The best things to do in Hong Kong today

The Dragon Boat Festival is back! Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races will be taking over Victoria Harbour (Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade) on June 27 and 28, featuring more than 220 elite teams from 16 countries and regions. Spectators can catch all the world-class action for free from the shoreline, or explore the TST waterfront where there'll be festive street food along the Dragon Boat Food Lane, cold brews and live music at the Beer Garden, festive photo spots, interactive cultural workshops, and lots more fun activities that will get you into the festive spirit.  Want to make the most of the long weekend? Head over to our full guide on the Dragon Boat Festival to find out more about the races, the history behind this holiday, along with the customs and traditions that go with it.  

Play Stuff Fest is back and it's turning PMQ into a retro fast-food toy diner! For three days only, the even makes its grand return with a limited-time toy diner concept dubbed Toy Guys, gathering more than 40 independent design brands and collectives from across Hong Kong, Bangkok, Seoul, and Taipei. Beyond browsing rare drops and exclusive character merch from beloved local studios, visitors can catch live graffiti painting, sharing sessions from artists, and interactive workshops to sculpt their own mini hamburgers. Real food trucks and stalls like Sick! Burger, teemtonefai, and Treble Coffee will also be on-site to keep you fuelled. Tickets for adults are $20 each (kids aged 12 and under can enter for free), and early-bird ticket holders will even score a limited-edition mini blind box figure to take home.

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.

M+ in West Kowloon Cultural District is honouring the late Ryuichi Sakamoto with a museum-wide programme from now until July. Comprising a site-specific installation, moving image works, a listening experience, and film, ‘Seeing Sound, Hearing Time’ celebrates the enduring legacy of the Japanese composer, producer, and artist. ‘Async–Immersion’ presents a three-dimensional, audio-visual representation of Sakamoto’s personal album, combining sonic experience with optical immersion. Nam June Paik’s ‘All Star Video’ explores Sakamoto’s influences and creative encounters, while ‘Vinyl Sessions with Music by Ryuichi Sakamoto’ allows visitors to engage with his compositions, alongside reflections on his work from three Hong Kong-based sound artists. Additionally, ‘Ryuichi Sakamoto: Music in Film’ will screen two films to allow for an intimate look into Sakamoto’s life, profound artistry, and innovative creative process.

The ICH Cuisine Carnival is taking over the historic grounds of Oi! in North Point on June 20 and 21 to celebrate the city’s status as a culinary paradise. Open from 10am to 6pm, the two-day event dives into the techniques behind some of our most beloved local flavours, with demonstrations and workshops for moon cakes, dim sum, ding ding candy, and more. Between bites, you can also catch live performances of nanyin and lion dances, or learn the secrets of the perfect silk-stocking milk tea.

Taiwanese lifestyle platform Everyday Object is making its overseas debut in Hong Kong with a curated three-month pop-up at East Hong Kong’s Domain (1/F). Running from now to July 31, the residency showcases a collection of over 60 independent brands from both Taipei and Hong Kong, with each month dedicated to a specific theme: travel in May, office life in June, and the home in July. Visitors can browse an array of niche design goods, ranging from vegan skincare to handcrafted accessories and even yuenyeung-flavoured canned cheesecakes. There’ll also be a limited-time coffee takeover by Taichung-based Sumugaga Coffee Roasters, where you can download the Scannow app to get a five percent discount on a special Taichung pourover and unlock a digital map of the city’s best-kept creative secrets. Whether you are hunting for rare Taiwanese accessories or simply looking for a fresh shot of caffeine and inspiration, this three-month pop-up has everything under one roof.

This spring, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum is hosting a two-part exhibition that combines interactive multimedia with a collection of rare historical treasures. The first section, Meet Mona Lisa, uses an immersive multimedia installation to follow the five-hundred-year journey of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, featuring a personal narration from the lady herself. The second half, Portraying the Renaissance, showcases over 100 precious works from leading European institutions, including four of da Vinci’s original manuscripts on the human body and faces exhibited in Hong Kong for the first time. The exhibition runs from May 1 to July 27, 2026, and is completely free to enter from 10am to 6pm on weekdays (except Tuesdays) and until 7pm on weekends and public holidays.

Curated by local artist armechan, Pocket Art is Hong Kong’s first art collection card exhibition. Running at PMQ from May 29 to June 21, this unique showcase brings together 10 local and overseas artists – including comic master Li Chi Tak, Rex Koo, Lio Yeung, Erika Shiba, Abby Lee Yan Yee, and many more – to shrink contemporary art into palm-sized masterpieces. Visitors can hold, swap, and build their own mini art collection with various packs offering nearly 200 collectable cards, and there’ll even be grading and authentication services from Grading Eleven Authentication so you can seal your card inside exclusive protective slabs. If you prefer to wear your art, the exhibition has also partnered with local fashion brand Grocery to translate the visual motifs of the art cards into wearable daily items.

Step into a world where imperial grandeur meets Impressionist beauty at ‘Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West, a massive new showcase at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Bringing together more than 100 sets of rare artefacts and paintings from the Palace Museum in Beijing, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Palace of Versailles, the exhibition explores how nature has been shaped and celebrated by kings, scholars, and artists alike. The real highlight is the arrival of Claude Monet’s iconic Water Lilies (1906) and Water Lily Pond (1900), which are on loan from Chicago for a limited time. Alongside works by masters like Zhang Daqian and Wen Zhengming, visitors can wander through an immersive display and interact with virtual wine cups in a digital recreation of the famous Orchid Pavilion Gathering. Running until July 29 at HKMoA’s Special Gallery, the exhibition is completely free to enter – so there’s really no excuse not to visit.

Japan's hugely popular Flower Miffy boutique has officially made its grand Hong Kong debut, hopping into Causeway Bay for a limited summer run. Fusing minimalist floral designs with the adorable Dutch rabbit, the pop-up features a Flower Buffet where customers can create their very own plush flower bouquet and get their hands on a huge selection of themed merch, homeware, gardening accessories, and more. Big spenders looking to expand their Miffy collections can also walk away with limited-edition instant photo-style plastic collectable cards with any purchase of $300 or more.