AIA Carnival
Photograph: Courtesy AIA Carnival
Photograph: Courtesy AIA Carnival

The best events happening in Hong Kong this December

Bid adieu to 2025 with these exciting events around the city

Catharina Cheung
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This is it – the final month of the year, and what better way to wrap up the year than making the most of what’s on the city’s social calendar? Whether you’re in the mood for holiday festivities or a family day out, there’s something happening for everyone. From dazzling Christmas displays to foodie pop-ups and art exhibitions, this month has plenty to offer – so make the most of it!

December in Hong Kong

  • Music
  • Kowloon City

Well-loved K-pop group Twice have embarked on their sixth world tour, and they’ve put both Hong Kong and Macau on their concert schedule. They’ve just released their This is For album and performed at Lollapalooza Chicago earlier this month, and will soon make their way to our shores. The nine-member girl group will perform at the Kai Tak Stadium on December 6. 

We’ve heard that they’ll be setting up 360-degree stages to remove the traditional barrier between artists and audiences, allowing for a more immersive concert experience. Tickets for Twice’s Macau show run from $799 to $2,499, with the VIP package offering access to the pre-show soundcheck, a VIP laminate and lanyard, a postcard set, and an exclusive merch lane. 

Meet & Greet Santa at the Penhaligon's Santa Grotto

Ho, ho, ho! Santa’s snug grotto at The Murray is ready for little ones to spill their festive wishes, with Penhaligon’s sparkling décor adding extra magic. Friendly elves will snap a free instant photo in a keepsake frame, while mulled wine warms the grown‑ups and hot chocolate or juice (and a surprise gift) delights the kids. Carry the fun forward and head over to The Tai Pan to catch the enchanting Christmas tree dressed in Penhaligon’s decorations – the perfect backdrop for joyful family photos. Meet & Greet sessions run December 6–7, 13–14, and 20–26, 3–6.30pm, Level 2. Tickets start from HKD308; Book now.

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  • French
  • Sheung Wan

Hong Kong’s newest Parisian bistro Jean-Pierre unveils Mardi Rouge – during the first Tuesday of every month, the lights are dimmed and the vibes turned up for an evening of live music, French classics, and good company. Linger over a cornichon martini or a glass of red, accompanied perhaps by a steak au poivre and other bistro fare, as Jean-Pierre’s resident pianist and raconteur spins magic through music. 

Reservations are required to secure a place at the monthly Mardi Rouge nights, with a minimum spend of $1,200 per guest. Doors open from 6pm.

  • Music
  • Music festivals
  • Central

Mark your calendars for December 5 to 7 for the return of Hong Kong’s biggest music festival! Winter in Hong Kong comes with three days full of music and revelry, and this is probably one of our city’s favourite annual events. Expect a stellar lineup full of local and international music acts across multiple stages, food and drinks to fuel you through the night, and an array of art programmes.

For more details about this year's full line-up and ticketing info, take a look at our guide here.

A three-day General Admission pass costs $1,990, while single-day General Admission tickets for either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday are priced at $1,280 each. Under 18s benefit from a discount, with three-day U18 passes going for $1,590, and single-day U18 tickets costing $880.

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  • Things to do
  • Food and drink events
  • Sheung Wan

In response to one of Hong Kong’s most devastating tragedies in several years, JIA Group’s chef will unite at Louise for a one-night-only charitable dinner that goes towards aiding the Hong Kong Red Cross. Culinary talents from Louise, Estro, Mono, Andō, Leela, and 22 Ships will be participating in a cross-cultural menu that includes dishes such as red tuna  with Baikal caviar and Kyoho grapes, langoustines with Ecuadorian cacao expressions, Konkani cod fish curry, and yellow chicken with morel mushrooms and alba white truffles.

Priced at $3,888 per diner, including food and wine, all proceeds from this dinner will be donated to the Hong Kong Red Cross, who have been on the frontlines of Tai Po providing emergency relief, shelter support, and psychosocial services to victims affected by the deadly fire.

  • Things to do
  • Food and drink events
  • Tsim Sha Tsui

American fast food chain Shake Shack has teamed up with Regent Hong Kong for a limited-time menu, and it’s nothing like your usual Shake Shack fare! Get ready for the world-exclusive Foie Gras Shack ($195), available only from November 12 to December 12 at the Lobby Lounge, which features a potato bun, an Angus beef patty, melted Gruyere, caramelised onion, black truffle mayonnaise, and foie gras torchon.

No Shake Shack meal is complete without crinkle-cut fries, and Regent Hong Kong’s thought of something spectacular for that too: the luxurious Shack Caviar Fries ($225), served with crème fraîche bavarois, chives, and irresistible caviar. You can also opt for Dom Pérignon White Luminous Vintage 2015 ($398 per glass, or $2,280 per bottle) to go with the meal.

