Catharina Cheung

The day to honour all mothers falls on May 10 this year; and no matter who it is that you’re thinking of, it’s only right that you get the superwoman in your life a Mother’s Day gift that she truly deserves. To give you some inspiration, here is our pick of the best gifts that will no doubt brighten up her day. RECOMMENDED: For more inspiration, check out where to get her a beautiful bouquet at Hong Kong’s best florists.

Looking to make your weekend worthwhile? You’ve come to the right place. Whether you want to catch some live music, check out a new art exhibit, or just find a casual spot to relax with friends, Hong Kong knows how to keep you busy. Come rain or shine, day or night, here’s everything you need to plan the perfect weekend.  RECOMMENDED:  📆 Hong Kong events in March🎡 Top attractions in Hong Kong🛍️ Your ultimate Hong Kong checklist 2025

Not sure how to spend your free time this week? We’ve rounded up some of the best happenings across the city – from art exhibitions and food pop-ups to music nights and kid-friendly activities – so you don’t have to go searching. But if all else fails, you can always turn to one of Hong Kong’s best restaurants, or cross things off our ultimate Hong Kong checklist. Whatever you decide, we’ve got you covered for the next seven days. RECOMMENDED:  🎨 Art exhibitions to check out right now📆 December events in Hong Kong🥹 Free things to do in Hong Kong

For a city whose modern history began only a little over 150 years ago, Hong Kong is home to an abundance of beautiful architecture. There are plenty of old buildings and structures that have stood the test of time, but not all of it has survived our city’s pell-mell race to modernity. From Victorian private members’ clubs to Hong Kong’s old international airport, here’s a look at some of the marvellous structures we’ve lost along the way.  RECOMMENDED: Luckily, Hong Kong still has plenty of old buildings and structures that have stood the test of time. Explore some of the city’s oldest surviving buildings and structures. 

We hate to burst your fishball-scented bubble, but just living and working in this city doesn’t automatically qualify you as a real Hongkonger. However, that’s not to say that you won’t ever become one. There are many common misconceptions about Hong Kong, but one thing’s for sure, we have some real peculiar quirks and habits that only a true Hongkonger would ever say or do. Read on and see how many you can tick off. RECOMMENDED: If you’re still relatively new to the city, be careful not to ask certain questions that will set us off. Meanwhile, get to know Hong Kong one bite at a time and check out these uniquely Hong Kong dishes you need to try at least once.

We may live in a concrete jungle but nature has its way of enlightening us with its pops of colour. From dreamy pink cherry blossoms to fields of sunflowers, we’ve sorted out a list of flowers that bloom during different seasons and the best places to find them. Check them out below. Note: Blooming periods for different flower species may vary depending on external factors such as weather, location, and time of year. RECOMMENDED:  🌅 Lesser-known places to view Hong Kong’s skyline✨ Free things to do in Hong Kong💦 Best hikes in Hong Kong

It’s officially April, which means flowers are blooming, the new year’s resolution you made has gone out the window, and the weather can’t decide if it’s going to drench us or burn us up. But hey, at least the calendar is packed with all sorts of fun stuff for you to experience this month. From ballets and concerts to food pop-ups and art installations, check out all the best events happening across the city this month. RECOMMENDED: 🎡 Hong Kong’s top attractions🏞 The best hiking trails in Hong Kong🎉 Free things to do in Hong Kong  

Ask any Hongkonger and they will tell you that Leslie Cheung is one of Hong Kong’s lost gems, with debonair charm and striking presence, heightened by a baby-faced sweetness. This musical and film legend is also a major queer icon and was open about being bisexual in a time when ideals were way more conservative. It’s been over 20 years since the singer-slash-actor passed away, but every year on this anniversary of his death (April 1), fans still leave flowers, placards, and tributes outside the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Central. To pay homage to ‘Gor Gor’ (a loveable nickname often used on Cheung, meaning ‘Elder Brother’ in Cantonese), we’ve gathered a few of the most iconic films he has starred in over the years. RECOMMENDED: Check out our list of the 100 best Hong Kong movies – that’s many, many weekends’ worth of plans sorted!

Whether it’s street photography spots or world-class art galleries, Hong Kong is a city that’s bursting with creativity. To narrow things down and help you be well on your way to true culture vulture status (and level up your Insta-feed along the way), here are some of the best ongoing and upcoming art shows to visit around town. RECOMMENDED: Discover Hong Kong’s coolest hidden art spaces or pay a visit to the city’s top museums.

