Various venues

Hong Kong’s largest event for Korean culture, Festive Korea, returns in October and November this year under the theme Jam Korea. Derived from the Korean word for fun, pronounced as ‘jaem’, the festival offers a line-up of over 30 diverse events covering visual arts, films, sports, food, education, and more – all organised so attendees can have fun immersing themselves in Korea’s vibrant culture. First off, head to PMQ on October 5 and 6 for Korea Square, an all-day marketplace with plenty of stalls, experiences, and game booths. There will also be activities such as an EDM club for kids, the K-Quiz Golden Bell, which is a nod to the popular mini game competitive variety show Star Golden Bell, and the International Space-Out Competition.  Korean musical Finding Mr. Destiny – which was adapted into a film starring Gong Yoo in 2010 – will be on stage at Hong Kong City Hall from October 24 to 27. Of course, there’s no mentioning Korean culture without bringing in K-pop, so hit up Kwai Tsing Theatre on November 2 for the K-Pop Community Festival 2024, where there’ll be special performances and the chance for K-pop fans to show off their skills. Ballad artist Sung Si-kyung and Hong Kong’s own Hins Cheung will also be performing at the outdoors Open Air Music-Extravaganza on November 29, brightening up AXA x Wonderland with a mix of classical, K-pop, and Cantopop. Aside from these activities, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre will also host the Korean Ceramic Pavilion:

From now until November 30, over 30 restaurants and bars around town are offering exclusive cocktails as part of the World Shochu and Awamori Festival 2024, an annual celebration to showcase the low ABV Japanese spirits. All customers who join the festival will receive a passport and a stamp after ordering their first cocktail from any of the participating venues. Then, bring your passport with you and continue collecting stamps from other participating venues by ordering more shochu and awamori cocktails until November 30. Customers who collect a certain amount of stamps can earn exclusive prizes such as vouchers, rocks glasses, spirits, and even shochu tasting sets; those who collect up to 20 stamps will receive prizes worth over $1,500! After the festival is over, participants will have until December 31 to bring their passports to Mizunara: The Shop Hong Kong to claim their prizes. For further inquiries, contact Mizunara The Shop Hong Kong via email or phone at 3619 4270.

Over six weekends in November and December, Musicus Society will present seven programmes featuring musicians from France, Poland, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, as well as local performers. Highlights include string ensemble Musicus Soloists Hong Kong performing the Asian premiere of Umbra on November 23 after the double concerto debuts in Paris earlier in the month; a solo recital by emerging pianist virtuoso Zach Cheong Hoi-leong on November 30; and a family-friendly re-run of Marco Polo’s Musical Encounter of East and West, featuring both Chinese and Western musical instruments.  The festival closes with the renowned Sinfonia Varsovia from Poland and cellist Trey Lee, performing works by Czech master Antonín Dvořák and Polish composer Witold Lutosławski. Tickets run from $120 to $580 depending on the show, and there are also discounts of up to 20 percent for purchasing tickets to more of Musicus Fest 2024’s concerts.

Presented by the Hong Kong Generation Next Arts, this festival brings together the vastly different genres of classical music, Cantopop, K-pop, and Hong Kong’s rising talents into one musical landscape.  The renowned Grammy-winning violinist James Ehnes will collaborate with pianist Orion Weiss to play Beethoven’s sonatas, while the Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra will make their Hong Kong debut under the baton of Ken Lam alongside Hong Kong’s brightest young artists. The most eye-catching highlight is probably Hins Cheung taking the stage with South Korean crooner Sung Si-kyung, in a unique blend of Korean and Cantonese pop.  Tickets run from $80 to $580, depending on the event. Some of the programmes will later be made into a special program and broadcasted on CJ ENM’s regional entertainment channel tvN Asia.

The 53rd edition of the Hong Kong French Film Festival (HKFFF) returns with over 50 films to enjoy. Organised by the Alliance Française de Hong Kong, this festival brings the latest and greatest of French cinema to Hong Kong audiences with 110 screenings across the city. The HKFFF selection can be split into three categories – Festival Exclusives, which spotlights around 30 new films released this summer or during the upcoming autumn and winter season; Retrospective, which honours inspirational directors and actors across a dozen films from all eras; and On Design, which includes films and documentaries that celebrate French art and design, fashion, architecture, and more. See different representations of the father figure in films such as Mikado by Baya Kasmi and The Quiet Son by Delphine and Muriel Coulin, while women’s quest for emancipation is tackled in selections such as The Balconette by Noémie Merlant. We’re also looking forward to the period film The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre De La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte. Tickets to the HKFFF 2024 range from $50 to $110 depending on the screening venue. Alliance Française members can get tickets at a discounted price.

The world-famous RedBall Project is bouncing into town from December 6 to 15. Created by American artist Kurt Perschke, the RedBall Project is known as the world’s longest-running street art and has made its way across the globe popping up in cities like London, Paris, Tokyo, Tainan, and more. Each day, the giant red ball will appear at 10 culturally significant locations, wedging itself into various local architecture from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon. As part of 'BODW in the city', RedBall Hong Kong will also see various collaborations with local artists and brands to get everyone interacting and engaging with this giant oversized ball. Open daily from 11am to 6pm, the installations are free and open to everyone. Check out the full schedule of when and where the installation will appear in our guide.

We all still remember those days of frantically spinning PokéStops, crowds rushing to nest locations or random legendary sightings, and easily hitting our 10K steps per day. Just as we thought the Pokémon Go game had truly gone the way of the dodo, they announce that the City Safari version is coming to Hong Kong. On December 7 and 8, Pokémon trainers can go on a citywide adventure that’ll bring you to historic landmarks and local favourite hangs – of course, with the chance of catching special event-themed wild Pokémon, such as Eevee (and its evolutions) wearing an explorer hat. Among the special creatures that might pop up on your map, look out for the exclusive mount Pokémon named Skiddo, who is currently only available during Pokémon Go City Safari events. The designated locations to explore across Hong Kong are Sha Tin, Kowloon City, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong Island, Cheung Chau, and Ngong Ping. Tickets to this two-day Pokémon live event cost approximately $78 for one day – attendees can purchase an add-on for the second day for approximately $60. There are also other add-ons available for purchase, which will give benefits like free Raid passes, improved reward output, and hatching eggs at a faster rate.