CENTRESTAGE 2025

Celebrate the season by stepping into AIA Carnival 2025–2026, returning to Central Harbourfront Event Space from Dec. 22, 2025, to March 1, 2026, from 11 AM to 11 PM. As Hong Kong’s most anticipated winter tradition, this vibrant carnival invites families, friends, and visitors to immerse themselves in a festive playground filled with excitement, color, and unforgettable moments. Please note the carnival is closed to the public on Jan. 9 and 16, 2026.

Produced by Great China Entertainment Group Limited, this year’s edition turns up the excitement with an expanded lineup of thrilling rides, including headline attractions making their debut in Hong Kong and Asia. Guests can test their luck at brand-new carnival games, discover exclusive toys made especially for the event, and explore whimsical themed areas designed for picture-perfect memories across the grounds.

Beyond rides and games, the carnival delivers entertainment at every corner with live music programming, roving performers, and cultural showcases at the Henderson Land Community Arena. A wide selection of food and beverage stalls offers international flavors, local favorites, and classic carnival snacks, making AIA Carnival 2025–2026 the ultimate destination for winter fun in the city.

Event information edited for consistency and clarity by The Beat Asia.

Celebrate daring artistry at Fringe Festival 2026, taking place from Dec. 16, 2025, to Feb. 14, 2026, at The Fringe Club in Hong Kong. Under the theme "Breeding Bold. Breaking Boundaries.", this year’s festival brings together over 300 local and international performers across eight categories, including music, dance, theatre, magic, film, stand-up comedy, family shows, and art-tech. Audiences can explore approximately 100 innovative programmes that blend cross-disciplinary collaboration with artistic experimentation.

The festival spotlights emerging talents alongside celebrated artists such as Simon Yam, pianist Nancy Loo, soprano Yuki Ip, Hong Kong’s first all-female jazz big band B-JAZZ, pop singer Cheronna Ng, and King Maker V finalist Lo Lok. Highlights also include interactive and family-friendly experiences like the Parent-Child Interactive Concert led by music therapist Bettina Wan, and a nature-inspired musical journey by woodwind quintet Piacere Winds. Special workshops combine mindfulness with music, presented in collaboration with the Hong Kong Music Therapy Association.

From contemporary ritual theatre and electronic-acoustic concerts to comedy exploring resilience, each programme pushes creative boundaries. The Fringe Club transforms its historic spaces into a vibrant hub of culture, fostering artistic experimentation, emotional resonance, and international cultural exchange. Tickets for Fringe Festival 2026 are now available for booking online via art-mate.net.

Event information edited for consistency and clarity by The Beat Asia.

Step into a world where cinema and history collide at Yau Ma Tei Police Station: A Cinematic Journey, opening from Jan. 2, 2026, at the historic Old Yau Ma Tei Police Station. This immersive exhibition transforms one of Hong Kong’s most recognizable filming landmarks into a living tribute to the city’s legendary police and crime films, inviting visitors to relive unforgettable moments that defined the genre.

From Jan. 2-11, 2026, the exhibition runs daily from 9 AM to 10 PM, offering 25-minute timed sessions that transport visitors through reimagined film sets designed by Hong Kong film professionals. From Jan. 12, 2026, the experience continues with revised hours. It opens from 11 AM to 5 PM and 7 PM to 10 PM from Tuesday to Saturday, remains open from 9 AM to 10 PM on Sundays and public holidays, and is closed on Mondays. Each visit leads guests through a retro cinema entrance into a cinematic CID Office that blurs the line between reality and illusion.

Celebrating decades of iconic storytelling, the exhibition highlights the visual evolution of police stations in Hong Kong cinema while offering rare access inside a historic pre-war station. Admission is priced at HK$30, with concessionary tickets at HK$10, and free entry for children aged six or below with online booking required.

Event information edited for consistency and clarity by The Beat Asia.

Delve into the intersection of art, law, and human experience at Decolonising Madness: The Naturally (In)complete Human, a solo exhibition by Sophie Cheung from Jan. 9 to Feb. 1, 2026. The exhibition examines how society and legal frameworks define “mental incapacity,” questioning labels and systemic norms while celebrating the fluidity and creativity inherent in every life. Through 10 years of community art workshops in Hong Kong and London, Cheung and her participants transform marginalized experiences into artwork that reimagines life as the ultimate creation.

Cheung adopts a method of “dis-identification,” neither fully accepting nor rejecting terms like “disability” or “recovery,” instead reclaiming and reassembling them to highlight the (in)completeness that defines human existence. Drawing on nature as a model, the exhibition reveals the interconnectedness of life: just as winter branches shelter new growth, human experiences, even those deemed abnormal, are part of a larger ecological and social web. Visitors are invited to reflect on systemic imbalances and the fluidity of identity, embracing creative uncertainty as a space for transformation.

A public talk on Jan. 17, 2026, from 3 PM to 6 PM at 1/F Kino, Eaton HK, will feature Sophie Cheung, lyricist Chow Yiu Fai, and scholars Lee Po-Han and Wang Shiou-Wu, discussing the natural (in)completeness of life. The talk is free with registration via Eventbrite.

Event information edited for consistency and clarity by The Beat Asia.