The best things to do in Hong Kong in January

The AIA Carnival is back again and we couldn’t be more excited! This year, the annual fun fest will be celebrating its 10th birthday – which means new rides, games, toys, more food options, a ton of photo ops, and plenty of surprises in store!

From December 18, 2024, to February 16, 2025, the spectacular event is set to bring a lineup of 28 classic and new rides, some of which have never been seen in the city before; more than 30 games with adorable, custom-made toys from huge blockbusters and anime favourites up for grabs; a multinational selection of bites featuring an even bigger selection of options for all tastes and age groups. The renowned Gandeys Circus will also return with six brand-new acts and a star-studded lineup of talents from 12 different countries. Early-bird tickets are now on sale with special discounts on regular ticket prices. Click here for more details about this year’s event.

Jump into the festive spirit as the 'HSBC Life The Big Bounce World Tour - Hong Kong' rolls into town from December 21, 2024, to January 5, 2025 at the Great Lawn of the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK) Art Park. The Big Bounce will boast a variety of giant inflatables, including basketball hoops, massive slides, and epic ball pits – all designed to welcome people of all ages. Families can enjoy Junior (aged seven or below) and Bigger Kids' (aged 15 or below) sessions together, while the evenings will turn into a lively 'After Dark Party' for those aged 16 and up.

Tickets for The Big Bounce World Tour - Hong Kong are going from $179 to $199; visit their official website for more info.

Japan's adorable Osamu Goods has teamed up with local toy platform KKPlus to create a pop-up store inspired by Hong Kong's vibrant nightscape. Founded in 1976 by illustrator Osamu Harada, Osamu Goods is a beloved name in Japan, known for its simple lines and vibrant colours. The brand features 12 characters based on Mother Goose nursery rhymes, including the iconic Jack and Jill and Humpty Dumpty. 

From tote bags and keychains to stationery, mugs, and other home essentials, the pop-up offers a range of products from Japan and Taiwan, as well as Hong Kong-exclusive items. It's a rare opportunity for fans to get their hands on these items as Osamu Goods products are not widely available in Hong Kong. 

In addition to shopping, guests can explore a mini exhibition showcasing Harada's artworks, create their own postcards, and snap photos by a giant LED installation with Jack and Jill. Local café stain+ has also set up a cosy corner in the store, offering delicious hand-brewed coffee. On selected days, customers who spend $500 or more will receive a free cup of coffee with flavours like Tipsy Grape and Bailey Caramel. Plus, with a spending of $200 or more, shoppers can get a limited-edition Osamu Goods shopping bag for just $1.

The pop-up runs from December 21, 2024, to February 10, 2025, at 1881 Heritage in Tsim Sha Tsui, so pencil in a date for the diary!

Running from December 12, 2024, to February 14, 2025, this year’s #ddHK is a vibrant celebration of creativity, showcasing seven must-see installations that breathe life into the neighbourhoods of Tsuen Wan and Sha Tau Kok. Each installation offers a unique artistic expression that intertwines with local culture and history.

Pay a visit to Tsuen Wan’s Sai Lau Kok Garden, where Coolman Coffeedan’s Coolman x Tsuen Wan takes visitors on a journey through the stories of the area. Another highlight is ENESS’s Cupid’s Koi Garden, an interactive fountain that delights passersby with playful jets of water. Kiki Ji’s Flowing Natural beautifully merges traditional bamboo artistry with nature in Shing Mun Country Park, while Zoe Siu’s Woven Dreams reinterprets Hakka culture with intricate weaving techniques at the historic Sam Tung Uk Museum.

Over in Sha Tau Kok, En Iwamura’s Interwoven Horizon floats gracefully in the sea, connecting art and nature, while Louis To Wun’s The Auspicious Dance transforms Sha Tau Kok Square into a dynamic stage for dancing fish. Finally, Vivian Ho’s Stories on Wheels captures the narratives of community life through vibrant illustrations.

In addition to these installations, visitors can join themed tours, workshops, markets, and more to complete their experience, making #ddHK a journey of discovery, exploration, and inspiration. Don’t miss out on this creative adventure!

The popular Twilight of the Warriors exhibition is wrapping up its first phase at Hong Kong International Airport and has now relocated to Kowloon City, the very neighbourhood in which the hit film is set. Until April 13, visit Airside in Kai Tak to see an expanded exhibition with all-new set-ups and photo spots that were not available at the airport pop-up.

Apart from the existing barbershop, tea stall, and other locations from the movie, five new sets have been added, including a comic stall, tailor shop, a tit da bone-setting clinic, a shoemaker’s shop, and a dental clinic. All the designs and props, down to the price tags on items, were modelled on historical pieces from Hong Kong in the 80s to fully immerse visitors in the bygone era of the Kowloon Walled City. The dim alleys and indoor locations have been integrated with sound effects and actors’ dialogues, so if you enjoyed Twilight of the Warriors, then this exhibition will be a real treat.

Spot Easter eggs hidden throughout the exhibition such as miniature models of the movie characters, and don’t miss the dining and retail stalls, where you can buy iconic dishes from Hong Kong food stalls served in nostalgic takeaway containers.

