Hong Kong Arts Festival (54th HKAF) 2026

Hong Kong Arts Festival 2026

The 54th HKAF runs from February to March 2026, featuring 45+ programmes and 170+ performances by 1,100+ international and local artists, plus about 300 “PLUS”, outreach, and education events across multiple venues in Hong Kong. If you want a trip where every night can be a headline cultural moment and every neighborhood feels connected by creativity, HKAF 2026 is one of the best times of year to experience Hong Kong at full artistic volume.

What the 54th Hong Kong Arts Festival is

The Hong Kong Arts Festival was launched in 1973 and is described as a leading international festival dedicated to enriching the city’s cultural life. The festival presents outstanding local and international artists across the performing arts each February and March, giving equal weight to great traditions and bold contemporary creations. It also commissions and produces new theatre, music, chamber opera, and contemporary dance by Hong Kong’s creative talents, which helps explain why HKAF feels not only prestigious but also rooted in the city’s own artistic identity.

For travelers, HKAF is ideal because it’s not confined to one site. It spreads across Hong Kong’s major stages and cultural landmarks, turning the city into a festival map that you explore by MTR and on foot, moving from iconic harbour views to world-class theatres in a single evening.

Confirmed 2026 dates and the festival arc

HKAF’s official press release states the 54th HKAF is scheduled to take place in February and March 2026. The same press release identifies two anchor points that shape the festival narrative: it opens on Friday, 27 February 2026 with Ballet Nacional de España’s “La Bella Otero”, and it closes on Friday, 27 March 2026 with the Chinese dance-theatre production “Dream in The Peony Pavilion.” Time Out Hong Kong also states the 54th HKAF runs from February 27 to March 27, aligning with the opening and closing dates described by the festival itself.

This month-long arc is one reason HKAF is so travel-friendly. You can plan a focused long weekend around one headline show, or you can build a full cultural holiday around multiple performances, knowing the city will be in festival mode throughout late February and March.

Venues and neighborhoods: where HKAF comes alive

The festival takes place at various venues around Hong Kong, with the Hong Kong Tourism Board listing “Various Venues” as the location format for HKAF. Time Out Hong Kong highlights key venues including:

• Hong Kong Cultural Centre
• Hong Kong City Hall
• Freespace at West Kowloon
• Fringe Club

This venue spread is a major advantage for visitors because it lets you pair performances with neighborhood experiences:

• Tsim Sha Tsui (Hong Kong Cultural Centre): perfect for a harbourfront walk before the show, skyline photos, and an easy post-performance dinner.
• Central (Hong Kong City Hall, Fringe Club nearby): ideal for combining city energy, nightlife, and theatre.
• West Kowloon (Freespace): great for modern, creative Hong Kong with contemporary performance energy.

With good planning, each night can feel like a different version of Hong Kong, connected by the festival but shaped by the neighborhood you’re in.

What’s confirmed about programme scale and festival “by the numbers”

HKAF’s press release confirms the 54th festival includes:

• 1,100+ outstanding international and local artists
• 170+ performances
• 45+ programmes
• About 300 “PLUS”, outreach and education events

Those numbers matter because they show how large and varied the festival is: HKAF isn’t a small curated weekend, it’s a full performing-arts season compressed into one month. The press release also includes financial context, noting the festival needs to generate total income of at least HK$159 million, with around 24% expected from box office revenue, which reinforces how significant the event is at a city scale.

If you’re a traveler who loves choice, this scale is your friend. You can watch a major opera production one night, then attend contemporary dance or theatre the next, then choose jazz or world music as your final highlight.

Highlighted programmes and artistic focus (examples confirmed)

HKAF’s press release outlines major strands of the 2026 programme across genres. It emphasizes a global line-up featuring artists such as:

• Sir John Eliot Gardiner
• Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker
• Benjamin Bernheim
• Roberto Bolle
• Meng Jinghui
• Roberto Fonseca
• Van Cliburn gold medalists Yunchan Lim and Aristo Sham

For visitors, these names signal that HKAF isn’t only locally important; it’s internationally competitive in its booking power and artistic ambition.

Opening and finale: the bookends worth planning around

The festival’s official press release confirms the opening programme on 27 February 2026 is Ballet Nacional de España—La Bella Otero, and the official festival closing on 27 March 2026 is Dance Theatre—Dream in The Peony Pavilion. If your trip is short and you want a “guaranteed peak moment,” book around one of these bookend nights, because they’re framed as the festival’s major ceremonial points.

Themes and the “PLUS” layer

HKAF notes that themes such as peace, courage, and resilience are explored across the 2026 programmes, and it highlights expanded “PLUS” programmes designed to encourage reflection and interaction beyond performances. The press release mentions examples like guided cultural tours, including visits to a fishing community and a tour of Sheung Wan for a retro-literary Hong Kong experience linked to the 1960s. For travelers, “PLUS” events are often the hidden gem of HKAF because they help you connect what’s on stage to the city outside the theatre.

Tickets, advance booking, and pricing (what’s confirmed)

HKAF confirms public ticket sales via URBTIX from 9 December 2025, and it lists an Advance Booking period running from 16 October to 28 November 2025. The Hong Kong Tourism Board listing also notes that admission is “Various Prices” and directs visitors to the official website for details, which reflects how pricing varies by programme and venue.

In practical terms, this means there isn’t a single “festival pass price” to quote reliably for the entire 54th HKAF. Instead, ticket costs depend on the individual performance you choose, its venue, and seating categories. A smart strategy is to choose one high-priority performance first, buy tickets early, then build the rest of your itinerary around either additional shows or the “PLUS” programme that fits your interests and time.

Travel tips for experiencing HKAF like a cultural local

HKAF nights work best when you treat them as the anchor, not the afterthought. Because venues span Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, keep your day plan compact so you arrive calm, not rushed. If you’re attending an evening performance, aim to be in the right district by late afternoon, enjoy a relaxed meal, then walk to the venue and let the city’s night energy set the mood.

A few simple tips that improve the experience:

• Stay near an MTR line that connects easily to both Kowloon and Central, so you can move between venues smoothly.
• Plan one “iconic Hong Kong” moment each day, such as a harbourfront walk in Tsim Sha Tsui or an evening view in Central, then head to your performance.
• Mix one major headline show with one smaller or experimental work if your schedule allows, because HKAF’s range is part of its magic.

Verified Information at a glance

• Event name: The 54th Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) 2026
• Event category: Performing arts festival (theatre, music, dance, Chinese opera, stage productions)
• Confirmed overall timing: February – March 2026
• Confirmed opening date: Friday, 27 February 2026 (Festival opening: La Bella Otero by Ballet Nacional de España)
• Confirmed closing date: Friday, 27 March 2026 (Festival closing: Dream in The Peony Pavilion)
• Confirmed scale (festival statement): 1,100+ artists, 170+ performances, 45+ programmes, about 300 PLUS/outreach/education events
• Venues (confirmed format): Various venues across Hong Kong, with examples including Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong City Hall, Freespace at West Kowloon, Fringe Club
• Ticketing (confirmed): Tickets available at URBTIX from 9 December 2025; advance booking period 16 October–28 November 2025
• Pricing: Varies by programme (no single festival-wide ticket price)

If Hong Kong is on your travel list, plan your visit between late February and late March, choose one or two shows that match your taste, and let the 54th Hong Kong Arts Festival guide you through a month where the city’s stages, streets, and skylines come together in a cultural experience you’ll want to relive long after you’ve flown home.