For the past eight years, we’ve made it our mission to scope out the coolest pockets of the world’s greatest cities in order to create our definitive annual ranking. The places where stuff like nightlife, art, culture, and affordable food and drink can be found on every corner and down every backstreet. Where diversity is championed and independent businesses thrive, from old-school boltholes to the newest avant-garde art space. Put simply, the world’s coolest neighbourhoods are places that represent the soul of our cities, while maintaining their own unique local character that draws people in to live, work and play. So, what are the neighbourhoods that fit the bill this year? To find out, we asked our network of writers and editors across a breadth of cities to nominate the vibiest district in their hometown right now. We then ranked every neighbourhood against criteria including culture, community, liveability, nightlife, food and drink, street life and that hard-to-define sense of ‘nowness’.  On our list this year, you’ll find everything from homely, village-like enclaves with tight-knit communities to revitalised city-centre hubs and formerly dormant, industrial areas transformed into creative districts. Many are underrated spots that sit in the shadow of their commercialised counterparts; others have become unexpected culinary hotspots or magnets for the city’s artists, writers and activists. What they all have in common is a DIY spirit – and an unshakeable proclivity f

Whether you’re cooking for yourself or preparing a feast for a big occasion with your loved ones, savouring familiar flavours from your country can instantly transport you back home, evoking the nostalgia, pride, and traditions associated with a home-cooked meal. For countless years, several of Hong Kong’s timeless brands, such as Kee Wah, Lee Kum Kee, Maxim’s and Pat Chun, have served as essential staples in kitchens across the globe, helping create classic dishes and joyful memories all associated with the flavours of our city. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out Hong Kong (@timeouthk)

Right now, it feels like a great time to celebrate our cities. What cities do best is bring people together – everything we love about urban life, from the galleries and bars to the neighbourhood parks, exists thanks to the communities that make it all happen.  That’s why, every year, we raise a toast to the city with our definitive annual ranking, created on the back of a comprehensive survey of city-dwellers worldwide. Our survey asks not only what people love about their cities – the food scene and nightlife, the shops and museums, the parks and people – but also how it feels to live there. We asked you about happiness, affordability and quality of life, among a variety of other criteria. And, in order to dig deeper into the everyday lives of locals, this year we expanded our survey to cover aspects like love, romance and community feel. Time Out’s Best Cities with Intrepid Travel spotlights the destinations that offer the best of both worlds: an endlessly exciting catalogue of reasons to visit, as well as all the good stuff that makes a place feel like home. The 50 cities that made the list this year did so thanks to the insights of more than 24,000 people across 150 cities worldwide. To determine the final Best Cities ranking for 2026, we combined their thousands of responses with the votes of more than 100 Time Out city experts. Then we tapped up our network of local writers to tell us exactly what makes their city worth a visit right now. The result? A rundown of the m

Inspired by the special exhibition Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now, this late-night event is themed around science fiction and allows guests the opportunity to enjoy after-hours access to the galleries. There will be live music by Lai Ying, a dance performance by Ben Chiu & Crew, DJ sets by Cocoonics and Anti-General, plus a range of workshops and chats led by the M+ team. Whether you want to dance in a museum at night or learn more about the exhibitions, the monthly M+ at Night series offers a great chance to experience art, music, and creativity in a new way. Tickets cost $320 with concessions available for students, while M+ members and patrons can enjoy free admission.

Chef May Chow celebrates the return of her famous Little Bao to Central with a one-night-only Baodown, collaborating with chef Gavin Chin from House of Culture. The pair will co-create a special menu just for this evening, so if either of these restaurants has been on your list for some time, here’s your chance to tick them both off in one go! The night’s menu remains a surprise, but considering how Chow and Chin are both known for mixing Western flavours with Asian inflections to great effect, we are very excited to see what they’ll whip up for ravenous diners in Soho who can’t wait to bite into a bao again in their own neighbourhood.

The stylish restaurant and bar Felix on the top floor of The Peninsula Hong Kong hotel has launched a brand-new event series that focuses on DJs spinning tunes on vinyl records. Every Thursday, from 8pm to 11pm, a rotation of highly respectable DJs such as Brahms, Roy Malig, Johnny Hiller, and NeeNo will spotlight their own distinctive styles with curated playlists of both mellow tracks and upbeat grooves. This is a great opportunity to experience some deep cuts from each DJ’s extensive record collections, with genres ranging from soul and jazz to Mediterranean Balearic and funk. There are also special drinks and snacks that take inspiration from the 80s and 90s to go with the tunes. See details about this weekly music series at The Peninsula here. 

