Hong Kong Festivals and Events

Hong Kong’s festivals and events calendar is as dense as its skyline. The city layers traditional Chinese festivals — lunar calendar events that have been observed for centuries — on top of an international programme of arts fairs, sporting spectacles, and cultural celebrations that reflect its position as one of the world’s most connected cities. The result is a year in which there is almost always something worth timing a visit around.

This guide covers the full year month by month, with detail on the major events and practical notes on what they mean for visitors — including when crowds peak, when to book ahead, and when the city is at its most quietly itself.

How the Calendar Works

Two calendars run simultaneously. The Chinese lunar calendar governs the traditional festivals — Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat, Mid-Autumn — which fall on different Gregorian dates each year. The international events calendar (Rugby Sevens, Art Basel, Film Festival) is fixed. Knowing both helps you plan.

Public holidays affect the city. Hong Kong has 17 public holidays a year. During Chinese New Year in particular, many restaurants, shops, and businesses close for several days. Plan accordingly.

Prices peak around major events. Hotel rates during Rugby Sevens and Chinese New Year can be significantly higher than normal. Book well in advance for these periods, or plan your visit around them rather than for them.

January

Winterfest and New Year Countdown

Hong Kong’s WinterFest runs from late November through January, with light installations across the city, Christmas markets, and street decorations that transform the harbourfront. The New Year’s Eve countdown in Tsim Sha Tsui and on the harbourfront attracts large crowds; the fireworks display over Victoria Harbour at midnight is one of the more spectacular in Asia.

What to expect: Busy, festive, good-natured. Hotels fill early for New Year’s Eve. The light installations are free and run throughout the month.

Hong Kong Marathon

Typically held in mid-to-late January, the Hong Kong Marathon takes runners through some of the city’s most iconic routes — the Tsing Ma Bridge, the waterfront promenade — with a starter field of around 70,000 participants across full marathon, half marathon, and 10km categories. The route closures affect transport in parts of Kowloon and the northern shore of Hong Kong Island on race morning.

January / February

Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year)

Lunar calendar — falls late January or mid-February

2026 dates: 17 February (Year of the Horse begins)
2027 dates: 6 February (Year of the Goat)

Chinese New Year is the defining event of Hong Kong’s year — a period of extraordinary collective energy, colour, and noise. The city transforms for two weeks either side of the new year date, with the public holiday period running for three days.

The flower markets open in the week before New Year in Victoria Park (Causeway Bay) and at the Flower Market Road in Prince Edward, selling plum blossoms, kumquat trees, orchids, and peach blossoms — traditional auspicious gifts representing good fortune and prosperity. The markets stay open through the night in the final days. Even if you buy nothing, the scent and colour are remarkable.

Lion dances appear throughout the city from New Year’s Eve onward — in shopping malls, on the streets of Kowloon, outside temples. The dances are intended to bring good luck to businesses and homes; the best are accompanied by drums and cymbals at a volume that announces their arrival well in advance.

Fireworks over Victoria Harbour take place on the second day of the lunar new year (weather permitting) — one of the largest pyrotechnic displays in Asia, visible from both shores. The Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront and the Central harbourfront fill hours before the display; arrive early or watch from a rooftop bar with a clear harbour view.

Che Kung Temple Fair in Sha Tin draws enormous crowds on the second day of the new year — worshippers seeking good fortune from the Che Kung deity, fortune tellers, and a festive atmosphere that is very specifically Hong Kong.

Practical notes: Many restaurants and smaller shops close for 3–7 days around the new year. Major hotels, malls, and international restaurants remain open. Transport runs but is crowded. Book hotels significantly in advance — this is the busiest period of the year. The Flower Market and Victoria Park are genuinely worth the evening crowds.

February / March

Hong Kong Arts festival

February–March, approximately six weeks

One of the most significant performing arts festivals in Asia, the Hong Kong Arts Festival has been running since 1973 and brings over 160 performances of opera, classical music, dance, theatre, and chamber music to Hong Kong venues over six weeks. International companies and soloists of the highest calibre perform alongside local and regional artists.

