Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2025: Celebrating Joy through Comedy, Music, and Art in April

Third Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival to open in April

The third Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival (PCF), organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will kick off in April themed "More Than Joy". By exploring the classics of Hong Kong's master comedians and discovering elements of hilarity in music, images and text, audiences can appreciate how pop culture can be transmitted and transformed, and how integration and breakthroughs are possible in addition to joy and laughter. Opening week programmes will feature "Silhouette Resonance x The Banquet (1991)" and music carnival "ImagineLand 2025", inviting the public to immerse themselves in the charm of pop culture.

Opening Week Programmes

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Silhouette Resonance x The Banquet (1991)

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Kicking off the festival is the opening programme "Silhouette Resonance x The Banquet (1991)" to be staged on April 4 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre. Renowned musician Ng Cheuk-yin will reimagine beloved songs from classic comedy films with fresh arrangements, while pop singer Alfred Hui, the a cappella choral theatre company Yat Po Singers, and beatboxer Heartgrey (Eric So) will perform together with a live band. Following the performance, there will be a screening of "The Banquet" (1991) (4K digitally restored version), a comedy produced to raise disaster relief funds for flood relief, directed by Tsui Hark, Clifton Ko, Cheung Tung Joe and Alfred Cheung, featuring a cast of legendary stars. The opening programme, blending entertainment with cultural artistry, offers audiences a fresh and inspiring perspective on the vibrancy of Hong Kong's pop culture.

ImagineLand 2025

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Another highlight of the PCF is an outdoor music carnival "ImagineLand 2025" to be held on April 5 and 6 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, the Central Lawn & Event Trellis of Salisbury Garden, the Avenue of Stars free of charge. Supported and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, the two-day carnival features both daytime and evening programmes. "Go Beyond Concert", "Comics Fun Experience Gallery" and "Funarts Corner" will be available during the day, whereas film programme "Movie Under the Stars" will be held at night. "Go Beyond Concert" will showcase three stages featuring over 35 musicians and artists from Hong Kong and eight countries and regions including Mainland China, Japan, Korea, the United States, Australia, France, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. The event showcases boundless possibilities of music across the performances. Major line-ups of local artists include Ivana Wong, Joey Tang, Yatfung, Cloud, Ashley Lin, Pandora, Chu Wan-pin and more, performing mesmerising popular songs and original works.

In addition to the music concert, "Comics Fun Experience Gallery" will display Hong Kong comics and animation from different eras to highlight the creativity of local artists. Visitors canlearn aboutthe history of Hong Kong's comics and animation while taking photos with comic characters. In addition, "Funarts Corner" will offer workshops on art, music, and crafts for public participation. In the evenings, "Movie Under the Stars" will screen local comedies: "Table For Six" (2022) and "Forbidden City Cop" (1996) on April 5 and 6 respectively, allowing audiences to enjoy outdoor films while relaxing on the lawn.

Other festival highlights include:

Film Screening

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Apart from "The Banquet" (1991), the Hong Kong Film Archive will hold a "Laughter Double Bill: Hong Kong Comedy Film Spectacular" film screening, showcasing eight pairs of thematically related classic films from the 1940s to the 2000s, including "Black Rose" (1965) (2K Digital Version) and "92 The Legendary la Rose Noire" (1992), "The Judge Goes to Pieces" (1948), and "Justice, My Foot!"(1992), showcasing the comedic sparks of master comedians from different eras while illustrating the evolution of Hong Kong comedy films.

Exhibitions

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"Comic Fun for All: The Magic of Hong Kong Comedy Comics", running from May this year to March 2026 at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, will showcase exhibits related to Hong Kong comedy comics from different periods. The exhibition will also feature the creative concepts and artistic features behind them, showing the unique charm of Hong Kong comedy comics.

Another exhibition, "Legends of HK Film Comedies, 1980s and 1990s", to be held from May to October at the Hong Kong Film Archive, will feature a wide selection of highlights from different films, offering an amusing window into the past. In-depth analysis of the films by renowned actors and behind-the-scenes filmmakers will also be offered to reveal the essence of Hong Kong humour.

Library Activities

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To support the PCF's theme of "More Than Joy", the Hong Kong Public Libraries will organise a series of activities under the theme of "Happy Reading" from April to August. This will feature book displays with themes "Delightful Comics", "Into the World of Movies" and "Music Delights: from Classical Music to Popular Songs". It will also include subject talks on "Hong Kong Comics" and "Hong Kong Style Humor Films", as well as workshops on "Digital Art - Creative Comic Drawing" and "National Games Comics Path", all aimed at sharing fun and happiness through comics, music and films. The "Meet-the-Authors 2025" will focus on "Joyful Writing" to explore writing and positivity. In April, Dr Chan Kai-tai, a psychiatrist and lyricist, will speak on "When Words meet Music and Mind: Cantopop and Well-being" to explore how the lyrics of Cantopop promote our mental well-being.