Creative studio Gentle Pause is here to emphasise the musical component of Wong Kar-wai’s vision with a screening of his 1994 romance anthology Chungking Express. What makes this viewing special is that they are collaborating with jazz collective Fountain de Chopin, who will be reimagining the film’s urban romance, the loneliness of trying to get by in the city, and the profundity of connections between strangers through live jazz interpretations. Maybe they’ll play a jazzy version of ‘California Dreamin’’...  The screenings will run on May 1 and 2 at the K11 Musea Sculpture Park, with tickets priced at $498 per person.

Hot on the heels of Fireside being ranked number 18 on this year’s World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants list, chef Jaime Ortolá from our city’s open-fire specialist is collaborating with chef Lorenzon Aniello of I Due Cippi from Saturnia, Tuscany, for a limited series of four-hands dinners. I Due Cippi has been ranked number four on the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants, so this is a rare chance to try two global steak powerhouses in one meal. Aside from appetisers, sides, and desserts, diners can expect dishes like knife-cut beef tartare with smoke cuttlefish and Oscietra caviar, carabinero Flambadou 2.0 with Palo Cortado bisque, cacio e pepe, and much more. This four-hands menu is priced at $2,488 per person, and can be booked here.

It’s been about 20 years since Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs graced our screens, but the sequel movie is finally about to be released! In honour of this modern classic, there’s a pop-up installation in Pacific Place dedicated to everything Runway. Field calls from Miranda at the magazine’s reception desk, take over Miranda’s own office, have your own fashion change montage at the New York subway entrance, and more. Best of all, you can hop into a photobooth disguised as an elevator, snap a series of model-worthy poses, and have your favourite printed out into a magazine cover. The pop-up is free to enter and explore, while you can access the elevator by signing up to become an above member and spending $300 on the same day within the mall.

Catch the Grammy-nominated singer and producer at Kai Tak Stadium on October 21, where Puth will be performing his timeless hits as well as some highly anticipated new tracks from his Whatever’s Clever album which was just released earlier in March. His new 80s-inspired soft rock sound also features interesting collaborations with the likes of Utada Hikaru, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Kenny G, and even Jeff Goldblum. If you like Puth’s older (but no less iconic) releases like ‘Attention’, ‘We Don’t Talk Anymore’, ‘Left and Right’ featuring BTS’ Jungkook, and ‘Stay’, then this is one concert you won’t want to miss! See details about pre-sale dates and ticketing here.

Genre-blending musical chameleon Post Malone has just announced that he is coming to Hong Kong in concert for the first time in three years! We are promised a career-spanning setlist of chart-toppers and fan favourite tracks, presented with Posty’s undeniable stage presence and signature large-scale productions. The artist will be joined on this tour by fellow Texan musician Don Toliver, who is known for his ethereal, psychedelic trap, and melodic hip-hop. Tickets to see Post Malone in Hong Kong range from $699 for nosebleeds to $3,199 for the premium VIP package – the most costly entry includes a tier-one reserved seated ticket, specially designed VIP merch, a laminate and lanyard, an exclusive VIP wristband, and priority shopping for merchandise. See details on ticket types, pre-sale dates, and more here.

Since Vietnam and China have had a long history of culture exchange and cross-immigration, it only makes sense that both cuisines are deeply entwined – and Le Le’s menu reflects this cultural context with traditional Vietnamese dishes subtly enhanced by Chinese cooking techniques. From delicate amuse-bouche of flower clam tart with ram and coriander root juice, to a fantastic duck served three ways with bánh tiêu savoury doughnuts on the side, a careful adherence to classic Vietnamese flavours is the name of the game here. There are plenty of Vietnamese eateries in Hong Kong, but perhaps none that a fancier concept for this cuisine quite like Le Le.