The programme ranges from Royal Opera House productions to experimental theatre; the venues include the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the City Hall Theatre, and the Academy for Performing Arts. Tickets sell quickly for the major productions — book as early as possible at hkaf.hk.

What to expect: World-class performing arts at prices considerably lower than equivalent productions in London or New York. The festival is genuinely one of the city’s great assets and largely unknown to casual visitors.

March

Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF)

Mid-March to early April, approximately two weeks

The 50th edition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival was held in 2026 — one of the oldest and most respected film festivals in Asia, screening over 200 films from around the world with a particular focus on Asian cinema. The festival has been instrumental in introducing Chinese and Hong Kong cinema to international audiences since 1977.

Screenings take place at venues across the city including the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Broadway Cinematheque, and various neighbourhood cinemas. A significant proportion of the films are shown in their original languages with subtitles, making it accessible to international visitors.

What to expect: An excellent reason to spend two weeks in Hong Kong in March. Tickets for individual screenings are affordable (around HK$90–120); some sought-after screenings sell out. Programme released approximately six weeks before the festival opens at hkiff.org.hk

Hong Kong Flower Show

Mid-to-late March, Victoria Park

The annual Flower Show in Victoria Park runs for approximately ten days and features floral displays, garden installations, and horticultural competitions from local and international participants. A popular family event, particularly on weekends when the park fills considerably.

March / April

Art Basel Hong Kong and Art Central

Late March to early April

Art Basel Hong Kong — held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai — is the pre-eminent contemporary art fair in Asia, bringing over 240 galleries from around the world to a city that has established itself as the region’s art market capital. The 2026 edition featured galleries from 40 countries.

Art Central runs concurrently at the Central Harbourfront, offering a complementary programme with a focus on emerging galleries and younger artists at more accessible price points.

What to expect: The two fairs together constitute one of the significant events on the international art calendar. Even for those not buying, both are worth attending for the breadth of work on display. VIP preview days are invitation-only; public days run for four to five days. Tickets: Art Basel Hong Kong from HK$420 per day; Art Central from HK$120. Book online in advance.

The broader effect: Art Week in Hong Kong sees dozens of gallery openings, museum previews, and associated events across the city simultaneously. It is an excellent week to be in Hong Kong for anyone with any interest in contemporary art or culture.

April

Hong Kong Rugby Sevens

2026 dates: 17–19 April (50th anniversary edition)

The Rugby Sevens is not primarily a sporting event — or rather, it is a sporting event that has become something larger. Since its first edition in 1976 (held at the Government Stadium, now known as Hong Kong Stadium), it has grown into one of the great sports festivals in the world: three days of fast, open rugby featuring the world’s best national teams, held inside a stadium that has been transformed into a carnival.

The 2026 edition celebrated its 50th anniversary at Kai Tak Stadium, with 41,457 fans attending and the Vengaboys performing alongside heroes from the 1976 inaugural tournament. The new Kai Tak Sports Park venue, which replaced the Hong Kong Stadium for the event from 2025, is significantly larger and purpose-built for this kind of festival atmosphere.

The atmosphere inside is unlike most sporting events: costumes are mandatory in spirit if not in law (the fancy dress tradition is decades old), the Fan Village operates throughout, live bands play between matches, and the crowd is comprehensively international. South Africa won the men’s tournament in 2026; New Zealand took the women’s.

Practical notes: Tickets sell out quickly and hotel prices spike significantly during Sevens weekend. The event is worth planning a visit around rather than hoping to attend spontaneously. Getting there via the Tuen Ma Line to Kai Tak or Sung Wong Toi stations puts you within a 5–10 minute walk of the sports park.

