Fans of Hong Kong cinema and Cantopop will get the chance to immerse themselves in two of the city’s biggest entertainment exports, courtesy of the third edition of the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival. The months-long event will include stage performances, film screenings, and exhibitions based on the theme ‘More Than Joy’, and will explore the classics of Hong Kong’s master comedians. The major attraction will be this weekend’s ImagineLand 2025, a two-day carnival that will give fans free access to concerts, nighttime movie shows, and several workshops.
Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2025 Opening Weekend
The Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival will open on April 4 with a show by musician Ng Cheuk-yin, who will reimagine renowned songs from comedic films, while pop singer Alfred Hui, the a cappella choral theatre company Yat Po Singers, and beatboxer Heartgrey will perform together with a live band. This will be followed by a showing of the 1991 comedy The Banquet.
The highlight of the first weekend will be ImagineLand 2025, which will take place on April 5 and 6 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, the Central Lawn & Event Trellis of Salisbury Garden, and the Avenue of Stars. Visitors will get free admission to a variety of daytime and evening programmes. The ‘Go Beyond Concert’ will put the spotlight on 35 musicians and artists from Hong Kong and eight other countries and regions, while the ‘Movie Under the Stars’ segment will host screen local films Table For Six (2022) and Forbidden City Cop (1996).
Attendees can also check out the display of Hong Kong comics and animation from different eras at the ‘Comics Fun Experience Gallery’, and sign up for workshops on art, music, and crafts at ‘Funarts Corner’.
Explore Hong Kong’s Comedy Film Legacy
The Hong Kong Film Archive will showcase eight pairs of thematically related classic films from the 1940s to the 2000s as part of its ‘Laughter Double Bill: Hong Kong Comedy Film Spectacular’ programme. The scheduled movies include Black Rose (1965) and 92 The Legendary La Rose Noire (1992), and The Judge Goes to Pieces (1948) and Justice, My Foot! (1992). The venue will also host an exhibition called ‘Legends of HK Film Comedies, 1980s and 1990s’ from May to October this year that will feature highlights from different films.
In addition, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum will host an exhibition called ‘Comic Fun for All: The Magic of Hong Kong Comedy Comics’ from May 2025-March 2026 at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum to display exhibits related to local comedy comics from different periods. The ‘Happy Reading’ initiative organised by the Hong Kong Public Libraries from April to August will feature book displays, subject talks, workshops, and author interaction sessions.
There’s also much to see by way of performing arts, such as the ‘2025 Fiesta of Music Office Bands, Choirs and Orchestras-Bands — Our Nostalgic Memories’. The event, which will take place in Yuen Long Theatre in April, will showcase popular theme songs from animations such as Nintama Rantarō and The Lion King, as well as a medley of works by Akira Toriyama. Other events include the ‘Let’s Have Fun with Music’ shows by Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra in May, the Ko Shan Fest concerts and standup show by comedian Vivek Mahbubani in June, and the ‘Music & Laughs’ concerts in July.
For more information about the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival, visit the event website.
Image credits: Rhyme So
