based artist collective Alyakha Kolektif draws attention to illegal gold mining and excessive logging that are damaging the environment in Indonesia’s Sentani region. The cassava planting, which continues until late October, is intended as... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371089/gritty-jakarta-biennale-polished-art-jakarta-both-tell-indonesias-story-haze-and-all https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371089/gritty-jakarta-biennale-polished-art-jakarta-both-tell-indonesias-story-haze-and-all Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:15:07 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Mid-October is a tease for Halloween fans – spooky season feels tantalisingly near, yet still just out of reach. Luckily, Hong Kong offers plenty to keep you busy until then, and remember that Monday is a public holiday. Whether you are after a new piece of ink, a perfect pour-over, a night at the ballet or a deeper stretch, there is more than one way to fill the long weekend. 1. Hong Kong China International Tattoo Exhibition 2026 The Hong Kong China International Tattoo Exhibition 2026 will... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3370938/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-long-weekend-october-16-19 https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3370938/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-long-weekend-october-16-19 Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:16:56 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo When Hong Kong’s Jumbo Floating Restaurant capsized and sank in the South China Sea in 2022, social media users lamented the loss of a culinary icon. Some tongue-in-cheek proposals called for it to be transformed into an underwater restaurant or diving sanctuary. No salvage operation or documentary project has materialised, leaving the fate of the wreck a lingering mystery. That sense of loss, nostalgia and imagination surrounding Hong Kong’s vanished and disappearing landmarks anchored City... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370575/jumbo-floating-restaurant-neon-nostalgia-aplenty-hong-kong-art-tech-show https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370575/jumbo-floating-restaurant-neon-nostalgia-aplenty-hong-kong-art-tech-show Tue, 13 Oct 2026 13:15:04 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung A collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces – including a rarely seen landscape painting by Vincent van Gogh – which have been hidden from public view for more than half a century, will be going under the hammer this November. The Blaquier-Arrieta Collection has made its global debut in Hong Kong, with a dozen works on show until October 15, before being put up for auction at Sotheby’s in New York. The collection, amassed by the Argentinian businessman Carlos Pedro Blaquier... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370705/rarely-seen-us180-million-van-gogh-show-hong-kong-ahead-new-york-auction https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370705/rarely-seen-us180-million-van-gogh-show-hong-kong-ahead-new-york-auction Tue, 13 Oct 2026 09:16:43 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung When Taiwan-based tattoo artist Jimmy Shy and street-film photographer Yu Chang decided to travel to Hong Kong to document the city’s fading post-war tattoo history, they agreed on one criterion: they would find their subjects only on the street. “We relied entirely on instinct,” Shy says of the project, which started in 2023 but began life as casual phone photos years earlier. “A lot of tattoos were hidden under clothing, so whenever we had a feeling that someone might have the kind of tattoo... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370577/how-hong-kongs-post-war-tattoo-scene-fused-sailor-art-chinese-imagery https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370577/how-hong-kongs-post-war-tattoo-scene-fused-sailor-art-chinese-imagery Mon, 12 Oct 2026 23:15:17 +0000 Natasha Rogai Natasha Rogai Opera Hong Kong’s first fully staged production of Pietro Mascagni’s 1890 Cavalleria Rusticana and Ruggero Leoncavallo’s 1892 Pagliacci does justice to the classic double bill. Familiarly known as Cav/Pag, the production features lively staging, strong performances in the leading roles and splendid work by the Opera Hong Kong Chorus. Since 1893, the two operas have often been performed together for obvious reasons. Both are set in the rural Italian south and both explore themes of jealousy,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370537/opera-hong-kongs-cavalleria-rusticana-and-pagliacci-double-bill-lights-stage https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370537/opera-hong-kongs-cavalleria-rusticana-and-pagliacci-double-bill-lights-stage Mon, 12 Oct 2026 13:15:06 +0000 Kavita Daswani Kavita Daswani In a city known for hype-filled events, from the Oscars and Grammys to countless Hollywood premieres, the recent opening of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles occupied its own stratosphere, drawing a constellation of celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry and Pharrell Williams. Many of the names at the museum’s September 19 grand opening were there to wish founder George Lucas, creator of the sprawling Star Wars franchise, and his wife, Mellody Hobson,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370324/its-chinese-architect-manga-how-asian-influences-abound-los-angeles-lucas-museum https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370324/its-chinese-architect-manga-how-asian-influences-abound-los-angeles-lucas-museum Mon, 12 Oct 2026 04:45:47 +0000 Reggie Ho,Morning Studio editors Reggie Ho,Morning Studio editors Hong Kong’s Asia+ Festival, the annual celebration of the cultural diversity of the region, particularly those countries linked by the Belt and Road Initiative – China’s plan to develop a global trading network – is back for its fourth edition under the theme “Traditions Recast”. Two headline shows at this year’s festival – organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department – which runs until the end of November, perfectly capture that spirit by fusing ancient music with visual art and... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts/topics/asia-and-beyonds-cultural-showcase/article/3370037/melody-inspired-calligraphy-and-boundary-breaking-mash-headline-asia-festival https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/arts/topics/asia-and-beyonds-cultural-showcase/article/3370037/melody-inspired-calligraphy-and-boundary-breaking-mash-headline-asia-festival Sun, 11 Oct 2026 16:00:08 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo At nearly 80, South Korean artist Kang Myonghi retains the creative energy of her youth. She remains active in her studio, with her commitment to international projects undiminished. In recent months, she has visited Hong Kong twice to prepare for “What Remains to be Seen”, her first solo exhibition at a gallery in two years. The only pause in her working routine came during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. Travel restrictions did little to stem her creative output, however. Being confined to Jeju... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370314/nearly-80-korean-artist-kang-myonghi-talks-about-what-remains-be-seen https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370314/nearly-80-korean-artist-kang-myonghi-talks-about-what-remains-be-seen Sat, 10 Oct 2026 11:15:05 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo On a typical day, Kat O – a tranquil island within the Hong Kong Unesco Global Geopark, in the northeastern waters of the New Territories – sees just a small number of visitors, who arrive mostly for a scenic hike through its heritage trails. However, with an island-wide festival taking place from October 11 to 15, things are about to get lively. In the run-up to the festivities, villagers are busy completing a giant bamboo theatre, traditional puppets and parade lanterns, while local artists... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3370266/why-dajiao-festival-hong-kongs-kat-o-island-held-once-every-10-years https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3370266/why-dajiao-festival-hong-kongs-kat-o-island-held-once-every-10-years Fri, 09 Oct 2026 08:15:05 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung At first glance, the peach-shaped box with coral inlay appears to be carved from red lacquer. But the piece – made specifically to celebrate the birthday of the Yongzheng Emperor (1678-1735) – is, in fact, a gold-bodied box with a surface overlaid with red coral. Each fragment of the vivid gemstone is cut and set so precisely that the joins almost disappear, creating a shimmering mottled crimson skin. It is a deliberate exercise in restraint, executed entirely in one medium and, unusually for an... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370005/how-qing-dynastys-imperial-workshops-turned-emperors-visions-exquisite-art https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370005/how-qing-dynastys-imperial-workshops-turned-emperors-visions-exquisite-art Fri, 09 Oct 2026 04:46:00 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District Authority has unveiled the inaugural line-up for its highly anticipated WestK Performing Arts Centre (WestK PAC). The new arts hub, 10 years in the making, is slated to open in summer 2027 and will be marked by an ambitious series of world-class performances. The opening production will premiere the dance drama Wong Fei Hung in July 2027. Inspired by Wong Fei-hung, one of China’s most enduring martial arts legends, the production brings together... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370180/westk-performing-arts-centre-inaugural-line-sees-bruce-lee-ballet-marina-abramovic-work https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370180/westk-performing-arts-centre-inaugural-line-sees-bruce-lee-ballet-marina-abramovic-work Thu, 08 Oct 2026 09:21:53 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu As the weather cools in October, it is finally pleasant enough to venture out on weekends, so it is time to trade the indoor hustle for this season’s best offerings. This weekend’s line-up brings together meaningful community events, immersive storytelling and unique local flavours across the city. Here are five things to do in Hong Kong this weekend. 1. ‘What We Regret Most’ “What We Regret Most” is a community-driven, story-led exhibition that invites people to embrace the messy, awkward and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370126/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-october-9-11 https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370126/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-october-9-11 Thu, 08 Oct 2026 08:15:06 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu The late Singapore-born British artist Kim Lim has recently garnered a much-deserved resurgence of international attention. Following major showcases at Tate Britain in 2020 and the National Gallery Singapore in 2024, the diverse oeuvre of the artist is now on view at Axel Vervoordt Gallery in Hong Kong. Titled “Source”, the exhibition takes its name from her 1988 granite sculpture Source II. Lim specialised in printmaking and sculpture, frequently carving directly from wood or stone to create... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3369974/singapore-born-british-artist-kim-lims-legacy-explored-hong-kong-exhibition https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3369974/singapore-born-british-artist-kim-lims-legacy-explored-hong-kong-exhibition Wed, 07 Oct 2026 04:55:14 +0000 Bernice Chan Bernice Chan Opened in the 1950s, Sai Woo was a two-storey restaurant in Toronto’s Chinatown, with a traditional Chinese banquet hall on the upper floor. Designed for wedding celebrations, the space featured a canopy with two columns, a golden dragon entwined on one and a phoenix on the other. Lazy Susans sat atop the round banquet tables. Chinatown was also home to Charlie’s Meat and Seafood, a white-tiled butcher shop that opened in 1971. Inside was a glass display case filled with cuts of meat. On the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3369543/how-architect-using-art-and-technology-preserve-toronto-chinatowns-history https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3369543/how-architect-using-art-and-technology-preserve-toronto-chinatowns-history Sun, 04 Oct 2026 04:15:05 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo The autumn 2026 marquee auctions by Hong Kong’s three international auction houses – Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips – from September 28 to 30 generated more than HK$2 billion (US$255.78 million) in combined totals. This marks a fair increase from the HK$1.3 billion achieved during the spring season, signalling a disciplined market anchored by competitive depth for fresh-to-market works with strong provenance. Christie’s led the series with HK$956.5 million, up 17 per cent year on year,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3369448/hong-kong-autumn-2026-art-auctions-top-hk2-billion-kusama-works-get-cool-reception https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3369448/hong-kong-autumn-2026-art-auctions-top-hk2-billion-kusama-works-get-cool-reception Thu, 01 Oct 2026 13:15:06 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo What happens when two operatic heavyweights – Warren Mok Wah-lun in Western opera and Alis Lin Yingshi in Cantonese opera – meet at an ad hoc music jamming session? “A crossover opera that combines Turandot and The Flower Princess,” says Lora Chow Hiu-ching, a Hong Kong composer and soprano. What began as an informal artistic exchange session quickly evolved into a serious artistic endeavour. Four years later, Chow is fine-tuning acoustics at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre, where... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3369425/how-westernised-cantonese-opera-sleepless-moon-marries-turandot-and-flower-princess https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3369425/how-westernised-cantonese-opera-sleepless-moon-marries-turandot-and-flower-princess Thu, 01 Oct 2026 10:15:06 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung The National Day “golden week” break is upon us, and with it comes the familiar dread: packed MTR carriages, huge crowds and a slow-moving tide of visitors. But as always, there are several ways to escape the hordes, whether that is trying experimental gelato, practising poolside yoga or checking out an exhibition of Hong Kong’s beloved neon lights. 1. Ciao! Gelato Fest 2026 The city’s first large-scale Italian gelato festival is back at PMQ for another edition, bringing together 20 brands from... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3369409/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-october-2-4 https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3369409/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-october-2-4 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 08:15:05 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo Tickets to the two opening-week performances of House of Swans, Anne Imhof’s first solo show in Asia, sold out well before its September 25 premiere at Hong Kong’s Tai Kwun heritage and arts centre. That is partly due to the venue’s capacity of 150 visitors per show, but also because the German visual artist, choreographer and performer has a sizeable following across both the art and fashion worlds. At the 2017 Venice Biennale, her transformation of the German Pavilion, adding raised glass... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3369317/german-artist-anne-imhofs-hong-kong-show-ambitious-it-disjointed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3369317/german-artist-anne-imhofs-hong-kong-show-ambitious-it-disjointed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:15:06 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu London-based fashion designer Katie Ko blurs the line between fashion and fine art, turning unconventional materials such as bamboo strips and preserved flowers into wearable narratives that seemingly defy gravity. Taffeta ruffles and feather-adorned layers explode from Ko’s silk bodices while other pieces evoke the elegance of porcelain. The 26-year-old also pays homage to her hometown, Hong Kong, which she left at 18. She says her 2025 spring/summer collection, “Chrysanthemum Dew”, was... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3369147/hong-kong-born-london-based-designer-katie-ko-wanted-be-ballet-dancer-what-changed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3369147/hong-kong-born-london-based-designer-katie-ko-wanted-be-ballet-dancer-what-changed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 23:15:06 +0000