Halloween carnival returns to Mong Kok after 18-year hiatus
Mong Kok's Langham Place hosted its first major outdoor Halloween carnival since 2006 on 31 October, drawing crowds in creative costumes. A "Mong Kok Monster Bus" photo spot and mainland Chinese tourists highlighted the event.
Mong Kok was alive with festive energy early on the evening of 31 October as residents and tourists donned creative costumes to celebrate Halloween, marking the return of a major outdoor carnival at Langham Place for the first time since 2006.
The bustling streets took on the atmosphere of a grand masquerade, with a specially decorated red minibus dubbed the "Mong Kok Monster Bus" emerging as the star attraction for photo-seekers. By 6pm, a long queue had formed in front of the bus, which was styled to pay tribute to Hong Kong's unique transport culture. Crowds also gathered around the main stage as more revellers arrived.
Among the early visitors were two mothers who brought their children dressed as Little Red Riding Hood and a little pumpkin. Having spotted promotional materials for the event on Instagram, they had planned their visit specifically to take photos with the local-themed minibus.
Creative costumes of all kinds filled the venue. Two students joined the crowd dressed as dinosaurs, praising the joyful atmosphere and the realistic performances of the event's costumed staff. First-time participants made an impression with their playful getups: two friends dressed as characters from the cooperative climbing video game PEAK shared their excitement at bringing the virtual world to life after being repeatedly stopped by other visitors for photos. They noted that they planned to head to East Tsim Sha Tsui later in the evening. Another pair of first-timers, who joked they had dressed as "beauties" for the night, expressed satisfaction with the stage and interactive games, having completed two rounds of activities.
The carnival also drew visitors from outside Hong Kong, including tourists from mainland China who travelled specifically to experience the city's unique Halloween vibe. Three visitors dressed as characters from the animated movie Ratatouille praised the venue's setup, vendor booths and stage design, noting in Cantonese that the event had a wonderful atmosphere and expressing hope it would return next year.
Another group of five mainland tourists, including a young child, also made a special trip to Hong Kong. Their elaborate lineup featured costumes of the Statue of Liberty, the founder of the popular mainland restaurant chain Chef Fei, the villain character Joe played by Daniel Wu in the movie New Police Story, and a cat-themed mother-daughter duo. One of the visitors, who hand-crafted her Statue of Liberty costume, shared how much she enjoyed the creative process and the lively celebrations, adding that while they rarely dress up, the strong festive atmosphere in Hong Kong this year had inspired them to take part.