A round-up of the can’t-miss happenings in HK this month. From musical act The 1975, theater production Matilda the Musical and Mid-Autumn Festival…
3–7 Sept
HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair
With the timely opening of its 38th edition this month, the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair is back. This year, the event – said to be the world’s most comprehensive chronograph expo – is set to welcome 800 high-end exhibitors and 21,000 eager buyers. For 2019, the show floor has been divided into five themed zones – World Brand Piazza, Chic & Trendy, Craft Treasure, Renaissance Moment and Wearable Tech. This is certainly one summer event that guarantees a good time. Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Dr, Wan Chai. hkwatchfair.hktdc.com
8 Sept
The 1975 Live in Hong Kong
Manchester pop-rock musicians, The 1975, are set to land in Hong Kong this month nearly four years after their last visit. Newly minted as the Brit Award’s best British Group and winners of the British Album of the Year for their latest release – A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships – the Manc musos are currently on something of a roll. With the release of their fourth album – Notes on a Conditional Form – scheduled for early 2020, there’s every chance that Hong Kong concertgoers might get a sneak preview of what the lads have in store. AsiaWorld-Expo, Airport Expo Blvd, Chek Lap Kok. HK$988–1,188. venue.cityline.com
12–14 Sept
Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance
Arriving the day before this year’s Mid- Autumn Festival, the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance is back for its ever-thrilling annual parade. Starting and ending in Causeway Bay, the parade dials back a few centuries, as the spectacular terpsichorean tradition commemorates the dying days of the 1880’s Tai Hang plague. With firecrackers and a 67m-long dragon high in the mix, it’s an event that really just can’t go wrong. Tai Hang, Causeway Bay. discoverhongkong.com
13 Sept
Mid-Autumn Festival and Lantern Carnival
It’s once again time for every mooncake muncher’s favourite Hong Kong holiday – the Mid-Autumn Festival. This annual escape from the workaday week brings locals and mainlanders together for the timeless tradition of thanking the moon for the splendiferous nature of the seasonal harvest. In its modern incarnation, this translates into a day of family fun, complete with magic lantern displays, lion dances and a distinctly carnival atmosphere. Best take a minute or two out for a little lunar appreciation too, because… well, you never really know, do you? Locations vary. discoverhongkong.com
20 Sept–20 Oct
Matilda the Musical
Sure to excite mischievous munchkins and overly-nostalgic millennials – courtesy of Lunchbox Theatrical Production and GWB Entertainment – is the upcoming opening night of Matilda The Musical. Inspired by Roald Dahl’s evergreen children’s tale, composer Tim Minchin, scriptwriter Dennis Kelly and director Matthew Warchus promise a raucous singalong take on the adventures of Matilda, a very special little girl who deploys her secret superpowers to help her get through the everyday challenges of school and family life. The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, 1 Gloucester Rd, Wan Chai. HK$445–2,980. premier. hkticketing.com
21 Sept
Sake Walk 2019
With Hong Kong being one of the major importers of sake, Japan’s signature rice wine, a citywide celebration was clearly due. Accordingly, making its debut this month is the Sake Walk, an occasion set to showcase 80 of the finest incarnations of this particular intoxicant. Hosted within the plush heritage hotel, House 1881, the event will see participation from 14 of Japan’s most distinguished distillers – including such luminaries as Hakuko and Manotsur. Festivalgoers can also grab a bite or two from an array of high-end food vendors, while basking in the beats of a variety of imported funkmeisters… House 1881, 2A Canton Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui. HK$100–280. jebsenfinewines.com/sake-walk-hk
22, 24–25 Sept
London Symphony Orchestra
As part of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre’s 30th-anniversary celebrations, the world-renowned London Symphony Orchestra will be arriving in the city to initiate the formal festivities with a three-night journey through classical music. With Grammy-winning, Hong Kong-born pianist Colleen Lee joining them on stage, two hours may well not
be long enough to truly showcase the assembled talent. Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 10 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui. HK$380–1,880. lcsd.gov.hk
24–2 Sept
Shakespeare’s Globe
Bardophiles rejoice! Shakespeare’s Globe makes its much-anticipated return to the city at the end of the month, with the promise of staging three plays that offer truly timeless takes on such burning contemporary issues as refugees, personal freedom and ill fitting yellow breeches. Indeed, with Twelfth Night, Pericles and The Comedy of Errors all on the bill, it’s a chance to experience Shakespeare’s unmatched ability to convey and capture the full range of human emotions, from joy and laughter to despair and surrender. You won’t get that on TVB. The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, 1 Gloucester Rd, Wan Chai. HK$395–795. premier.hkticketing.com