Hong Kong Museum Festival 2026 kicks off with nostalgic carnival
The Hong Kong Museum Festival 2026 begins on 31 October with a two-day carnival at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, featuring retro-themed installations and workshops. Throughout November, various museums will host open days and special programmes, with 10 museums from the Greater Bay Area Museums All
The Hong Kong Museum Festival 2026 kicked off on Saturday 31 October with a two-day "Bling Fun Museum Carnival" at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre's open-air piazza. Organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the carnival runs through 1 November and adopts the theme "Collage Past and Present, Hong Kong Stories", in line with the Hong Kong History Museum's new permanent exhibition "Hong Kong Stories".
Three Hong Kong-style themed installations blend old Hong Kong elements with pixelated visual language, including a "Grid Tea Stall" and "Giant Pixel Egg Tart" collage workshop, a traditional Chinese medicine shop named "Heung Gong Yeuk Ho" where participants can experience "preparing medicine", and a "Happy Fortune Playground" coin-toss booth, the government said in a statement.
Free workshops on site include mahjong colouring, herbal tea sign keychain making, and pawnshop sign painting. Visitors can also take part in a leopard cat dance interactive activity and solar observation, representing intangible cultural heritage and science experiences. Participants in multiple activities can receive themed souvenirs.
Throughout November, on Saturdays and Sundays, various museums will hold open days with special programmes designed for all ages, aiming to deepen public understanding of Hong Kong's cultural heritage. Other highlights include guided tours and workshops at Ping Shan Heritage Trail, a Shenzhen-Hong Kong dialogue x Hakka walled building tour and a Hok Koo Sun Chuen 3D model workshop at the Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre, and a five-sense exploration tour of the "Art Oasis" at Oil Street Art Space.
In addition to museums under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the festival has invited partners including 10 museums from the Greater Bay Area Museums Alliance, as well as 24 art institutions from Macau and Hong Kong. This year's museum festival is also a responding programme of the sixth Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Cultural Arts Festival.