Central’s beloved gelateria Snack Baby is hosting their first-ever guest shift, starring none other than Socio, Soho’s popular community-focused bar just up the hill nearby. On Thursday, April 9, Suraj Gurung from the Socio team will take over Snack Baby, serving the fermented and infused ingredients that the bar is known for with gelato. Some of the cocktails to look out for include Sencha Tea, made with sencha tea gin, rhubarb vermouth, and watermelon cordial; Gelato, containing ice cream-washed coconut rum, mango, genmaicha gin, Ancho Reyes, and Muyu Chinotto; and Cheese, mixing Mimolette bourbon, black truffle, quince vermouth, and olive oil. This one-night-only guest shift runs from 8-11pm, and Snack Baby is not huge by any means, so get there early!

Take care of your health with the Mannings BoostUP Fiesta, a discovery pop-up at WestK designed as a “wellness buffet” with mind-and-body sessions, interactive experiences, complimentary health assessments, and other activities to improve holistic wellbeing. Over two days, the festival brings together 50 wellness experts and movement leaders across over 40 experiences. Start off with the Health Pod, a cardiovascular and stress monitor, a body composition analysis, and more so you can understand your needs and navigate the rest of the festival with more clarity. There will also be workshops from pilates to sound healing, a marketplace with curated wellness and beauty products, a stage hosting high-energy workouts and mindful breathing to music, and a play zone to let out some energy and connect with the people around you. Early-bird tickets are on sale until April 15 at $100 for a single-day ticket and $180 for a two-day pass. Thereafter, prices will rise to $200 and $360 for single- and two-day entries, respectively, and $300 for single-day tickets at the door.

Celebrate five years of banging beats with Magic Room’s special March event! Musumeci and Lehar will headline in a special B2B set, blending cinematic energy with melodic house. The duo will be joined by Copenhagen-based DJ and producer Radeckt, alongside Magic Room’s own Nodes Crew, Leon (FR), Mo-Shi, Milam, and Nat Dunn behind the decks. A great way to end the craziness of Hong Kong’s Art Month.

Has there ever been a person who has watched a Disney film and didn’t imagine what it would be like to meet one of the characters in real life? Well, we’re now one step closer to this reality, as visitors to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort will get to meet a self-walking, free-roaming Olaf starting from early May. This fan-favourite comedic snowman from Frozen has been brought to life by Walt Disney’s Imagineering Research & Development team using next-generation robotics. This isn’t just your run-of-the-mill, remote-controlled puppet either. Working with character animators to ensure expressive movements that are true to the characters on-screen, Disney’s Imagineers have built impressive new robots that can travel steadily on different terrain, adapt to their surroundings, and interact with park guests. The Olaf robot has already debuted in Disneyland Paris in late March this year, and can be seen as part of a daily show that takes place on a boat in a lagoon. Using a specially built GPU-accelerated simulator called Kamino and reinforcement learning, Olaf was trained to stand and walk in challenging environments – in this case, on board a moving boat – and the robot took only mere hours to learn to navigate on the unsteady surface by itself. Photograph: Courtesy Hong Kong Disneyland In Hong Kong Disneyland, we don’t have this show, so our Olaf has presumably learned how to walk through the World of Arendelle zone, greeting and interacting with visitors. We can’t wait to see ho

After the recent launch of electronic payments in all Hong Kong taxis, the city’s ubiquitous contactless payment system Octopus has also expanded its ecosystem to include ride-hailing services. The Easy Ride platform lives within the Octopus app itself, providing a one-stop solution for Hong Kong commuters and tourists alike to book and pay for cabs. Here’s what we know about this convenient alternative to Uber. What is Octopus Easy Ride? Easy Ride is Octopus’ ride-hailing service that partners with multiple taxi fleets and other ride-hailing platforms. The great thing about this service is that, since it's already native to the Octopus system, users can pay directly using their Octopus card, Mobile Octopus, or Octopus Wallet directly in-app, without the need to link a credit card like most other ride-hailing apps require. If you’re in Hong Kong, you will likely already have an Octopus card, which means that barely any setup is needed to start using Easy Ride. What kinds of cars are available on Octopus Easy Ride? At this initial stage, there are already about 8,000 vehicles circulating on Easy Ride. Vehicle choices include the standard four-seater taxis, more luxurious six-seaters, XL cars suitable for travelling with luggage, as well as wheelchair-accessible vehicles. These are all available to choose from when requesting rides. Users are also able to easily compare fares across Hong Kong’s newer taxi fleets such as BigBoss Taxi, Joie Taxi, GodTaxi, and more, with transpare

