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Hong Kong has good grounds for claiming to be the events capital of Asia with a wide variety of Chinese and western arts and cultural events throughout the year. The Hong Kong Arts Festival (Feb-Mar) is three weeks of entertainment ranging from international orchestras and classical ballet, to Shakespeare translated into Cantonese. The two-week International Film Festival in April covers obscure to mainstream to archival and reflects a growing respect for Hong Kong cinema prompted by the success of Cannes award-winning In the Mood for Love and Ang Lee’s superb Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Music ranges from concerts of Cantopop heart-throbs, the occasional appearance from classic crooners in the Cliff Richard and Elton John mould, and major acts like the Rolling Stones, to Cantonese opera and Carmen, with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra also playing regularly. There is little variety in the alternative independent music scene; live music in bars tends to be limited to hotel “house” bands performing covers of well-known pop anthems and the occasional decent jazz artist in a couple of clubs around Lan Kwai Fong.
Information on all events can be obtained in the South China Morning Post, HK Magazine and BC Magazine. Tickets for major events can be bought through: URBTIX, T 2734 9011; overseas bookings T +852 2734 9001; Ticketek T 3128 8288; Ticketnet T 2312 9991; Cityline T 2111 5333.
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