Fourth Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival to open in April (with photos)
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The PCF will present approximately 20 programmes and over 120 events, including stage performances, film screenings, thematic exhibitions, library programmes and outreach activities. Some of the programmes are as follows:
Opening programme: Concert "Dreamscape"
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Co-curated by Chu Wan-pin, winner of the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Original Film Score and an erhu virtuoso, and local musician Vicky Fung, this programme blends soundtracks, pop music, street dance and art technology into a musical feast in three chapters. It will feature newly arranged scores from classic Hong Kong films. Guest performers across the two nights include Phil Lam and Winka Chan@COLLAR (April 17), and Tang Siu-hau and Jeremy Lee@MIRROR (April 18). Together with an ensemble and choir members, they will perform pop songs from different eras, joined by young street dancers and emerging musicians in a burst of collaborative creativity to open the PCF.
"Dreamscape" will be staged on April 17 and 18 at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre. Tickets priced at $380, $480 and $580 will be available from March 13 via URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288, or purchase via the URBTIX mobile app.
Mega outdoor music carnival "ImagineLand" and outdoor installation "Pop Unboxed"
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The PCF's flagship programme "ImagineLand", the outdoor music carnival returning by popular demand, will be held on April 25 and 26 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre (HKCC) Piazza and the Salisbury Garden Central Lawn, offering free admission to members of the public and visitors. Daytime highlights include the "Go Beyond Concert", the "Pop Unboxed" outdoor installation, and the "Funarts Corner". In the evening, the "Movie Under the Stars" will be presented.
The "Go Beyond Concert" at the Forest Stage will feature 11 acts, bringing together emerging local music talents, singer-songwriters and bands, as well as singers from the Chinese Mainland and Thailand. Pop music will be presented in diverse styles that cross boundaries. Making its debut this year is the Cantopop Party, where DJ DEANZ will spin classic melodies across generations to evoke collective memories. Featured performers include Vincy Chan, Arvin Tsang, Gordon Flanders, Feanna Wong, Goodnight Lillie, and Jacky Fan. Meanwhile, "Movie Under the Stars" will screen, over two evenings, the local fantasy romance films "Last Song for You" (2024) and "Fly me to Polaris" (1999), respectively, offering audiences a different movie-going experience at the Salisbury Garden Central Lawn.
The outdoor installation "Pop Unboxed" will be on display from April 25 at the HKCC Piazza. Co-curated with the Hong Kong Design Institute, a member of the Vocational Training Council Group, it features four display cases, each presenting a distinctive theme. Highlights include trendy collectibles inspired by the folktale "Ten Brothers"; a film-themed photo spot recreating Hong Kong's neon street scenes; a window display that brings fantasy characters to life through surreal fashion; and a music showcase that juxtaposes classic vinyl records with the works of a virtual singer. Blending the classic with the innovative, "Pop Unboxed" is set to become a must-visit photo hotspot.
Film screening
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"Fantasies in Reality: A Cinematic Journey"
Long renowned as a dream factory of imagination, Hong Kong cinema has produced countless fantasy films full of creativity. Echoing this year's theme "Beyond Fantasy", the Hong Kong Film Archive has curated this screening programme, featuring 12 classic Hong Kong fantasy films spanning from the 1950s to the post-millennium era. The opening film is one of the signature works of the Hong Kong New Wave, "The Spooky Bunch" (1980) (4K digitally restored version), which blends troupe culture and local supernatural folklore with comedy. Other selected titles include "Ten Brothers" (1959), "A Chinese Ghost Story" (1987), "Green Snake" (1993) and "Wait 'Til You're Older" (2005), among others.
"Restored Treasures - 'The Kid'" (1999) (4K Digitally Restored Version)
The PCF will invite audiences to revisit on the big screen the 4K digitally restored "The Kid" (1999) at the HKCC, starring the late Leslie Cheung. Marking what would have been his 70th birthday this year, the screening pays tribute to the pop culture legend.
As the Archive celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, it will also present "Restored Treasures - Film Marathon", featuring a curated selection of classic local and international films from different eras. This two-day marathon, running for over 10 hours in total at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre in May, will kick off the Archive's silver jubilee celebrations. Starting in June, the exhibition "Hong Kong Film Archive Stories: Treasure Hunting for 25 Years" will be staged at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Showcasing rare film-related artefacts, it will chart the glorious journey of Hong Kong cinema, with interactive installations enabling audiences to connect with the Archive across time and space.
Performing arts
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Two pre-festival programmes will be held, namely "18dART - Community Arts Scheme in Kwai Tsing 'Shape of Harmony - Kwai Tsing 3.0' Acappella Music Project Finale Concert" presented by local a cappella group Boonfaysau; and "2026 Fiesta of Music Office Bands, Choirs and Orchestras Concert I - Strings 'Fairy Tales'".
Other highlights include tap dance performance "STEP OUT Studios x SuenNam 'Just Keep Hoofing!'" presented by Step Out Studios and "Live．Time．Place", a multimedia concert and exhibition curated by electronic musician and new media artist Choi Sai-ho.
Library activities
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In response to the PCF's theme "Beyond Fantasy", public libraries will present a series of activities from April to June, including book recommendations themed around fairy tales, science fiction and mystery; a meet-the-author session; a themed talk series titled "Monthly Literary Talk: 'The Past and Future of Science Fiction Literature: Mythical Creatures, Animals, Machines, and Artificial Intelligence'"; as well as workshops and storytelling theatre.
In addition to the above programmes, a number of industry partner organisations will also present a series of events in different genres, including the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra's "Cinematic Odyssey: Wu Kong and The Last Dance - Chu Wan Pin & HKCO"; the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups' "My Stage@HKCC 2026/27 - Saturday Music Live"; and two programmes sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency: the Hong Kong Publishing Federation Limited's "2026 Hong Kong Reading+"; and the 7th Design Licensing and Business Support Scheme, organised by the Innovative Entrepreneur Association.
Over the years, Hong Kong's pop culture has continued to evolve through music, images and text, as well as stage and cross-media creations. Advancing through a dynamic interplay of inheritance, circulation, fusion and breakthrough, it has distilled a style uniquely Hong Kong. This year, the PCF will continue to join audiences and local creators in going "Beyond Fantasy", crossing boundaries within everyday rhythms and inspiring the limitless possibilities of pop culture.
For details of the programmes and activities, please visit www.pcf.gov.hk or call 3755 3358 for enquiries.
Ends/Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Issued at HKT 19:00
Issued at HKT 19:00
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