Entertainment in Hong Kong

Top ChoiceEntertainment in Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island

An outing at the races is one of the quintessential Hong Kong things to do, especially if you're around during the weekly Wednesday-evening races. Punters pack into the stands and trackside, with branded beer stalls, silly wigs and live music setting up an electric party atmosphere.

Top ChoiceEntertainment in Kowloon

This Town Needs…more underground music venues like this, staging 10 to 15 gigs monthly in a hip warehouse space in the coastal Kowloon burb of Yau Tong. Formerly known as Hidden Agenda, TTN is a much expanded rebranding, now offering an exhibition space and movie screenings (1pm to 8pm; days vary) as well as a bar during live shows.

Top ChoiceEntertainment in Kowloon

The oldest and most atmospheric of Temple St's singalong parlours, Canton resembles a film set with mirror balls and glowing shrines. Singers take to the stage one after another to belt out the oldies; some customers applaud between glugs of beer, while others are too busy with card games. Every character in here looks like they have a story to tell.

Top ChoiceEntertainment in Central District

Charming Peel Fresco has live jazz every day of the week, with local and overseas acts on an intimate stage close enough for listeners to chink glasses with musicians. It's small, relaxed and friendly, and there's no better place in Soho than here curled up with a drink when the action starts (around 7pm weekdays and 9pm weekends); come a little early to secure a seat.

Top ChoiceEntertainment in Kowloon

Illuminating both sides of Victoria Harbour every night, symphony of lights is a kitsch paean to all that bling real estate (and a middle finger to Earth Hour). Dancing lasers, searchlights and LEDs are timed to music by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, piped along the waterfront at Hong Kong Cultural Centre on the Kowloon side and Golden Bauhinia Square across the water.

Entertainment in Kowloon

Overlooking the most beautiful part of the harbour, the aesthetically challenged and windowless Cultural Centre is a world-class venue containing a 2085-seat concert hall, a Grand Theatre that seats 1750, a studio theatre for up to 535, an impressive Rieger pipe organ, and rehearsal studios.

Entertainment in Central District

The Fringe offers original music most Friday and Saturday nights, with jazz, rock and world music getting the most airplay. The intimate theatre hosts eclectic local and international performances other nights. It's in a Victorian listed building (c 1892) that was part of a dairy farm, and the distinctive red-and-white brickwork on its facade is known as 'blood and bandages'.

Entertainment in Kowloon

A Kowloon institution, Ned's marked its 45th anniversary in 2017, making it one of Hong Kong's oldest pubs. Named after a gun-toting Australian bushranger, most of the expat regulars here come for the Dixieland jazz band that plays nightly and cracks jokes between songs. The timeworn interior has an old saloon vibe, with lanterns, faded posters and Oz-related paraphernalia.

Entertainment in Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island

The 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium in So Kon Po, a division of Causeway Bay, is Hong Kong's largest sports venue. The Hong Kong World Rugby Sevens takes place here.

Entertainment in Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island

Cantonese opera is performed at this vintage theatre throughout the year. Shows generally run five days a week from 7.30pm for about a week, with occasional matinees at 1pm or 1.30pm.

Entertainment in Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island

With its striking triangular atrium and an exterior Meccano-like frame (a work of art in itself), the APA (1985) is a Wan Chai landmark and a major performance venue for music, dance, theatre and scholarship. Check out its online event calendar for exhibits and performances.

Entertainment in Hong Kong

The booking portal for tickets to shows at venues operated by the government's Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Book online and pick up your tickets at one of its many counters around Hong Kong; see the website for locations. There's also a My Urbtix booking app.

Entertainment in Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island

With six screens (or 'houses' as they are called in Hong Kong), including a VIP screen with waitress service called the Oval Office, this cinema inside the Pacific Place mall in Admiralty is one of the fanciest in town.

Entertainment in Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island

Decked out in old Hong Kong paraphernalia, the Wanch, so called for Wan Chai district's nickname, has live music (mostly classic rock, blues and folk) nightly from 9.30pm. Jam night is Monday from 8pm. There's no cover charge. Happy hour is 5pm to 9pm.

Entertainment in Hong Kong

Sells tickets to plays, concerts and other cultural events.

Entertainment in Kowloon

Taking up a dramatic spot on the West Kowloon harbourfront, WKCD is slowly developing into Hong Kong's cultural quarter. Construction of cultural spaces is ongoing, including the hotly touted M+ Art Museum, and the area is occasionally used for large events and festivals.

Entertainment in Sha Tin

Northeast of Sha Tin town centre is Hong Kong’s second racecourse, which can accommodate up to 80,000 punters. Races are usually held on Sunday afternoon (and sometimes on Saturday and public holidays) from September to early July; a list of race meetings is available on the website.

Entertainment in Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island

A popular venue for dance, theatre and music, the Hong Kong Arts Centre also contains the two-floor Pao Galleries which hosts retrospectives and group shows in all visual media. There are also a few boutiques, an art bookshop, the HKAC Cinema and a cafe.

Entertainment in Kowloon

Jazz and blues performers take to the stage nightly at this hotel-bar, which looks something like the Moulin Rouge with its scarlet carpets, heart-shaped armchairs and chandeliers. The music plays 7pm to 10pm Monday to Thursday and from 9pm until after midnight on weekends (when there's a minimum bar spend of HK$180 per person).

Entertainment in Kowloon

This out-of-the-way performance-arts academy has a rich cultural program that covers music, film and a book fair. Though some events are meant for students, many are professional and interestingly experimental in nature, such as noise concerts by internationally renowned artists. See the online calendar for what's on.