Hong Kong Arts Festival

Hong Kong Arts Festival (香港藝術節/HKAF), founded in 1973, is a focus programmes for the Culture of Hong Kong, in order to provides a wide range of art programmes from all over the world.

HKAF has become an important symbol for the Hong Kong Culture, since an art lover called Charles Hardy broached the idea with Sir Kenneth Fung Ping-fan (馮秉芬) and Sir Run Run Shaw (邵逸夫), which thought that Hong Kong should have a festival to promote the performing arts. The festival has introduced many exciting programmes - both internationally and locally produced - to the people of Hong Kong, stimulating their interest in the arts and raising their levels of appreciation. Every February and March, people flock to the Festival's programmes and exhibitions at venues that tange from large performing halls to intimate theatre spaces.

There have more choice for the Hong Kong Arts Festival, which included the Classical Music/Chinese Music, World Music, Western Opera, Chinese Opera, Drama, Dance and Family Choice to the Art lovers. Many foreign performers and groups had been joined for the previous festivals, including Wiener Philharmoniker, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Paris Opera Ballet, Mark Chan, New Japan Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Shanghai Kunqu Theatre, Yo-Yo Ma, Julian Lloyd Webber and José Carreras. There also have each one concert by Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and Hong Kong Sinfonietta during the festival period. In addition to the general performances, the festival also provides the commissioning performances, which includes the affiliates with both local and foreign groups, in order to broaden the view of the audiences.

The Hong Kong Arts Festival is made possible, with the funding support of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government. However, the ticket sales (both advance booking and box office), and the generous grants from major companies, institutions & individuals will also be included. To provide more ways to make the donation, the "Patron's Club", "Student Ticket Scheme" and "New Works Scheme" are also provided.

In order to promote the Hong Kong Arts Festival, two membership series -- "Festival Friends" and "Young Friends Scheme" are also provided. To enhance the arts knowledge for the public, there also have "Festival Plus" (including workshops, talks, masterclasses, arts exchange, exhibitions and meet-the-artist sessions) during the festival period.

There are one important things to know - The news of next year's performances will be announced in August every year, in festival's website (www.hk.artsfestival.org). The advance booking (by fax, mail and online) starts in the end of October until early December, after such period, the box office will be opened to the public.