Millennials, this will wake you up on a dreary workday – Simple Plan will be hitting the Hong Kong stage this year! To celebrate their 25th anniversary, the Canadian pop-punk band is going on tour across North America and Europe before heading to Asia, and Hong Kong is one of their five Asian stops. The last time the four-piece act was here in town, it was 2012, they were promoting their Get Your Heart On! Album, and Gen Alpha were just about being conceived – so yes, it’s been a hot minute since we’ve seen them live.  Photograph: Courtesy Simple Plan From late November onwards, the Asia leg of Simple Plan’s tour will start in Kuala Lumpur, then Singapore, Manila, and two locations in Indonesia, then finally Hong Kong on December 1, before the band wraps up the world tour back in Ontario in Canada around mid-month. Ticket prices have yet to be announced, but the Hong Kong pre-sale starts on May 11 at 10am, while VIP entry releases on May 13. Mark your calendars, because you have to fend off a whole generation of emotionally exhausted millennials whose idea of free therapy is to spend a night screaming anthems about rebellion and outsiderhood from their teenage years. (It’s us, you’ll have to fight us.) Check back for prices and details soon! Stay in the loop: Sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox Recommended stories: All eight of Hong Kong’s public universities have made the Asia top 100 for the first time HKMoA

If you missed the chance to join the dim sum rave that rocked the historic Lin Heung Lau teahouse last weekend, then here’s your final chance to visit and vibe in this restaurant after dark.  After just under a century of operating from its perch on the corner of Aberdeen and Wellington Streets, this teahouse is taking its dim sum steamers to a new home on Des Voeux Road Central very soon. We’re sure the food will be just as tasty after the move, but their Central location is undoubtedly iconic to generations of Hong Kong diners, and deserves one last visit to commemorate the good times. On their final weekend of business, Lin Heung Lau is holding an official farewell party to “share one last beautiful moment, not as a full stop, but as a warm comma”. Keeping with the Hong Kong history of this restaurant, the music will mostly be retro Cantopop and we’re very excited to scream out Cantonese bangers on the dancefloor. DJs Yin, Tak, Bobo, Etta, Ari, and KT will be behind the decks for a full night of tunes. Early-bird tickets have already sold out immediately, but general admission tickets are still available for $680. This includes entry, one drink, and one steamer of dim sum, or one plate of roast meats. Bid this historic business goodbye in style – we’ll see you under the birdcages on May 9! Stay in the loop: Sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox Recommended stories: Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Juv

If you’re anything like us, you remember fondly the OG Little Bao spot on Staunton Street, which was tiny, neon-lit, and only offered bar seats, but nevertheless really put chef May Chow’s famous buns on everyone’s radar. Next month marks a homecoming for Little Bao, as the pork belly buns return to its birthplace of Soho, and we can’t wait to see what’s been cooking. Photograph: Courtesy Little Bao The Causeway Bay location was conceived as a comforting, family-friendly spot that was much more spacious than the original, and it definitely became a beloved spot in the neighbourhood, but Central ended up beckoning the chef-founder back. Chow muses that the energy in Soho and being surrounded by like-minded people reminded her of Little Bao’s original intent. She would not be juggling two branches either – “We want to put everything we have into one place and do it properly.” Photograph: Courtesy Little Bao If you want to hang out in the Causeway Bay branch and dig into some of the location-exclusive dishes again, make sure to do it before their last day of operations on Sunday, May 17! (These special dishes will not be making it back onto the Soho menu.) As for their new home in Central, there’s already plenty in the works. Little Bao will celebrate Mother’s Day on May 10 with a new merch launch that combines baby pieces with a branded twist – very fitting as chef Chow has recently welcomed a baby of her own with wife and singer-songwriter Joya. On May 19, chef Gavin Chin

Just as we had resigned ourselves to staying overheated and sticky for the next six months, an unexpected cold front is moving in, bringing rainstorms and slightly cooler temperatures for the rest of the week. According to the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), a cold front over inland Guangdong will be moving southwards and across the coastal areas in the region this afternoon (April 23), bringing gradually increasing showers and a few squally thunderstorms. We can expect the rain to be heavier tomorrow as a result of upper-air disturbances, with heavy showers likely lasting until Saturday, April 25. Under the influence of the northeast monsoon, temperatures in Hong Kong will also fall today and tomorrow, dipping to around 23 degrees Celsius tonight. The thermostat goes down a little more on Friday, April 24, with temperatures falling to approximately 20 degrees Celsius in urban areas and even a couple of degrees lower in the New Territories. The fact that we still get to enjoy temperatures in the high tens when May is merely days away is delightful. This slightly cool break is forecast to last until Saturday morning, April 25, then the upper-air disturbances will depart, with showers easing off leading into sunny spells on Sunday. Before that happens, though, the HKO warns that the public should be aware of unsettled weather and temperatures falling appreciably over today and tomorrow. Grab a brolly and a cardigan, just in case! Stay in the loop: Sign up for our free Time Out Hon

