Leisure

Performing arts in a place – whether it be music, dance, calligraphy, painting, language, religion or customs – reveal local inhabitants' way of life. They represent the beliefs, culture and attitude to life which the people love, cherish and hope to preserve.

Traditional customs are susceptible to influences from other cultures in this age of globalization and modernization – Hong Kong is no exception. Retired persons can afford the luxury of time to discover these changes, after all they formed the backdrop to our own growths. In this page we introduce performing arts events such as the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Music, Theatre, Chinese Opera and Dance, which include different forms of performances by local and overseas artists. You can pick your favorite based on your availability and preferences.
All persons at or over the age of 60 enjoy a 50% discount for all performing arts events organized by the Leisure and Culture Services Department (LCSD).

Hong Kong Arts Festival was first launched in 1973. Since then, it has been recognized as one of the biggest international events in the art world. Every February and March, numerous local and overseas artists will perform music, opera, theatre, dance and at special events.

Since the Hong Kong Arts Festival is very popular amongst arts lovers, tickets are available six months in advance, i.e. from November of the previous year.

Hong Kong is a city of art, with music being an essential component. Quite a few local orchestras, like the HK Phil, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and Hong Kong Sinfonietta, regularly hold concerts at the city’s recreation venues. Pop music is as popular as classical music in the city. Local and overseas pop singers meet their fans at big stadiums. If you are interested in any pop or classical music performances, you can browse through the event calendar of your chosen orchestra, or check out the LCSD website.

Theatre is made up of four elements, namely actor, story, stage and audience. Nowadays, the theatre puts strong emphasis on harmonizing all the elements on stage. The most popular theatrical forms in Hong Kong can be broadly categorized into Drama, Opera, Musical and Dumb show. For those who are interested in theatre, you can follow the event calendars of key theatre groups, e.g. Chung Ying theatre Company, Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, Opera Hong Kong etc.

Alternatively, you can also check out some smaller but equally dazzling and excellent independent groups, e.g. The Spring Time Group, Prospects Theatre, Zuniseason etc.
 

So, do not miss out on events by your favorite theatre group! You can always check the event calendars of the respective groups, or find relevant information on the Cultural Presentations Section of the LCSD website.

Cantonese opera was classified as a national intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2006. There is a saying “One minute onstage, ten years of practice offstage”. Famous actors spend half their lifetime practising before they can win the audience's applaud. If you appreciate the various roles, singing, gestures and movements of famous Chinese opera performers, there are quite a number of Cantonese opera groups in Hong Kong, such as The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong, Tin Ma Music and Opera Association Ltd., Kim Sum Cantonese Opera Association, Hong Kong Young Talent Cantonese Opera Troup, etc. which stage performances at venues including the West Kowloon Xiqu Centre, Ko Shan Theatre , Yau Ma Tei Theatre, and Sunbeam Theatre. Cantonese opera lovers can keep up with the latest updates of their favorite artists by referring to the event calendars of the abovementioned groups, performance venues, and those advertised by the LCSD Cultural Presentations Section.

To understand more about Chinese opera, our readers may visit the website of the Chinese Opera Information Centre, which is part of the Department of Music in the Chinese University of Hong Kong or art-mate.net.

One cannot leave out dance when talking about performing arts. There are large-scale performances put up by the Hong Kong Dance Company, HK Ballet and City Contemporary Dance Company every year. For those who are interested, you can keep up with the latest news and event details by referring to the calendars at major performance venues, information on the abovementioned dance groups or the LCSD Cultural Presentations Section website.

 

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