Performing Arts

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The 2025 Fiesta of Music Office Bands, Choirs and Orchestras-Bands "The Animated Melodies - Our Nostalgic Memories" will be held at Yuen Long Theatre in April, showcasing all-time favourite theme songs from animations such as "Nintama Rantarō" and "The Lion King", and a medley of works by Akira Toriyama to transport audiences back to nostalgic moments. Another two "Let's Have Fun with Music" concerts by Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra in May will blend the best of classical and pop music. To heighten the excitement, original animations crafted by local talents will be woven into the concert, making it a truly engaging and enjoyable concert. Meanwhile, "Vivek Mahbubani Stand-up Comedy - Funny made in Hong Kong" by Hong Kong born stand-up comedian Vivek Mahbubani will feature jokes about the funny things of Hong Kong's golden standard of "fast, beautiful and awesome" in June.

In pop music, "Ko Shan Fest" will be staged at Ko Shan Theatre in June, featuring two concerts curated by renowned producer and music director Carl Wong. Wong will collaborate with bands with diverse backgrounds and styles to reintroduce audiences to the history and culture of Hong Kong band music. Another two "Music & Laughs" concerts will be held in July at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Curated by veteran producer Edward Chan in collaboration with pop music artists and the Symphonic Pops Orchestra and band, the performance invites the audience to explore together: What is comedy? Severalpopular artists will join this feast and details will be announced later.

Alongside the above programmes, several industry partners will be offering a range of events as part of the festival, which are not to be missed. These include "My Stage@HKCC 2025/26 - Saturday Music Live" by Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups; "2025 Hong Kong Reading +" by the Hong Kong Publishing Federation; "JITN - SHAG" by the Jazz World (Hong Kong) Ltd & Count-in Music Ltd; "Cinema Day 2025" by Hong Kong Theatres Association Ltd; "Cherish Tonight" concerts by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra; and the "4th HK Comics Support Programme" by the Hong Kong Comics & Animation Federation.

Hong Kong's pop culture has drawn inspiration particularly from humour, a constant trendsetter that has left a deep footprint on many aspects of the city's rich and colourful pop cultural landscape. The PCF 2025, with more than 20 programmes, will not only delight audiences with exciting performances and works but will also offer an insight into the development paths of Hong Kong's pop culture along the line of "happiness". By participating in these activities, audiences will be able to discover their own happiness.

For more details, please visit the website:www.pcf.gov.hk, or call 2601 8703 for enquiries.

Third Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival to open in April Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Third Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival to open in April Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Third Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival to open in April Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Third Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival to open in April Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Third Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival to open in April Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Third Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival to open in April Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Third Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival to open in April Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Japanese handcrafted eyewear brand Kaneko Optical upgrades Hong Kong office to international headquarters with new concept store opening

​Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced today (May 16) that Japanese handcrafted eyewear brand, Kaneko Optical, has upgraded its Hong Kong office to an international headquarters as a base for global expansion with an opening of its second concept store in Tsim Sha Tsui, following the successful launch of its first directly managed store in Central in November last year.

The Acting Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK, Mr Arnold Lau, said, "We are delighted to see the expansion of Kaneko Optical in Hong Kong, just five months after its first launch in the city. It shows confidence not only in Hong Kong's status as a global hub for international brands but also in our advantages as a global supply chain management hub."

The Chief Executive Officer of Japan Eyewear Holdings Hong Kong and Japan Eyewear Holdings International, and Director & Head of Global Operations of Kaneko Optical, Mr Toru Akita, indicated that Hong Kong is not only a retail market for the company but also a strategic hub for its international supply chain.

Mr Akita said, "Our Hong Kong office will serve as an international headquarters spearheading the brand's overseas branding and merchandising operations, including our existing wholesale destinations in over 20 countries, as of the end of 2024. In addition, it will gradually take charge of the company's international sales development and corporate treasury management outside of Japan."

He added, "Hong Kong has a rich variety of retail scenarios that we want to tap into. The new concept store in Tsim Sha Tsui, which is our largest presence outside of Japan, will open up new business ties at emerging markets through the growing number of ASEAN, Middle East tourists."

He explained, "One thing we learned after launching our first concept store in Central is the brilliant mix of high-net worth professionals from different parts of the world. Their spending habits and preferences fit well with our market position, and our brand image gets to spread wide through their international networks."

Founded in 1958 as an eyeglass wholesaler, Kaneko Optical has become a recognised trendsetter in the Japanese eyewear industry. With its own planning, design, and sales of eyewear brands, it actively collaborates with major collections and apparel manufacturers to create original brands.

For more information about Kaneko Optical, please visit www.kaneko-optical.co.jp/en.

To get a copy of the photo, please visit www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72177720326093396.

Japanese handcrafted eyewear brand Kaneko Optical upgrades Hong Kong office to international headquarters with new concept store opening Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Japanese handcrafted eyewear brand Kaneko Optical upgrades Hong Kong office to international headquarters with new concept store opening Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases