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Summer highlight blending arts and education: International Arts Carnival tickets go on sale from May 15 (with photos)
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     Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the International Arts Carnival (IAC) will feature over 100 performances and related activities in July and August this year, combining interactivity, inspiration and family fun. Overseas arts groups from the United Kingdom (UK), Spain, Canada and Korea, together with artists from the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, will offer an exciting lineup of family-friendly programmes spanning acrobatics, dance, music, theatre and multimedia, bringing the city a fulfilling and diverse summer arts experience. Tickets will go on sale from tomorrow (May 15).

Tech-powered stagecraft: sparking imagination in an instant
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     The opening programme, "Starchitects" by the UK's Motionhouse, is an acrobatic theatre production themed around space exploration. Combining advanced technology with digital projection, anti-gravity choreography and aerial acrobatics, it presents a fantastical outer-space journey on stage. The work, which won the Best Family Arts Activity award at the Fantastic for Families Awards 2023 in the UK, will be staged in Hong Kong for the first time from July 10 to 12 this year.

Global lineup under the Hong Kong spotlight
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     Aracaladanza from Spain will present its production "PLAY", blending quirky visuals with contemporary dance and ballet: Bubble-wrap swans dance "Swan Lake", oversized pillows spark a "mega battle", and giant floral ropes create ever-changing patterns, delivering surprise after surprise. The production has won multiple awards at Spain's MAX Awards and has received widespread acclaim.
 
     For toddlers aged 1 to 3, Canada's Théâtre Motus will present the interactive theatre "Tree". With dynamic lighting, puppetry and live music, it creates a warm and cosy "nest" space where toddlers can explore freely and interact with the performers, enjoying their first taste of the arts.

     Korea's GRANDIS Theatre will bring the family music-theatre production "The Little Musician". Inspired by the theme of saving the Earth, this uplifting musical was selected at the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe as one of the top three popular children's performances, and has captivated audiences in the UK, the Chinese Mainland, Uzbekistan and beyond.
 
     Carrot Productions from the UK will present a music-and-film programme, "Fantastic Fairy Tales", featuring original music that brings "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" to life, alongside an animated adaptation of David Litchfield's award-winning illustrated book "The Bear and the Piano", offering a heartwarming concert-and-screening experience.

East meets West: classics reimagined
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     Renowned nanyin master Yuen Siu-fai, Artistic Director of the One Table Two Chairs Charitable Foundation, will take the lead in the nanyin theatre production "Siu Hei's Musical Journey: Poetry in Nanyin", in which audiences will experience a blend of nanyin and Tang poetry. "The Man in the Ceiling", based on the work of a Pulitzer Prize winner, will be brought to life by Musical Dreams Theatrical's finest Hong Kong musical theatre talents, who will sing of passion and the pursuit of dreams. The Yip's Children's Choir will present a new interpretation of the children's opera "Alice in Wonderland - Reimagined through the Looking Glass", blending bel canto with children's voices to capture the values of the story.

Bringing arts into the community
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     IAC partners with the registered charity First Initiative Foundation and Hong Kong's long-established bakery brand Garden to present an interactive art exhibition and community picnics at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre and Yuen Long Theatre, bringing arts into the community. The theatre foyers will be transformed into spaces for "Picnic and Play", where participants will receive picnic packs and enjoy a harmonica experience led by a world harmonica champion, Gordon Lee. Interactive art installations inspired by this year's IAC, created by local artists Soilworm and moon.noon, also welcome families to explore.

     The IAC will also continue to offer accessible performances and relaxed performances for children with special needs, and provide discounted or free admission opportunities for students and children from underprivileged families.

Non-stop highlights not to be missed
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     Other highlights include:
  • "Acrobatic Spectacle of Ancient Tang", an acrobatic drama by the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Acrobatic Troupe;
  • Grand Dance Musical "Panda-rama" by Hong Kong Dance Company;
  • "Know Your Piano Concertos" by Hong Kong Sinfonietta;
  • "McDull・A Simple Concert" by Hong Kong Sinfonietta;
  • "Music Magic" by Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra;
  • "2026 Hong Kong Youth Music Camp Concerts - Summer Resonance" by Music Office;
  • "The Pride・The Lie・The Hunger" by Pop Theatre;
  • "DancingAndy and Dancers 'Dance in Growing Joy and Happiness' Finale Performance" by DancingAngels; and
  • "Just Kid-ing" (WE-PLAY．RE-RUN) by the first cohort of Arts Tech Trainees of the East Kowloon Cultural Centre
 
      In addition to stage performances, there will be a fine selection of films from around the world under the Summer Family Cine Fest by the Film Programmes Office. The Hong Kong Public Libraries will host the Summer Library Festival. The IAC also offers a range of parent-child workshops, an online programme and an exhibition for the whole family to enjoy.
 
     Tickets for the IAC (except for certain programmes) will be available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk) from May 15 onwards. Discount schemes available include group booking discount, package booking discount and the newly introduced family package discount. For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288 or use the mobile ticketing app URBTIX.
 
     For enquiries on programmes and ticketing, please call 2370 1044 or visit its website at www.hkiac.gov.hk.
 
Ends/Thursday, May 14, 2026
Issued at HKT 12:50
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The International Arts Carnival, a summer highlight blending arts and education, will feature more than 100 fantastic programmes in July and August. The opening programme, "Starchitects" by the United Kingdom's Motionhouse, combines advanced technology with digital projection, anti-gravity choreography and aerial acrobatics to take audiences on a fantastical outer-space journey. (Source of photo: Don Tucker)
The International Arts Carnival, a summer highlight blending arts and education, will feature more than 100 fantastic programmes in July and August. The opening programme, "Starchitects" by the United Kingdom's Motionhouse, combines advanced technology with digital projection, anti-gravity choreography and aerial acrobatics to take audiences on a fantastical outer-space journey. (Source of photo: Don Tucker)
The International Arts Carnival, a summer highlight blending arts and education, will feature more than 100 fantastic programmes in July and August. "PLAY" by Aracaladanza from Spain blends quirky visuals with contemporary dance and ballet, delivering surprise after surprise. (Source of photo: Pedro Arnay)
The International Arts Carnival, a summer highlight blending arts and education, will feature more than 100 fantastic programmes in July and August. "PLAY" by Aracaladanza from Spain blends quirky visuals with contemporary dance and ballet, delivering surprise after surprise. (Source of photo: Pedro Arnay)
The International Arts Carnival, a summer highlight blending arts and education, will feature more than 100 fantastic programmes in July and August. The interactive theatre “Tree” by Canada's Théâtre Motus enables toddlers to explore freely and interact with the performers, offering them a first taste of the arts. (Source of photo: Sylvie-Ann Paré)
The International Arts Carnival, a summer highlight blending arts and education, will feature more than 100 fantastic programmes in July and August. The family music-theatre production “The Little Musician” by Korea’s GRANDIS Theatre has toured widely and earned widespread acclaim.
The International Arts Carnival, a summer highlight blending arts and education, will feature more than 100 fantastic programmes in July and August. "Fantastic Fairy Tales", a music-and-film programme by Carrot Productions from the United Kingdom, features original music and an animated adaptation to take audiences into the world of fairy tales. (Source of photo: Carrot Productions)
Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the International Arts Carnival will feature over 100 performances and related activities in July and August, combining interactivity, inspiration and family fun. Tickets will go on sale from May 15.