Devastating news for fans of Fujii Kaze, as the Japanese singer-songwriter has cancelled the Hong Kong leg of his ‘Prema World Tour’ without warning. Our city was initially on his schedule when the tour was announced last December, but on Tuesday, April 21, the official website was updated with a line in small print stating “Show in Hong Kong has been cancelled”. Fujii’s Hong Kong date has since been removed from the world tour schedule, with a January 9, 2027, slot added for Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul instead. No reason has been given for the Hong Kong cancellation, but the 28-year-old talent is the latest in a series of Japanese artists who have called off their shows in the city, such as Ayumi Hamasaki, Koda Kumi, and most recently, One OK Rock. We can only hope that other upcoming Japanese acts such as LiSA, Vaundy, and Yoasobi will take pity on their Hong Kong fans and keep their dates! The last time Fujii was in Hong Kong was for his ‘Best of Fujii Kaze’ tour back in late 2024, which very quickly sold out. With a neo-soul and jazzy pop sound and self-composed songs that has earned him a huge fanbase in Asia, he released his third studio album Prema entirely in English, and went on to play in this year’s Coachella festival. In case you’re adamant on catching him live during the Prema run, Fujii will be doing a short six-date ‘Pre:Prema Tour’ in Sapporo, Hiroshima, and Fukui from mid-July to early August, before hitting up Kaohsiung in October; Fukuoka in November; Osaka,

If you’re a fan of Chinese desserts such as mango sago puddings and tofu puddings, you’ll have noticed that there’s been a dearth of traditional dessert shops in Hong Kong for a handful of years now. We used to have chains such as Honeymoon Dessert, Chung So Dessert, and Kai Kai Dessert scattered around town and available pretty accessibly, but these businesses have been steadily dwindling – which is sad news for Hongkongers with a sweet tooth. Luckily, there’s a new joint in Sheung Wan that’s here to fill that hole in our hearts and bellies. Soon has just recently opened along the quiet Lok Ku Road between the bustle of Hollywood Road and Queen’s Road Central. With its light wood interiors, shelf partition filled with nostalgic Hong Kong trinkets, and aesthetically pleasing tableware, it’s easy to mistake this shop for yet another independent hipster café that has emerged since Sham Shui Po (jokingly referred to as Hong Kong’s Brooklyn) made coffee shop culture a whole thing. Photograph: Ann Chiu But no, Soon actually serves up classic Hong Kong desserts, with almost 20 items on their menu that most Hongkongers will know well, such as mango pomelo sago, almond tea with egg whites, black sesame glutinous rice balls in ginger soup, coconut milk with purple rice pudding, and peach gum with snow fungus sweet soup. Aside from sweets and puddings, Soon also offers savoury snacks like spicy garlic chicken wing tips and the retro curry trio of fishballs, pig skin, and turnip. I pa

The clock is ticking, and the deadline is just under two weeks away. Whether you’re firmly in the ‘pry the vape from my cold dead hands’ camp or the ‘I’ll just go back to cigs’ group, there’s no denying that nights out will change a lot come April 30.  As part of the Hong Kong government’s anti-smoking drive, the use of vapes and heated tobacco products will be banned from the final day of April. Even possessing small quantities for personal use can incur a fixed fine of $3,000 – already double the current penalty for smoking violations – while having larger quantities can lead to fines of up to $50,000, prosecution, and up to six months’ imprisonment. What constitutes small or large quantities, you ask? Anyone carrying more than five vape pods or five ml of e-liquid, or more than 100 heat sticks or herbal cigarettes will face the maximum penalty sentence, while possession of smaller quantities will be slapped with the $3,000 fine. Considering that a regular disposable vape pen holds about six to seven ml of juice, it’s probably easier than you might think to exceed the possession quantity. Photograph: Shutterstock The rules against vaping and the use of e-cigarettes in Hong Kong from April 30 onwards will be stricter than most people expect. Simply carrying a vape that is switched on and ready to use while in any public place will be illegal. This applies to all electronic smoking devices, heated tobacco products, herbal cigarettes, and the like. For now, they still haven’