If you’re lucky enough to be among the first 100 guests to get your hands on the Foie Gras Shack, not only will you walk away with bragging rights, but also a special-edition collector’s goodie bag that commemorates this first-of-its-kind collaboration.

Make your reservations here to be the first to try this exciting launch!

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  • Things to do
  • Film events
  • Central

Chubb Life is running a mini film festival to highlight the lives of dementia patients and their caregivers – the December schedule includes a screening of A Good Child. This Golden Horse Awards nominee is a Singaporean film based on the true story of well-known drag queen Sammi Zhen. Without giving too much away, the plot follows drag queen Jia Hao who returns home after years of estrangement when his mother is diagnosed with dementia. Seeing an opportunity to heal and mend bridges, he leverages her failing memory to make his mother believe that he is a daughter instead of a son. 

Catch this excellent queer story and brutally honest depiction of dementia on December 13 at Emperor Cinema in Central. 

  • Things to do
  • Food and drink events
  • Central

Amber at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong has been celebrating its 20th anniversary and they’re wrapping up with a grand finale: a collaboration with three powerhouse restaurants from around Asia as part of a special eight-hands dinner. For one night only, chef Richard Ekkebus of Amber will be joined by chef Jungsik Yim from Jungsik in New York and Seoul, chef Yusuke Takada from La Cime in Osaka, and chef Cedric Satabin from Alain Ducasse at Morpheus in Macau.

With 12 Michelin stars and one Michelin Green Star between the four restaurants, it’s safe to say that this formidable quartet are set to wow diners with flawless French, Korean, and Japanese flavours and inspirations. Mark your calendars for December 16 for this one-off joining of culinary talent.

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  • Nightlife
  • Cabaret and burlesque
  • Central

This November, Maggie Choo’s is launching a brand-new cabaret show that combines soulful jazz with captivating acrobatics, rhythmic tap dancing, and more. The new choreo-heavy show is set against a background of original live music, and comes with an upgraded menu of cocktails and mocktails. 

What Maggie Wants kicks off in November and runs from 9.30pm till midnight every Thursday. As always, you can enjoy Maggie Choo’s cabaret show with the purchase of a drink, which goes from $140 per glass. 

  • Things to do
  • pop-ups
  • Central

Landmark never disappoints when it comes to annual Christmas displays, and this year’s installation ‘Noëlia’ is no different. We’ve got gingerbread men, we've got an airship, and we’ve got… a whale breaching water? It’s a fantastical scene, to be sure. Noëlia will feature a winter village, a lighthouse, and an interactive wishing lake called Lake Lumière that welcomes visitors to share their heart’s desires, which will then be magnificently displayed. 

After making your wish, you can meet the charming cast of characters at Noëlia, explore their homes and workshops, and take part in even more interactive experiences on-site. Photo opportunities abound, and will surely enchant and delight visitors of all ages.

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  • Things to do
  • pop-ups
  • Mong Kok

This Christmas, Noodoll’s adorable potato plushies are bringing their pudgy physique and unique personality to Langham Place. Noodoll’s potato family will be making its debut at the ‘PotatoMAS Department Store’. Visitors will arrive to find Langham Place’s fourth-floor atrium transformed into a luxurious department store – think Hamleys on Regent Street, or Harrods in London – adorned with sparkling tinsel, glittered-up gift boxes, and towering Christmas trees.

There’ll be a range of Christmas-themed Noodoll potato toys to be redeemed, plus plenty of prizes to be won upon fulfilling purchase amounts in Langham Place, such as a new iPhone or Airpods!

The ‘Noodoll: Merry PotatoMAS’ takes place from November 14 to January 1, 2026 at 4/F, Atrium, Langham Place, Mong Kok. Stay tuned for more information on interactive programmes, giveaways, and more at langhamplace.com.hk/happenings

  • Things to do
  • pop-ups
  • Sha Tin

New Town Plaza’s NTP Sky Garden is back, and all 40,000 sq ft of this outdoor space will be transformed into a spectacular wonderland this season! Digital art collective Naked Inc. will present a water projection performance called ‘Starlight Whispers: The Symphony of Light and Water’ that combines floral projections, music, and illuminations into a choreographed live show that’s sure to wow visitors.

Festive revellers can continue to bask in the holiday spirit at the ‘Christmas Circus TOWNival’ in New Town Plaza’s third-floor atrium, which features a six-metre-tall Christmas tree slide that will have guests shrieking in delight all the way down. Don’t miss the photo spots, especially the giant snow globe, which makes for jolly pictures that will have you dreaming of a white Christmas.

