Hong Kong Events
2025 Calendar
Lunar New Year
(Spring Festival)
Also known as the Spring Festival, Lunar New Year is the most important event in the Chinese calendar. Beginning on the first day of the first lunar month, the celebrations last for 15 days and often feature festive meals with family and the exchange of red envelopes for good luck. Popular dishes during this time include fish, dumplings and nian gao, a sweet glutinous rice cake.
Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival marks the first full moon of the lunar year, which also coincides with the last day of the two-week Lunar New Year celebration. The streets are lit up with colourful lanterns as people bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. Glutinous rice balls known as tangyuan or yuanxiao are a common feature of the festivities.
Cheung Chau Bun Festival
This week-long festival on Cheung Chau Island features lion dances, papier-mâché displays and costume parades. A highlight is the Bun Scrambling Competition, where challengers climb up bamboo towers covered with Chinese buns. Accessible by ferry from Hong Kong Island, this truly local experience showcases items, including the iconic buns, made by the community.
Buddha's Birthday
Celebrating the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, this important Buddhist festival involves pouring water on Buddha statues and eating vegetarian food as a way of cleansing the body and soul. This spiritual tradition is observed at various Buddhist temples across the country, including Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island.
Dragon Boat Festival
Held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, this annual festival centres around thrilling dragon boat races that take place around Victoria Harbour. The races are accompanied by traditional drumming and dance performances, and people often enjoy zongzi, a sticky rice cake wrapped in bamboo leaves.
Mid-Autumn Festival
(Moon Festival)
Marked by colourful lanterns and delicious treats, this popular festival takes place in the middle of autumn, when the moon is believed to be at its fullest and brightest. The event has become synonymous with moon cakes, a traditional pastry filled with sweet bean or lotus seed paste. People also enjoy dragon dances and viewing the moon as part of the celebration.
Clockenflap
Bringing together an exciting line-up of artists and musicians, this three-day event is Hong Kong’s largest annual music and arts festival. Featuring a diverse range of local, regional and international talent, the acts cover a wide variety of styles and genres, including live performances, art installations and interactive displays.
