The 54th Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) is set to invigorate the city’s cultural landscape this March, running from February 27 to March 27, 2026. This landmark annual event, a major anchor of Hong Kong Arts Month, will convene over 1,100 global performers and artists presenting more than 45 distinct programs across 170-plus performances. Under the timely theme of promoting courage, peace, and resilience, the festival showcases a diverse range of disciplines, spanning from cutting-edge mixed-reality performance and classical opera to contemporary dance and experimental theatre.
Technology and Legacy Intersect in Music Programme
A centerpiece of this year’s festival is the highly anticipated Jockey Club InnoArts Series: Kagami, a mixed-reality tribute to the late Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, running from February 27 to March 15. This extraordinary production utilizes advanced motion capture and spatial audio technology, allowing audiences to witness the composer “return” to his baby grand piano through VR headsets. The immersive, tech-driven approach preserves Sakamoto’s final performance, transforming it into a lasting digital legacy for attendees.
Beyond contemporary innovation, the festival honours classical masters. Legendary conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner will lead the Constellation Choir & Orchestra for two exclusive nights (March 6–7). Gardiner, renowned for his scholarly interpretations, will present celebrated works, including Mozart’s Requiem, K626 and Great Mass in C minor, K427, alongside Bach’s monumental Mass in B minor, BWV232.
Global Dance and Theatre Take Center Stage
The HKAF presents several significant dance highlights, including the Asia premiere of Ballet Nacional de España’s La Bella Otero (February 27–March 1). Directed by Rubén Olmo, the production explores the dazzling and complex life of 19th-century Spanish artist Carolina Otero, featuring spectacular costumes and powerful flamenco-infused choreography. Conversely, director Li Xing brings a modern aesthetic to the classic Chinese tale in Dream in the Peony Pavilion (March 27–29). Working with the Suzhou Song and Dance Theatre, Xing’s interpretation of Tang Xianzu’s Ming-dynasty play utilizes thrilling ensemble dances and poetic staging to evoke eternal romance.
On the theatrical front, the festival features the Jockey Club East-meets-West Series: Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, a unique Chinese-language music-theatre adaptation of the ancient Greek anti-war comedy. The play comically follows the titular character’s radical quest to end the Peloponnesian War. In a different vein, German director Sebastian Kaiser collaborate with the HKAPA for an “ultra-poor, hyper-mobile theatre” interpretation of Liu Yichang’s groundbreaking stream-of-consciousness novel, The Drunkard, blurring traditional performance boundaries.
Opera and Circus Offer Diverse Spectacles
Both Western and Chinese operatic traditions are prominently featured. The famed National Theatre Brno from the Czech Republic presents Tchaikovsky’s tragic opera Eugene Onegin, based on Alexander Pushkin’s novel of unrequited love. Counterbalancing this is the preservation of ancient Chinese artistry with Red Wedding Bed by the Fujian Province Liyuan Opera Inheritance Centre, showcasing the 900-year-old Liyuan opera form through minimalist aesthetics and passionate performance.
For audiences seeking spectacle and whimsy, the festival incorporates contemporary circus arts. Canadian troupe The 7 Fingers (Les 7 Doigts) presents Duel Reality (March 20–22), blending contemporary acrobatics, theatre, and Shakespearean drama in a novel take on Romeo and Juliet. Another notable collaboration is Focasa with Cloud Gate Dance Theatre founder Lin Hwai-min on One to One Hundred: A Brave Journey, a fusion of stunting and powerful storytelling.
The 54th HKAF not only celebrates artistic excellence but also affirms Hong Kong’s crucial role as a vibrant international hub for culture. With a programme ranging from high-tech posthumous collaborations to time-honoured classics, the festival provides vital opportunities for dialogue, reflection, and community engagement through the universal language of the arts. Tickets for all performances are available through Urbtix, offering various concessional and standard pricing options.
