The best things to do in Hong Kong today

Hong Kong’s annual winter celebration returns to Central Harbourfront this December, paying tribute to Hong Kong’s cultural heritage with performances from local talents, local cuisine, and photo ops inspired by the city’s beloved landmarks and neighbourhoods. As always, thrilling rides, carnival games, and limited-edition prizes at over 30 different attractions await you, as well as Gandeys Circus’ brand-new winter-themed show, “The Winter World Circus,” a new act that adds a delightfully frozen flair to Gandeys’ signature choreo numbers and acrobatics.  AIA Carnival will take place at Central Harbourfront from December 22, 2025 to March 1, 2026.

Tai Kwun’s yearly lights and projection display is back again, and this year sees the Parade Ground and historic Barrack Block façade as the backdrop for a dive into funky disco. Design and technology studio The Collective has been brought in to create Discotheque Dreams, a production which recalls the revolutionary arrival of disco in Asia. Watch a neon dreamscape unfold across the walls, displaying culturally relevant crafts from both East and West such as lion dance and martial arts films, to Hollywood classics from the 70s – a reflection of Hong Kong’s own mixed identity. For the first time in the five years since InnerGlow has been held, this edition uses technology that allows for real-time audience interaction, inviting visitors to step into the show themselves alongside the projections and live performances. We can already just see everyone boogie-ing in the main courtyard, surrounded by multi-coloured swirling lights and the pulsing rhythm.

Louis Vuitton is celebrating its store expansion at Lee Gardens One with a limited-time bar pop-up, partnering with none other than the World’s Best Bar of 2025, Bar Leone. From now until March 15, the Bar Leone x Louis Vuitton pop-up bar will serve new cocktails, mocktails, and food created specifically for the collaboration, taking inspiration from the iconic Yum Sing Bar at the historic Lee Gardens Hotel. Bar Leone-made drinks such as the Kir Royal with Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, raspberry cordial, and violet; the gin-based Lee Gardens Special with moutai, elderflower, cucumber cordial, and soda; and the Yum Sing Café, featuring coffee, salted cream, and cardamom. Paris With a View offers a non-alcoholic experience of grapefruit and raspberry flavours, while the Bar Leone signature, Masa Margarita, combines toasted corn-infused tequila, sloe gin, and lime cordial. There are also three food sets available, loaded up with caviar, Balik salmon, lobster, foie gras, and more indulgences to pair perfectly with the cocktails without weighing the stomach down. Read more details about the pop-up and how to book.

Hong Kong street artist Lousy, best known for his bold graphics resembling glyphs and pictorial shapes, is collaborating with viral food photographer-artist David Leung – also known as Davidgoodtime, who specialises in capturing reflected food images highlighting pareidolia – for a dynamic exhibition about dim sum and the ritual of yum cha.  See photographs depicting beloved dim sum dishes in Leung’s signature mirrored style, mounted inside bamboo steamers crafted by master artisan Lui Ming of Ming Sang Steel Bamboo Receptacle; a customised dim sum trolley; Leung’s first foray into canvas work inspired by the Chinese deities Fu Lu Shou; plenty of Lousy’s signature drawings done on old dim sum order sheets; and more treats. See if you can snag the special collab bottles of soy sauce and chilli sauce as well – only super limited numbers available and perfect for pairing with your weekend yum cha sesh!

Head to the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) to find our city’s first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to Mughal art. The Mughal empire was one of the world’s most powerful kingdoms that encompassed much of modern-day Indian, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, ruling from the 16th to the 17th centuries. Though they ruled a mainly Hindu population, the Mughals were Muslim with Mongol origins, and were known for their rich culture and architecture – the Taj Mahal is one such legacy from this empire. Over 100 artefacts from the golden age of the Mughal dynasty, from paintings and jewellery to weaponry, architectural segments, and even some rare surviving textiles from this period are now on show – Hong Kong is this exhibition’s only Asia venue after its London premiere in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Under the rule of three emperors, the Mughal court greatly fostered artistic development and embraced cross-cultural influences, shown here in jade pieces that have incorporated motifs from the Chinese court. Highlights include a casket with mother-of-pearl inlays, a thumb ring from Emperor Akbar’s reign with western enamelling that shows the Mughal court’s hybrid aesthetic, and a beautiful dagger sheath and hilt lavishly decorated with gold and red gemstones. ‘Treasures of the Mughal Court’ runs until February 23, 2026, and tickets are priced from $150 which also grants access to HKPM’s thematic exhibitions in galleries one to seven.

