Hong Kong's big bet on performing arts is back. The Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo (HKPAX) returned for its second edition under the banner "Passion In Motion", packing more than 40 shows into the city from Friday through to 31 October, alongside talks, exhibitions and industry networking sessions.
The biennial, five-day event was launched by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) as both a public festival and a marketplace, where arts practitioners can choose, collaborate and keep up with an ever-shifting performing arts scene across Asia and beyond. HKADC chairman Kenneth Fok has framed the expo's return as an important juncture for Hong Kong's cultural development, and the event lines up with the government's Blossom initiative for arts and creative industries development. A road map released in November 2024 leans into the city's ambition to be a global hub for cultural exchange — and, notably, a platform for interaction between China and the rest of the world.
The first edition, back in October 2024, ended on a strong note with over 32,000 participants and an international showcase line-up ranging from Seo Jeongmin (South Korea) and L'Arsenal (Canada) to Burkicom (Czech Republic) and The Rebel Alliance (New Zealand), plus Hong Kong homegrown talents such as Anna Lo, Rick Lau and the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre.
This year's programme is deliberately broad. It opens with CityReverie at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre's Studio Theatre — a 50-minute multimedia show blending piano, media art and tracking technology from creators Joel Kwong, Vvzela Kook, Fung Lam and Silver Cheung. The showcase selection runs from dance that treats movement as more than choreography (Medusa by Modern Table from South Korea, inspired by the Asian idea of balance; Blood Moon by DKD Dance Theatre) to a tragicomedy about a businessman meeting a man making himself at home on his property (Where Is The Buried Dog? by Wary Mary Theatre, Poland), and a parent-teacher meeting held over a school dog's death (An Isolated Case by Art Un Rota, Chile).
Night Night by The Last Great Hunt (Australia) stages a scientist's mission to discover the origin of life through puppets and animation, while Paradis by Bence Vági (Hungary) mixes dance, circus and theatre into poetic movement. Multidisciplinary work makes up the largest share of the programme, including a 30-metre alpine-moss climbing performance by Creative Group A Person;s (South Korea) and Alt-Escape by Video Phase (Canada), an immersive digital journey through sound and visuals.
Hong Kong's own homegrown artists get a strong voice too, especially at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre, where the lineup includes a Hamletmachine reworking of Shakespeare, a dance riff on Han Kang's novel The Vegetarian, and Snowtelt by Alan Wan fusing mixed reality with live performance. Beyond the shows, the expo runs free programmes for all ages, pitch sessions for professionals, and talks aimed at nourishing the wider arts ecosystem.
For travellers, it's a rare chance to catch cutting-edge contemporary performance from four continents in one trip — and to see Hong Kong making its case as a cultural crossroads. — Bangkok Post Life