Cheung Chau Bun Festival

April or May — fourth day of the fourth lunar month

One of the most distinctive festivals in Hong Kong, the Bun Festival on Cheung Chau island has its origins in a plague offering and has been observed for over 200 years. The centrepiece is the Bun Scrambling Competition — a race up towering towers of lucky buns in the small hours of the morning, watched by large crowds. The festival also includes a parade of “floating children” — children dressed as traditional characters, appearing to float above the crowd on hidden supports — and lion dances, temple ceremonies, and a vegetarian diet observed across the island for the duration.

The island is accessible by ferry from Central (35–55 minutes, Central Pier 5) and becomes very crowded during the festival days. Weekday visits during the festival period are more comfortable than weekend ones.

May / June

Dragon Boat Festival

Fifth day of the fifth lunar month — typically late May or June

2026 date: 20 June

Hong Kong is the birthplace of modern international dragon boat racing, and the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated with races in Victoria Harbour and coastal areas across the territory. The Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races bring competitive teams from around the world to race in the harbour, while community races take place at Aberdeen, Stanley, and other waterfront locations across the territory.

The races are free to watch from the waterfront. Victoria Harbour and Stanley waterfront are the most accessible vantage points. The traditional food associated with the festival is zongzi — sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, filled with meat, egg, and various other ingredients — available at markets and restaurants in the weeks surrounding the festival.

Buddha's birthday

Eighth day of the fourth lunar month — typically May

2026 date: 25 May (public holiday)

Buddha’s Birthday is marked with ceremonies at temples across the territory, most notably at the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, where the annual celebration draws pilgrims and visitors to the site of the Big Buddha. The atmosphere at Po Lin on this day is notably different from an ordinary visit — more ceremony, more incense, more colour.

July

Hong Kong SAR Establishment Day

1 July — public holiday

The anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover from Britain to China in 1997, marked each year with official ceremonies and a public holiday. A fireworks display typically takes place over Victoria Harbour in the evening. The day has become layered with political significance in recent years; for visitors, it is primarily a public holiday with fireworks.

August

August is the height of typhoon season and the hottest month of the year. Major outdoor events are limited, and the city’s entertainment calendar tends toward indoor programming. It is not the best month to visit for events, though the beaches and air-conditioned malls have their own logic.

September / October

Mid Autumn Festival

15th day of the eighth lunar month — typically September or October

2026 date: 25 September

One of the most visually beautiful festivals in Hong Kong. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a family reunion celebration centred on the full moon — the story involves the moon goddess Chang’e, mooncakes, and a tradition of gathering outside to admire the full moon together. In Hong Kong, the festival plays out across the city’s parks and waterfront in a way that is genuinely spectacular.

Victoria Park fills with families carrying lanterns — traditional paper lanterns and the modern battery-powered variety — on the evening of the festival. The park glows.

The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance is the unmissable event: a 67-metre dragon lit with incense sticks, carried through the narrow streets of Tai Hang (near Causeway Bay) on the evenings of the festival — a National Intangible Cultural Heritage that has been performed for over 140 years. The dragon is assembled from straw, decorated with thousands of lit incense sticks, and carried through the streets in a winding procession accompanied by drums. It is one of the most extraordinary things you will see in Hong Kong.

Mooncakes — dense, rich pastries filled with lotus paste and salted egg yolk — are exchanged as gifts in the weeks before the festival. Every bakery and hotel produces their version; Maxim’s and Wing Wah are the traditional Hong Kong benchmarks, though contemporary flavours (snowskin mooncakes, chocolate variations) have proliferated.

Practical notes: The festival evening is crowded at Victoria Park and Tai Hang. The Tai Hang Fire Dragon procession runs for approximately 90 minutes on each of the three festival evenings; arrive early to secure a good position on the narrow streets. This is one of the events most worth timing a visit around.

Hong Kong Wine and dine festival

Late October, Central Harbourfront

Held each October at the Central Harbourfront against the Victoria Harbour skyline, the Wine & Dine Festival brings together wine producers and food vendors for four evenings of eating and drinking at accessible prices. The format is relaxed — tickets are purchased at the gate, converted to tasting tokens, and spent at stalls representing restaurants and wine merchants from across Hong Kong and internationally. Popular with locals and visitors alike.

Chung Yeung Festival

Ninth day of the ninth lunar month — October

2026 date: 18 October (public holiday)

An ancestor remembrance festival, during which Hong Kong families traditionally hike to high ground — a tradition linked to a legend of escape from plague by ascending a mountain. In practice this means the hiking trails are notably busier than usual on Chung Yeung, which is worth bearing in mind if you’re planning a walk. The day has a reflective, familial character.

November

Hong Kong Pride

November

Hong Kong Pride (November) — The annual Pride celebration takes varying forms from year to year; the last full street parade was in 2018. The Pride Committee continues to organise annual programming — Rainbow Markets, film screenings, community events — around November. Pink Season, a broader festival of LGBT+-themed events, runs concurrently through November with screenings, art exhibitions, and parties across multiple venues. Pink Dot HK, once the city’s largest outdoor LGBT+ festival, has been cancelled in both 2025 and 2026 due to venue withdrawal; organisers remain committed to returning. For current year programming: hkpride.net and @pinkdothk on Instagram.

December

Winterfest

November–January

Hong Kong’s winter festival runs from late November through the new year, with light installations on both sides of the harbour, Christmas markets (particularly in Tsim Sha Tsui and at various hotel venues), and the general commercial festivity that the city does well. The harbourfront light installations are free; the Christmas markets vary in quality and price. The period between Christmas and New Year is busy with visitors from mainland China.

Events at a Glance: Annual Calendar

Month	Event	Type	Notes
Jan	Hong Kong Marathon	Sport	Route closures race morning
Jan–Feb	WinterFest / New Year Countdown	Festival	Free light installations; NYE fireworks
Jan/Feb	Chinese New Year	Cultural	Biggest event of year; book hotels early
Feb–Mar	Hong Kong Arts Festival	Arts	6 weeks; book tickets in advance
Mar–Apr	Hong Kong International Film Festival	Arts/Film	200+ films; tickets from HK$90
Mar	Hong Kong Flower Show	Cultural	Victoria Park; 10 days
Mar/Apr	Art Basel Hong Kong + Art Central	Art	Major international art fair; book online
Apr	Hong Kong Rugby Sevens	Sport	3 days; Kai Tak; sell-out; book early
Apr/May	Cheung Chau Bun Festival	Cultural	Ferry to Cheung Chau; very crowded
May	Buddha’s Birthday	Cultural	Po Lin Monastery, Lantau
May/Jun	Dragon Boat Festival	Cultural	Victoria Harbour races; free to watch
Jul 1	SAR Establishment Day	Public Holiday	Fireworks over harbour
Sep/Oct	Mid-Autumn Festival	Cultural	Tai Hang Fire Dragon; Victoria Park lanterns
Oct	Wine & Dine Festival	Food/Drink	Central Harbourfront; 4 evenings
Oct	Chung Yeung Festival	Cultural	Public holiday; trails busy
Nov	Hong Kong Pride	Cultural	Format varies; see LGBT guide
Nov–Jan	WinterFest	Festival	Light installations; Christmas markets

Planning around the calendar

Best months for events: March–April is the richest period — Arts Festival, Film Festival, Art Basel, and Rugby Sevens all fall within six weeks of each other. October is the second peak: Mid-Autumn Festival, Wine & Dine, and the beginning of the best hiking weather.

Months to approach with care: Chinese New Year (late January/February) for the crowds and business closures; August for the heat and typhoon risk.

Year-round: The Symphony of Lights plays nightly at 8:00pm from the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront — not a festival but a reliable constant. The harbour at any time of year, in any weather, is worth watching.

External Links

Hong Kong Arts Festival – entry information and ticket booking
Hong Kong International Film Festival – programme, entry information and tickets
Art Basel Hong Kong – entry, tickets and VIP information
Hong Kong Rugby Sevens – entry and ticket information
Hong Kong Pride – programme and entry information

Great Wide Open