From concerts by legendary Rock ‘N’ Roll singer Bob Dylan and Linkin Park’s lead singer Mike Shinoda to the epicurean bonanza that is the annual Hong Kong Food Expo, here’s our shortlist of Hong Kong’s must-see events in August.
Bob Dylan
4 Aug
Iconic singer-songwriter and redoubtable Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Famer Bob Dylan is returning to Hong Kong for the first time in seven years. With more than six decades of experience under his banjo strings, this notoriously taciturn 77-year-old folk-rock legend will be taking concertgoers on an evening’s ramble through his own remarkable back catalogue – much of it drastically reimagined – while also paying tribute to the many standards and styles that have informed his own music over the years. Don’t expect a crowd-pleasing greatest hits tour, do expect to watch in wonder as one of the last touring 1960s superstars grants you a brief admission to his world. Absolutely one of Hong Kong’s must-see events this month.
Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, HK$488-1,288
Mike Shinoda – Post Traumatic Tour
7 Aug
Just over a year ago, Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington took his own life, leaving fans of the band devastated and causing many to wonder if this marked the end of the road for one of the most potent forces of contemporary rock. While there’s no sign of the reconstituted remnants of the band hitting the road, the next best thing might just be a night in the company of Mike Shinoda, Linkin Park’s lead songwriter, whose solo tour, in support of his aptly-named Post Traumatic EP, finds its way to KITEC in early August.
KITEC, HK$488-748
Hong Kong Food Expo
16 – 20 Aug
With freebie-fond old ladies having already oiled their trolley wheels in readiness, the Hong Kong Food Expo – the HKTDC’s annual gambol through the world’s gourmet ginnels and epicurean expressways, and a chart topper amongst Hong Kong’s must-see events this month – once again opens its doors in late August, with cartloads of Korean sea cucumbers, several buckets of Bengali breakfast cereal and at least two tones of Trinidadian tofu already en route to the Hong Kong Convention Centre. Try and make sure you take in the last day of the show, when sumptuous samples abound – after all no one wants to take several thousand servings of sticky toffee pudding back home through two dozen different time zones.
Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre
ALICE (in wonderland)
17 – 19 & 24 – 26 Aug
Immerse yourself in the magical world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland this summer, all courtesy of the scintillating majesty of the Hong Kong Ballet. Written by Septime Webre, ALICE (in wonderland) bursts at the seams with high-energy choreography, captivating sets and well over-the-top costume designs. Fasten your seatbelts and join Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the Dormouse and both Tweedles (Dee and Dum) as they pirouette their way through this high-energy production, with the live backing of the ever-enchanting City Chamber Orchestra.
Hong Kong Cultural Centre, HK$140-680
Yuen Long Theatre, HK$100-300
Hong Kong Computer & Communications Festival
24 – 27 Aug
If you’re looking for all the latest happenings in the world of the high tech and digitally designed, then point your sensor array at the Hong Kong Computer & Communications Festival, which is promising to beam the very latest tablets, smartphones, digital cameras and VR accessories right into the heart of the HKCEC. So, set your phasers to shop and your credit card to soon-to-be-maxed-out and head down to the gadget gala of the year. You should also warp-factor in a quick dip into the concurrent Hong Kong e-Sports Festival.
Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, HK$30