The best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend (April 11-13)

From now to July 13, Airside is hosting ‘The World of ASMR’ exhibition that was at London’s Design Museum. This will be the Kai Tak venue’s first time collaborating with an international museum since its opening, and we’re so excited that it’s going to be this special exhibition on the euphoria or calm triggered by sound, touch, and movement. This immersive experience delves into the crackles, pops, feather brushes, whispers, and tappy noises that have become a whole culture and community around the world. Showing over 40 works by contemporary artists, ASMRtists, and designers, the Hong Kong edition also features newly commissioned works by local artists which capture our city’s unique auditory identity. The highlight of the show is a sculpture of wavy, bendy pillows woven together to form over a kilometre of squishy comfort, where visitors can lounge while watching various ASMR-related videos. There’s even an entire room dedicated to Bob Ross, who many in the community dub the ‘Godfather of ASMR’.  Don’t forget to try your hand at creating your own ASMR noises before you leave! Tickets to this exhibition at Gate33 Gallery cost $30.

The ‘Van Gogh Alive’ immersive art experience has travelled to over 100 cities around the world, and it’s returning to our shores on March 10. This exhibition stimulates the senses of sight, sound, and smell to fully bring visitors into Post-Impressionist master Vincent van Gogh’s artistic journey.  3,000 paintings and images including famous Van Gogh classics like ‘Sunflowers’, ‘Starry Night’, and ‘Wheatfield with Crows’ are waiting to be experienced in an elevated way, with approximately 30 giant screens working together to project, break down, and enhance the paintings. Projected simultaneously across walls, columns, and floors, visitors can feel like they’re actually wandering through the world created through his bold brush strokes. Apart from a redesigned layout that utilises more of the exhibition space than when the exhibition came to Hong Kong in 2019, this return also presents something new in the debut of ‘AI Van Gogh’; the technology brings the artist back to life and generates paintings in the Impressionist style for visitors to walk into. Classical music from Schubert and Bach will enhance the enjoyment of the artwork, while special scents are also used to heighten the immersive experience, evoking florals when viewing ‘Sunflowers’ or a fresh breeze in ‘Starry Night’. Early-bird tickets are available until February 27 for $160. Thereafter, the standard price will be $190, with concessions available. Note that tickets to ‘Van Gogh Alive’ do not include entry...

To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Dongjiang Water Supply to Hong Kong, a large-scale exhibition has been set up at Tamar Park and the Central and Western District Promenade (Central Section) from now to June 13. Created by internationally acclaimed artist Simon Ma, the exhibition features hundreds of inflated transparent 'water droplets' – with two giant water drop sculptures at heights of 28.8m and 18.8m respectively – to symbolise inclusion and vitality. Please note that advance online booking is required. Each person is allowed to book no more than one session (lasting 20 minutes) at a maximum of five quotas each day. 

The famous Musée d’Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris have collaborated with the Hong Kong Museum of Art to present this special exhibition on two of the greatest masters of the Impressionist art movement: Paul Cézanne and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.  This is the first large-scale exhibition of the two Impressionists in Hong Kong, showcasing 52 masterpieces on loan from France. See how the pair found innovative ways to reinvent the art of their time, how they viewed the world, and how they captured the rapidly changing times around them. Cézanne and Renoir were also longtime friends and likely influenced each other’s works, as well as later becoming beacons of inspiration for later painters such as Spanish surrealist master Pablo Picasso. The Cézanne and Renoir exhibition will run from January 17 to May 7. Tickets are priced at $50, with concessions available. Note that the Hong Kong Museum of Art is closed on Thursdays as well as the first two days of Chinese New Year (January 29-30). View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out Hong Kong (@timeouthk)

The Hong Kong Space Museum is now screening a new 3D dome show at its Space Theatre, immersing viewers into the Arctic wilderness through the year’s seasons, offering intimate glimpses of its wildlife such as polar bear, seals, and walruses, and bringing awareness to the impacts of climate change. Follow walruses as they go through their annual molt during summer, made more difficult by ever-increasing temperatures; young harp seals as they grow from white furry bundles into sleek swimmers; the indigenous Inuit people as they make their increasingly dangerous journeys with sled dogs across the thinning sea ice; and more. Unless you’re the Steve Irwin type, this is probably the closest immersive experience you’ll get to being in an animal documentary. This Arctic 3D show will be screened from January 15 until October 13, at 2pm and 6.30pm on weekdays, and 12.30pm and 5pm on weekends and public holidays. Tickets are priced at $30 for front stalls and $40 for stall seats. There’s lots of time to catch this immersive show, but note that the Hong Kong Space Museum is closed on Tuesdays, unless it falls on a public holiday.