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  • Things to do
  • pop-ups
  • Admiralty
  • Recommended

“Choo choo” goes the festive train at Christmas Grand Central this holiday season! Pacific Place and Starstreet Precinct are presenting ‘Ticket to Christmas’ from now until January 2, 2026, and this merry yuletide voyage is poised to take visitors on a ride to experience Christmas magic. Expect cute photo ops, whimsical installations, immersive ‘train’ journeys, and even a ‘Santa Express’ where you can meet Santa Claus and snap a photo with the man himself – ticket sales for this meet-and-greet will go toward a good cause, too, as a donation to Operation Santa Claus.

Afterwards, shop for a souvenir at the ‘Wonderbox’ merchandise store, watch live performances, or join an interactive workshop to craft Christmas cake candles, timepieces, and Christmas wreaths! You can register for Santa Express and festive workshops through the Pacific Place website.

  • Things to do
  • pop-ups
  • Central
  • Recommended

The Winter Wonderland has moved from its home on the West Kowloon waterfront to Island side this year, so Statue Square Garden will be home to not only the tallest Christmas tree in town, but also a seasonal Christmas town, a joyous Christmas market, and enough lights, baubles, globes, and illuminated decorations to rival the traditional Christmas markets of Austria, Switzerland, and Germany! 

Meanwhile, nearby Chater Road will transform into ‘Starlight Boulevard’ through dazzling decorations and light displays, an homage to six decades ago when Hongkong Land put on a seasonal light display on the same road – the city’s earliest recorded one, in fact.

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  • Things to do
  • pop-ups
  • Lantau Island
  • Recommended

Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth, and Christmastime is the most magical time of the year, so put the two together, and what do you get? Only the most fabulous festive event of all time! Until January 4, 2026, visitors can step into a world of Christmas magic at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, featuring magical ‘snow’ and brightly decorated Christmas trees at World of Frozen, Disney characters dressed in cosy yuletide styles, a ‘Holiday Wish-Come-True’ tree lighting ceremony to capture the jolliness of the season, and the unmissable ‘Disney Christmas Live in Concert!’ to spread the joyous spirit. 

Coinciding with the release of Zootopia 2, beloved characters Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde will be making appearances at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort’s Adventureland from November 27 onward. Emporium at Main Street, U.S.A. will be stocking a collection of Zootopia-themed products – there’s an adorable doughnut shop whose stock might not be what they seem… The most terrible thing that can happen here is not being able to choose between the recording carrot keychain or the recording carrot pen!

  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Kowloon City

Moomin is celebrating its 80th birthday this month! To mark the occasion, an immersive, interactive exhibition is in Kai Tak Sports Park from November 14 until January 4, 2026. ‘The Beginning of The Moomins’ is set to be a wonderland for fans of these cute, hippopotamus-like creatures, featuring a historical corridor that details Moomin’s evolution since 1945, plus seven themed zones recreated from its origin story, Moomin and the Great Flood, complete with interactive installations and photo spots. 

Visitors will also find a pop-up store offering exclusive merchandise and a Moominhouse postcard customisation station. To commemorate the character’s 80th milestone, an adorable DIY wooden lightbox is available with the purchase of a special edition ticket ($300 per ticket), featuring Moomin and friends picnicking and frolicking in a whimsical open field. 

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  • Things to do
  • Food and drink events
  • Tsim Sha Tsui East

Kowloon Shangri-La is bringing back its highly acclaimed, oft sold-out Japanese Artisanal Bread Breakfast Buffet this autumn! Head to the Lobby Lounge to nosh on an expansive spread of exquisite Japanese pastries and breads, featuring 20 different kinds of artisan baked goods that run the gamut from savoury to sweet.

New items to the bread breakfast buffet include the shaved truffle egg salad doughnuts, the chestnut Mont Blanc danish, and mini ‘nama’ cream doughnuts. You can also sink your teeth into made-to-order mini mentaiko baguettes, a Hakata speciality from Fukuoka, and fluffy Japanese white toast slathered in butter and jam from Okinawa. We’re personally most excited for a bite of the sea salt butter red bean bread. Known as a shio croissant, this delicious morsel perfectly balances savoury and sweet, thanks to a dusting of salt flakes and a filling of butter and red bean.

Kowloon Shangri-La’s perennially popular Japanese Artisan Bread Breakfast Buffet ($198 per person) will be back from November 14, 2025 to January 4, 2026 on Fridays to Sundays and on public holidays from 8am to 10.30am, so if you’re hoping to load up on carbs, run, don’t walk, to make your reservation, as walk-ins are not accepted.