Executive chef Richard Ekkebus of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental's Amber, has opened his pastry venture, LMO Freshly Baked by Richard Ekkebus, inside of Central’s dynamic dining hall, BaseHall 01. This time, the pop-up presents an array of savoury items, such as Thai chicken green curry pie ($60), pork char-siu and shiitake pie ($68), and grain fed O’Connor beef bourguignon pie ($78). For lighter options, diners can dig into options like crunchy vegetable salad with roasted pumpkin seed dressing ($88), spicy tomato and compressed watermelon salad ($88). Alternatively, guests can purchase combo sets (from $80 and up) to choose their preferred pie or salad and pair it with a drink of choice. 

As for desserts, Chef Ekkebus has teamed up with The Landmark Mandarin Oriental’s executive pastry chef Carles Codina, to create irresistible baked goods like chocolate brookie ($30), vanilla and sea salt financier ($30), pistachio cookie ($40), and a silky smooth Basque cheesecake ($68 for small, $200 for medium, $480 for large).

The Peak Tramways Company, Limited and The Peak Tower Limited have joined forces to launch the 'It's Different Up here' campaign, offering a rich experience of Hong Kong's culture and cuisine for both local and overseas travellers. From now until February 28, 2025, make your way to 101 Peak Street to catch exciting performances, take snaps at various photo spots, taste authentic Hong Kong delicacies, and get your hands on well-designed gifts.

A highlight not to be missed has got to be the special hawker carts, include a Taxi Float by local craft cider brand Neon Cider, a Sugar Cane King Cart offering special edition bottled milk teas (available while stocks last), a Siu Mei Car with Hong Kong specialty products, the Mochi Cart and its Hong Kong-style gift boxes stuffed with local treats, and Chung's Tea House's Dim Sum Cart offering various Cantonese dim sum and special pistachio cream cones. As you explore 101 Peak Street, be sure to keep an eye out for the Dim Sum Squad – a crew led by Hai Gow, Siu Mai and Char Siu Bao – who will be making surprise appearances and bringing smiles to faces with lively dances.

To celebrate the 80th anniversary of Finnish illustrator and writer Tove Jansson creating the adorable Moonmins, art publication Art and Piece has partnered with Hong Kong artist Zu and Pi to bring this special overseas art exhibition to Hong Kong. Featuring original and rare works shipped directly from Finland, this exhibition showcases over 70 cherished works on the famous hippopotamus-like characters.

The first phase of the show, running from now until December 15, shines the spotlight on seven original Moomin illustrations that have been preserved in Jansson’s notebooks in her Helsinki studio. Also worth fawning over are original Moomin plush toys from the 1960s – designed by Atelier Fauni, these are among the first Moomin products released by Finnish department store Stockmann.

The second phase titled ‘Hope in the Darkness’ will run from December 16 to January 5, 2025, and will feature more of the author’s vibrant artwork. There will also be giant interactive installations for visitors to immerse themselves in Moomin Valley, as well as tribute works from various artists across Hong Kong, Macau, and Indonesia.

Make time to check out both phases of the exhibition for different perspectives on the Moomintrolls, and don’t leave without browsing through the exclusive anniversary exhibition merch section, including the world’s first embossed and gold-foil limited-edition Moomin prints.

Exclusive members-only club, Club Bâtard, is delighted to invite world-renowned Japanese chef Yosuke Suga from Tokyo’s Sugalabo Inc. to take over its French restaurant, Bâtard, for three evenings. As the former right-hand man to legendary chef Joël Robuchon for over a decade, chef Suga has earned his reputation as one of the world’s top culinary talents, and overseen several L’Atelier de Joël Roubouchon restaurants in cities such as Las Vegas, New York, Taipei, and Paris. From January 2 to 4, Suga-san will be creating an exclusive menu for Hongkongers to enjoy. What’s more, one of Japan’s most celebrated pastry chefs, Kazutoshi Narita, will join him to create delightful desserts for Bâtard’s diners to enjoy. Visit Club Bâtard’s website to book your time for this highly coveted dining experience.

French cultural and educational organisation Visionairs is presenting its debut exhibition ‘Notre-Dame de Paris, The Augmented Exhibition’ at the West Kowloon Cultural District. Using both artefacts and immersive augmented reality (AR), this research-based project tells the story of the cathedral’s 850-year history and brings this French landmark to life for audiences.

Set to launch at the same time as the official reopening of Notre-Dame to the public in Paris, this exhibition transports visitors into a historically accurate recreation of the cathedral, spanning from its origins in the 12th century to the devastation of the 2019 fire and its subsequent restoration. Portable touch-screen tablets in 13 languages guide history lovers through 20 time portals to various grand events in time, such as King Henry VI’s wedding and the coronation of Napoleon.

Apart from a full-sized replica of one of Notre-Dame’s chimera statues and a sculpture of one of its rose windows which survived the fire, there will also be more virtual delights such as visitors being superimposed as the cathedral’s animal statues, as well as collecting stained glass shards in a digital treasure hunt.

Get ready for an unforgettable experience as world-class illusion artist Franz Harary brings his groundbreaking illusion show to Hong Kong for the first time. From December 23 to January 5, 2025, at the Wan Chai Harbourfront Event Space, Franz Harary will dazzle audiences with his mind-blowing illusions and grand spectacles. Joining Harary is an incredible lineup of award-winning magicians, including Danny Cole and Rocco Silano, as they take you into a dreamlike world of wonder and awe. With 33 performances, expect mind-bending tricks and stunning visuals that redefine the art of magic. Harary believes magic is a form of high art, and this show promises to be a thrilling blend of creativity and skill. Ticket prices range from $188 to $1,088 but they're going fast! So grab yours now and prepare to be amazed by the extraordinary as you step into the realm of 'Imagine Nation'.