Hong Kong Disneyland's annual Duffy and Friends Play Days return from now to May 7, 2025. This year, Duffy and his lovable friends are inviting fans and explorers to embark on an adventure around the park with their favourite plushies, starting from Main Street Station and Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad to various parts of the resort.  Look out for five new photo spots at iconic locations, where special seats have been set up for your plushies; make a stop at the Castle of Magical Dreams for a seasonal exclusive show, 'The Joy of Sharing'; and indulge in themed snacks like the CookieAnn train popcorn bucket and the giant ice cream sundae at Main Street Corner Cafe. Be sure to take home a piece of the magic with exclusive souvenirs like plushies, bag charms, keychains, and headbands from the Duffy and Friends Sweet Springtime Explorations series.

PMQ's Play Stuff Fest is back! A gathering ground for all kidults and toy lovers, this year's event features a four-day toy market showcasing more than 30 unique toy brands and platforms from Hong Kong as well as Macau, Seoul, Shenzhen and Singapore. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet local creators and connect with fellow fans over exclusive collections of the latest art toys, classic film and anime memorabilia, as well as limited-edition designer toy figures. Don't miss exclusive merch from local designers Club Babo, Don’t Cry In The Morning, LeeeeeeToy, and Mr. Giraffe, and be sure to join a series of sharing sessions to hear inspiring stories by different toy designers, or get crafty at a workshop led by masters to experience the artistry of toy-making first-hand.

Visit this special exhibition at M+ to see more than 60 masterpieces by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso spanning from the late 1890s to the early 1970s. Co-curated with the Musée national Picasso-Paris (MnPP), which holds the largest repository of Picasso’s work in the world, this is the first time that pieces from the MnPP are being shown together with works from an Asian museum collection. By placing Picasso’s work in dialogue with Asian contemporary art – approximately 80 works by more than 20 Asian and Asian-diasporic artists – the master’s enduring influence on art to this day is highlighted. Split into four sections that show how Picasso fits into four artist stereotypes – such as the genius in his self-mythologising works, and the outsider with how he consistently chose to upend artistic styles and traditions – this exhibition explores how Picasso became the quintessential modern 20th-century artist.  Tickets cost $240, with half-price concessions and adult-and-child combo deals available. Visitors with special exhibition tickets can also access the ‘Guo Pei: Fashioning Imagination’ exhibition, as well as all M+ general admission exhibitions starting from March 15.

The loveable Chiikawa has landed in Harbour City for a pop-up store filled with adorable merch and cute photo spots. Open from now to April 27, the time-limited store at Ocean Terminal Main Concourse will be stocked with over 400 authentic Chiikawa merchandise flown in straight from Japan, including T-shirts, stationery, plush toys, apparel, and lifestyle goods. There are also three photo spots at the store where you can snap pics with your favourite characters, or pop over to the Chiikawa Wishing Garden (Ocean Terminal Atrium) where you can redeem a Wishing Card upon spending $300 or more at the pop-up store.  Planning to visit? Then make sure you register at kkday.com beforehand as there are only limited quotas on-site for walk-ins.

ArtisTree has teamed up with globally celebrated multidisciplinary artist Sara Shakeel for 'ArtisTree Selects: The Jewel System', a stunning showcase of two art installations. Known for her dazzling digital art, Shakeel brings her work into the physical world with embroidered pieces that blend ancient craftsmanship with cosmic themes. At ArtisTree, visitors can explore The Jewel System, a vibrant embroidered map of planets adorned with crystals and metallic threads. Over at Two Taikoo Place, experience Genesis in Jewels, an artistic take on the Big Bang using layered fabrics and suspended crystals. Both pieces explore humanity’s connection to the universe, mixing tradition with modern creativity. Drop by before it ends on April 27 and immerse yourself in Shakeel's celestial world.