‘Luminous Neon’ is a new exhibition at the DX Design Hub in Sham Shui Po that shares the radiant world of neon signage and the beauty of the traditional art form with visitors for a dose of nostalgia and collective reminiscing. Presented by the Hong Kong Design Centre, Serious Staging, and Tetra Neon Exchange, ‘Luminous Neon’ brings together a collection of painstakingly restored neon signs and new creations, creating a visual dialogue between traditional craftsmanship and modern creativity.  Endlessly photographable but balanced with educational and informative elements, the exhibition contrasts the different generational approaches to neon art and its legacy as an enduring cultural symbol of Hong Kong. Check out the historic ‘Golden Phoenix Restaurant’ and legendary ‘Tai Ping Koon Restaurant’ signs that once illuminated two of the city’s most prominent soy sauce western establishments, the ‘Nam Cheong Pawn Shop’ with its unique silhouette, and the Ray-Ban-shaped ‘Tai Cheong Eyeglasses’ sign, and more, all of which highlight the hard-earned skills of neon masters.

In a landmark collaboration between the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) of Egypt, 250 treasures and relics from the land of the Pharaohs will be on display in Hong Kong for nine and a half months. Named ‘Ancient Egypt Unveiled’, this exhibition is the largest, most comprehensive, and longest-running display of ancient Egyptian artefacts Hong Kong has ever seen, displaying archaeological finds loaned straight from Egypt, many of which are being shown outside of their home country for the very first time. Some of our favourite highlights include a set of canopic jars used to store internal organs in the mummification and burial process; statues of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut and Rameses II; painted coffins of wood and stone; a Book of the Dead papyrus scroll; and even an ancient Egyptian toilet seat. Swing by the gift shop to find a wide range of Egypt-related merch, including an adorable series of blind box plushies created by HKPM which depict pharaohs, canopic jars, mummies, and more.

Running until February 20, 2026 at Tai Kwun, ‘Book of Changes: The Art of Basil Pao’ is a thematic photography exhibition that explores the profound impact of the ancient I Ching text on Chinese life and cultural heritage through abstract visual dialogue. As one of the Five Classics in Chinese literature, the I Ching – also known in translation as the Book of Changes – is a divination and philosophy text that fortune-seekers refer to for moral guidance and wisdom. Basil Pao is best known for his photography work on Michael Palin’s BBC travel programmes, which were later published as large-format books. In this exhibition of images, he interprets the concepts explained in the I Ching through two photography series: The Great Walls of China and Glimpses of Silence. If your curiosity is roused by the I Ching and you’d like to gain a glimpse into the future, you can seek your own fortune through the ‘Consulting the Book of Changes’ interactive experience on-site. Visitors can also pick up an exclusive postcard featuring artwork from Pao’s The Great Walls of China photography series as a keepsake. If you’re a TK Fan member, you can make use of Tai Kwun’s special mailing service – just scribble down your message on the postcard and send it off to a local address!

Love potato crisps? Love Lunar New Year? If the answer to both of those questions is a resounding “yes”, you’re going to love this new festive display at Citygate Outlets. Tung Chung’s popular outlet mall is teaming up with snack food giant Calbee for a Lunar New Year-themed installation comprising installations, interactive games, and a pop-up shop stocked with the most adorable merchandise featuring Calbee’s potato mascot. Apart from eight super-sized installations featuring Calbee characters including ‘potato fairy’ Jagabee Potta, seesaws shaped like fries and prawn sticks, and interactive games, there is also a pop-up store filled with Hong Kong exclusives and coveted first-release Calbee merch! We’re talking cuddly Jagabee Potta plushies, fuzzy-soft crossbody bags in the shape of the Calbee mascot, Lunar New Year-themed cushions featuring the character Pote Kun and friends that unfolds into a blanket, mini-dolls, keychains – the list goes on.

Chiikawa and friends are returning to town as baby versions of themselves! From January 23 to March 2, Niko-Niko Lifestyle Store in Mong Kok’s MOKO shopping mall is hosting the Chiikawa Baby Hong Kong pop-up store, giving local fans a chance to enter the world of Chiikawa Baby for photo opportunities, pick up licensed merchandise and new releases, and immerse themselves in the official pop-up store experience.  At the 2,000-sq-ft pop-up, you can get your hands on the new Chiikawa Baby Series 2 merchandise, featuring baby Chiikawa, baby Usagi, baby Hachiware, and more. From the Chiikawa Baby Crawling Baby Plushies and Chiikawa Baby Mini Bibs to dress up the dolls to the Chiikawa Baby Star Mascot, Chiikawa Baby Swaddle Plushies, Chiikawa Baby Quilted Tote Bags, and more, there’s so much to choose from that fans of these cute critters will probably get dizzy from whipping their heads around too much. During the first week of the limited-time pop-up, there’s a reservation system in place, which opens on January 15 at 11am for visits between January 23 and 29. If you miss the opportunity to reserve a spot, be prepared to wait until January 30 to swing by.