On Thursday evening, Financial Secretary Paul Chan launched Night Vibes Hong Kong, a government-backed campaign that aims to revive the city’s nighttime economy with a series of events that will be held between September 15 and early 2024.
We give you the lowdown on what to expect from the campaign — from free drinks and MTR rides, to special concerts and night markets set up especially for the occasion — and when these events will happen.
How long will Night Vibes Hong Kong go on for?
Events organised for Night Vibes Hong Kong will coincide with this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations and continue through National Day, Halloween, Christmas and New Year, and end in early next year.
Are there going to be free nighttime events?
There will be several free-to-enter nighttime events held in the territory as part of the Night Vibes Hong Kong campaign.
Waterfront Carnival
A free Waterfront Carnival will take place at the Wan Chai Waterfront Water Sports and Recreation Theme Area from September 27-October 2. The event will have food stalls, movie screenings, drone displays, workshops, and musical performances.
New waterfront markets
New markets will be set up at three waterfront areas in Wan Chai, Kennedy Town, and Kwun Tong, where there will be a variety of performances, concerts, and shopping events between September 29 and November 19.
Free entry to Happy Valley Racecourse
Entry to the Happy Valley Racecourse will also be free every Wednesday, until December this year. Visitors will have free access to the seats in the public stands during the course’s Happy Wednesday event, and can watch themed performances, and visit the beer garden and sample the food offerings next to the racetrack.
Lantern carnivals
As part of a Mid-Autumn Festival special, there will be four weekend-only lantern carnivals across various public spaces in the territory: The Hong Kong Cultural Center Piazza (September 9-October 8), and Victoria Park, Sha Tin Park, and Tuen Mun Park (September 23-October 2). The displays will be lit between 6.30pm and 11pm, and up till midnight on September 29.
Comeback of iconic Hong Kong cultural events
The campaign will also include the return of iconic Hong Kong events, such as the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance on September 29 and National Day fireworks on October 1, which were cancelled for the past three years. The city’s New Year’s Eve countdown with its famous fireworks display will also be back this year.
New-look Temple Street
Another highlight on the calendar is a revamped Temple Street Night Market, which is scheduled to open later this year. Cinema buffs will also get discounted movie tickets for night shows during this time, the details of which will be announced later.
What venues across the city are open later than usual?
Several malls across the city will extend their opening hours till 11pm, while museums such as the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Science Museum, and Hong Kong Space Museum will be open longer for two weeks, starting September 29.
Two of the SAR’s biggest theme parks — Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park Hong Kong — will also be open longer as part of their Halloween celebrations that begin in mid-September and end on October 31. There will also be night tours of Ocean Park’s nature trail during which visitors can explore the park’s nighttime flora and fauna.
Are there any special food-and-drink events or offers?
Customers at malls across the city can get free drinks using coupons they are eligible for if they spend a certain amount on retail. Sino Group will give away 10,000 free coupons for shoppers at their malls to redeem for alcoholic beverages.
As part of Citywalk’s Mid-Autumn Bazaar and Beer Market, shoppers can get one free glass of draught beer or one free bottled beer if they spend more than HK$500 at the mall after 8pm. Dine-in customers at Tsim Sha Tsui Centre and Empire Centre will get complimentary drinks anytime between 9pm and 11pm from September 15-17 at the malls’ restaurants.
The Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival will be back as a physical event at Central Harbourfront from October 26-29, during which Hongkongers and visitors to the city can sample offerings from wineries and brewers from around the world, as well as creations and signature dishes by local culinary masters. There will be several firsts at this year’s edition of the event, such as a dedicated booth to Chinese wines, and the Tasting Theatre, where visitors can participate in exclusive workshops and watch demonstrations by star chefs and sommeliers
Various F&B establishments in Lan Kwai Fong will dish out offers and special activities at the end of September, mostly in the form of welcome drinks and dishes, and discounts. The participating venues include Aria Italian, BACI Trattoria, FUMI, Kyoto Joe, Porterhouse Seafood & Steak, Tokio Joe, Teddy Bear, Zentral, Void, Holdon, and Versus.
Are there special offers for tourists?
Visitors who come to the city in November are eligible to get one of the 1 million free Hong Kong Night Treat vouchers, which they can use to get HK$100 off their bills at selected bars and restaurants. Tourists can also get a ticket on one of three open-bus night tours of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon for just HK$20. Details about how travellers to the SAR can pick up these F&B vouchers and bus tour tickets have not yet been announced.
Will there be any concerts or musical performances?
There will be a series of concerts and shows across the territory. One of the biggest attractions is the Space Music Festival on September 23 at Ocean Park at which Taiwanese singer Gao Erxuan, Hong Kong rapper TIAB, and Taiwanese DJ RayRay will perform.
Every Friday from 8pm onwards, MCP Central will host performances by artists such as Chantel Yiu, Yumi Chung, and Cath Wong, as well as busking events by other performers. Jay Fung and Feanna Wong will take the stage at MOSTown for its National Day concert, while there will be busking events at Citywalk on the evenings of September 29-30 and October 2.
How can I get to all these places?
While the MTR, which is usually open until 1am, will not extend its service hours during the entire Night Vibes campaign, the rail corporation is known to offer passengers overnight services on specific days such as Mid-Autumn Festival, Christmas, New Year, and Chinese New Year.
As part of the Nighttime Delights: Ride 5 Get 1 Free offer, adult passengers who use the MTR after 10.30pm from September 29 to November 23, 2023, will get one free train ride for every five trips they take on the Heavy Rail, Light Rail, or MTR Bus — as long as their Octopus cards are linked to their MTR Mobile accounts.
The free rides can be used until January 2, 2024, but passengers can only get them only on domestic train trips. They can’t use be used for journeys from the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau stations, or the Airport Express.
If you’re driving to a shopping mall in Hong Kong during the Night Vibes campaign, check if they have special offers for free or extended parking.
For more details about Night Vibes Hong Kong, visit the campaign website.
Header image credits: GovHK