The Hong Kong Sevens 2026 is officially here, and we’re ready for some serious sporting action. Returning to the Kai Tak Stadium, this year’s event marks its 50th anniversary, so you know there’s plenty in store to keep everyone entertained. Whether you’re a hardcore rugby fan or just here for the fancy dress and beers, here’s everything you need to know to survive the three-day spectacle. When and where is the Hong Kong Sevens 2026? The Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens is taking place from April 17 to 19, with world-class rugby and top-tier entertainment hosted at the Kai Tak Stadium within the Kai Tak Sports Park. Can I still get tickets to the Hong Kong Sevens 2026? If you have yet to secure your spot, there’s still a slim window to grab tickets via the official Hong Kong Sevens website: Hong Kong Sevens 2025 ticket prices Three-day weekend pass for adults (general admission): $2,250 per person Three-day weekend pass for children aged 12 or below (general admission): $1,100 per person Adult single-day: $550 for Friday, $1,250 for Saturday and Sunday Child single-day: $300 for Friday, $625 for Saturday and Sunday The South Stand FastPass and Carlsberg Clubhouse are all sold out at this point. However, a new premium option, The Pavilion Pass, has been introduced this year, offering a terrace overlooking the South Stand with free-flowing Aperol and Pimms, as well as queue jump access for those aged 18 and over. Photograph: Courtesy HKCRSpain vs Kenya on the day one of the C

Music enthusiasts, you’ll want to perk up your ears for this one! The stylish restaurant and bar Felix on the top floor of The Peninsula Hong Kong hotel has launched a brand-new event series that focuses on DJs spinning tunes on vinyl records. Every Thursday, from 8pm to 11pm, a rotation of highly respectable DJs such as Brahms, Roy Malig, Johnny Hiller, and NeeNo will spotlight their own distinctive styles with curated playlists of both mellow tracks and upbeat grooves. Music buffs would be interested to know that this is a great opportunity to experience some deep cuts from each DJ’s extensive record collections, with genres ranging from soul and jazz to Mediterranean Balearic and funk. The Philippe Starck-designed Felix has always been a stylish, intimate space with large windows framing the city’s harbour views, and the whole experience is bound to be elevated to the next level with the vinyl series as well as special drinks and snacks that take inspiration from the 80s and 90s to go with the tunes. Photograph: Courtesy The Peninsula Hong Kong Start with the 45 & Fine, a blend of sweet peach and cranberry that’s crisp and easy to drink, before moving on to the Needle Drop, which blends espresso and tequila crowned with cloud-like foam. Finally, High Fidelity leans towards citrus and herbal notes – perfect for those who don’t like their cocktails sweet and prefer tipples like a negroni. These specialty cocktails are available at $188 each. The vinyl puns and references d

When bringing up Wong Kar-wai films, it’s often the cinematography and visual aesthetics that get discussed but we think a huge part of what makes them so enjoyable is the music. After all, who can forget Faye Wong’s seminal cover of The Cranberries’ ‘Dreams’ in Chungking Express or ‘Yumeji’s Theme’ repeatedly highlighting wistful longing in In The Mood For Love?  Creative studio Gentle Pause is here to emphasise the musical component of Wong Kar-wai’s vision with a screening of his 1994 romance anthology Chungking Express. What makes this viewing special is that they are collaborating with jazz collective Fountain de Chopin, who will be reimagining the film’s urban romance, the loneliness of trying to get by in the city, and the profundity of connections between strangers through live jazz interpretations. Maybe they’ll play a jazzy version of ‘California Dreamin’’...  Photograph: Courtesy Gentle Pause / Fountain de Chopin If you like arthouse cinema, want to experience Wong Kar-wai’s filmography in a different way, enjoy jazz music, or want something romantic to do that blends outdoor movie watching, a music performance, and our amazing Hong Kong cityscape, then this is the weekend activity for you. As a nod to the prominent colours in Chungking Express, the playful dress code urges attendees to dress in shades of green or yellow. The screenings will run on May 1 and 2 at the K11 Musea Sculpture Park, with tickets priced at $498 per person. There is also the option to add