  • Things to do
  • pop-ups
  • Tsim Sha Tsui

Disney comes to Tsim Sha Tsui this year to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort in grand fashion! Five captivating ‘Magical Christmas @ Harbour City’ photo spots will bring holiday cheer to the Victoria Harbour waterfront and the Harbour City mall, featuring the likes of Mickey and Friends, Duffy and Friends, and World of Frozen. Find your favourite character decked out in festive garb, marvel at the nine-metre-tall ‘Magical Christmas Tree’, meet Duffy and LinaBell in person, and shop from more than 200 Disney-themed merchandise at the ‘Magical Christmas Pop-up Store’.  

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  • Chinese
  • Tsim Sha Tsui

Chinese restaurant Hutong has launched a new menu celebrating the fiery flavours of northern cuisines. Titled ‘Qian Jiao Bai Wei – The Essence of Heat’, the menu spotlights five dishes elevated with a secret ingredient: Hutong’s housemade chilli sauces. Crafted using five chilli varieties native to northern China, each sauce brings a distinctive kick to traditional recipes. 

Diners can savour three sauces at the restaurant: Yunnan Pepper and Kumquat Chilli Sauce, Hunan Nutty Spicy Almond Sauce, and Sichuan Erjingtiao. Meanwhile, the Hutong Chilli Sauce and Hutong Peppercorn Oil is also available for purchase. The ‘Qian Jiao Bai Wei’ menu will be available at all Hutong locations worldwide until January 18, 2026. The Hutong Chilli Oil and Hutong Peppercorn Oil are made fresh daily and priced at $200 each. 

  • Art
  • Installation
  • West Kowloon
  • Recommended

A new exhibition at M+ showcases 12 immersive installations by pioneering women artists from Asia, Europe, and the Americas, including three new works by Asian artists. Dream Rooms: Environments by Women Artists 1950s–Now emphasises the multisensory experience of art and highlights women’s contributions to installation art, a field often overshadowed by male artists. Visitors can actively engage with the environments, which include nine historic pieces that have been painstakingly reconstructed, such as Aleksandra Kasuba’s Spectral Passage (1975), which invites individuals to journey through interconnected nylon structures as a metaphor of the life cycle; Judy Chicago’s Feather Room (1966), an all-white space filled with 300 pounds of feathers; and more.

M+ will also host talks with co-curators Andrea Lissoni and Marina Pugliese to discuss the concept behind the exhibition, and a panel discussion with the three Asian artists whose new, commissioned work is part of Dream Rooms. Additionally, M+ Cinema will screen three documentaries about some of the exhibited artists to supplement the show.

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  • Things to do
  • Markets and fairs
  • Central

Hong Kong’s annual winter celebration returns to Central Harbourfront this December, paying tribute to Hong Kong’s cultural heritage with performances from local talents, local cuisine, and photo ops inspired by the city’s beloved landmarks and neighbourhoods. As always, thrilling rides, carnival games, and limited-edition prizes at over 30 different attractions await you, as well as Gandeys Circus’ brand-new winter-themed show, “The Winter World Circus,” a new act that adds a delightfully frozen flair to Gandeys’ signature choreo numbers and acrobatics. 

AIA Carnival will take place at Central Harbourfront from December 22, 2025 to March 1, 2026.

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  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • West Kowloon
  • Recommended

In a landmark collaboration between the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) of Egypt, 250 treasures and relics from the land of the Pharaohs will be on display in Hong Kong for nine and a half months. Named ‘Ancient Egypt Unveiled’, this exhibition is the largest, most comprehensive, and longest-running display of ancient Egyptian artefacts Hong Kong has ever seen, displaying archaeological finds loaned straight from Egypt, many of which are being shown outside of their home country for the very first time.

Some of our favourite highlights include a set of canopic jars used to store internal organs in the mummification and burial process; statues of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut and Rameses II; painted coffins of wood and stone; a Book of the Dead papyrus scroll; and even an ancient Egyptian toilet seat.

Swing by the gift shop to find a wide range of Egypt-related merch, including an adorable series of blind box plushies created by HKPM which depict pharaohs, canopic jars, mummies, and more.

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  • Art
  • Outdoor art
  • West Kowloon

‘The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Art Plaza Project at the Hong Kong Palace Museum’ is a multimedia initiative that takes traditional Chinese garden aesthetics as the main inspiration. The project features large installations by five local artists and an architect, each creative bringing a unique contemporary interpretation of traditional zen garden elements to the showcase, where iconic pavilions, flowing water, and aesthetic rock formations are reimagined with materials found in our bustling city, such as bamboo, metal, and fabric. 

This exhibition will be open to the public until November 2, 2026 at the Museum Plaza at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. Entry is free of charge during the museum’s opening hours. 

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