This month of May, Hong Kong is blooming and blossoming with an abundance of performances and art experiences, such as the French May, Affordable Art Fair or the Sovereign Asian Art Prize Finalists Exhibition.

If you love jazz, opera, Latino music, breakdance, the music of the 80s or Asian contemporary art, our Editor’s Picks are for you!

EVENTS IN FOCUS

FRENCH MAY ARTS FESTIVAL 2024

The homegrown and iconic French May offers more than hundred arts and cultural programmes, spanning photography, circus, music, dance and theatre. Through partnerships with M+, Tai Kwun, and others, the French May is reaching out to the community to share the best of French arts and culture. Don’t miss also the French GourMay dedicated to the gastronomy à la française.

Until 30 June – Various locations – Details here

LOVETRAIN2020

An ode to the sound and vibe of the 80s, the performance calls upon the iconic music of the 80s British duo Tears for Fears, featuring hits like Mad World, Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Change, or Sowing the Seeds of Love. The twelve dancers reveal the obvious yet often overlooked ways people come together, drift apart, push, pull, question, and resolutely move forward.

18 & 19 May – Kwai Tsing Theatre – Details here

Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong

AFFORDABLE ART FAIR 2024

The 11th edition of the fair will showcase thousands of contemporary artworks from 97 international and local exhibitors. With this year’s theme of “I am an art collector”, the fair will provide a window for first-time art collectors to purchase affordable art from international galleries and emerging artists from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Australia, the US, Peru, the UK, Italy, France, Spain, Belgium or Cyprus.

16 – 19 May – Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre – Details here

SYMPHONY OF NEW WORLDS

Conductor Zahia Ziouani will lead France’s Divertimento Orchestra and the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, performing classical dance masterpieces from Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. Choreographer Mourad Merzouki and his Compagnie Käfig will unleash a medley of movement, fusing hip hop, breakdance, martial arts, and contemporary dance into a breathtaking spectacle. 

23 & 24 May – 8pm – Hong Kong Cultural Centre – Details here

JAZZ CONCERT BY ELIANE ELIAS

Grammy Award and Latin Grammy Award winner Eliane Elias will make her Hong Kong debut this May. Elias will combine jazz, Brazilian, classical and pop music styles. With her alluring voice, virtuosic piano skills and impromptu live interpretation, Elias will bring the audience a jazz music evening filled with a Latin flare.

28 May – 8pm – Hong Kong City Hall – Details here

Michelle Fung, Red Bean Stalk

THE SOVEREIGN ASIAN ART PRIZE FINALISTS EXHIBITION 2024

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Asia’s most coveted award in contemporary art. The finalist artworks were shortlisted from 362 entries. They’re hailing from 15 countries and regions across Asia-Pacific, with Hong Kong being the most strongly represented. Their artworks will be shown and can be voted on during the exhibition.

8 – 16 May – H Queen’s – Details here

GARY CARD: PEOPLE MOUNTAIN PEOPLE SEA

This is the first large-scale solo exhibition by British artist Gary Card in Hong Kong. The artist has transformed the century-old Oi! warehouses into a contemporary multimedia art space, ingeniously using animation and sound to draw the audience into an immersive visual and sensory experience.

Until 28 July – Oi! Street Art Space – Details here 

ROMÉO ET JULIETTE

Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette is one of the most successful adaptations of William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. The five-act opera will be performed in French by some of France’s leading young opera stars and feature the Opera Hong Kong Chorus and Opera Hong Kong Orchestra, as part of the French May Arts.

10 -12 May – Hong Kong Cultural Centre – Details here