The scorching heat and hummidity of the summer months are receding and cooler days are ahead as September 2023 welcomes a host of fantastic events and festivals.
Front and center are the preparations for the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations with the myriad of colorful lanterns which start popping up all over the territory throughout the month in anticipation of the carnivals by month end and the fantastic fire dragon parades in Tai Hang.
Horse racing season begins at both Sha Tin and Happy Valley and the spectacular International Fireworks Contest is back next door in Macau after a three year hiatus!
Highlight Celebrations and Events in September 2023
- Mid-Autumn Festival and Lantern Carnivals - September 29, 2023
- Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance Parade - September 28 - 30, 2023
- Macau Fireworks Contest - September 9, 16, 23, October 1, 7, 2023
- Chinese Opera Festival - June 16 - October 8, 2023
- Hong Kong Disneyland Haunted Halloween Celebrations - September 16 through October 31, 2023
- Ocean Park Halloween Fest 2023 - September 15 to October 31, 2023
- It's race time! The 2023-24 horse racing season begins!!! - Season Opening on September 10, 2023 at Sha Tin and September 13, 2023 at Happy Valley
Hong Kong Attractions, Tours, Activities for This September 2023
- The Peak Tram, Peak Tower, Sky Terrace
- Ocean Park - Get discount tickets
- Water World Ocean Park - Get discount tickets
- Hong Kong Disneyland - Get discount tickets
- Big Bus Hop On Hop Off Bus Tours are running daily
- Sky100 Observation Deck - Special Offers
- Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car - Book Standard or Crystal Cabin
- Harbour Cruises have restarted, the following have resumed sailings:
- Fantastic outdoor excursions: hiking, kayaking, swimming, mountain biking, paddleboarding...
- Lion Rock Sunset Hiking Adventure - Victoria Harbour's most dramatic summit - 4 hours, starts from Wong Tai Sin MTR station
- Geopark Kayaking Adventure - 7 hours, meets at Hang Hau MTR Station
- The Mai Po Nature Reserve is OPEN, the WWF offers eco-visits Thrusdays through Sundays, which is the easiest way to visit the reserve without having to get a government permit. You can book an eco-visit here
- Hong Kong Wetland park - is open daily, the Mudflat Hide has also reopened
- Sai Kung Standup-Paddle Adventure - 5 hours, meets at Hang Hau MTR station
- Hike the Yellow Dragon Gorge Nature Trek in Lantau Island - 5 hours, meets at Tung Chung MTR station on Lantau Island
- Plover Cove Bicycling and Hiking Adventure - 4 hours, meets at Tai Po Market MTR station
- Tai Mo Shan Waterfall Hike the tallest waterfall in Hong Kong - 4 hours, meets at Tai Wo MTR station
- The Dragon's Back Hike and Tai Long Wan Beach - 5 hours, meets at Shau Kei Wan MTR station
- Ma On Shan Climbing Adventure - 6 hours, starts at Heng On MTR ends in Saikung town
- Tolo Harbour Cycling Adventure - 4 hours, meets at Tai Po Market MTR Station
Ongoing Events This September 2023
- Free cultural exhibitions: Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Feng Shui
- The Symphony of Lights, Hong Kong's light and sound show
Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations
Urban Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival at Victoria Park
This is the all-in-one mega event that offers fantastic lantern displays, a full cultural programme, and a Fire Dragon Dance Parade.
The cultural programs include kung fu demonstrations, folk songs and dance shows, acrobatics, Chinese folk arts and crafts demonstrations, etc.
When?: September 29, 2023
Lantern Displays September 23 - October 2, 2023 light-up time from 6:30 pm to 11:00 pm
Where?: Victoria Park
How Much?: Free
Mid-Autumn Lantern Exhibition in Tsim Sha Tsui
Bright and colorful lantern displays pop up in Tsim Sha Tsui along the promenade area.
This is a fairly easy spot to pop in for visitors as it's just around the corner from the Star Ferry Terminal and the TST metro station.
This is one of the longest running lantern displays during the celebration.
When?: September 15 - October 8, 2023, light-up time from 6:30 pm to 11:00 pm Fridays thru Sundays
Where?: Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade and Cultural Centre Piazza near the Clocktower
How Much?: Free
Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance Parades
The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance Parade is another example of Hong Kong's traditional culture and a main part of the celebrations of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
This is a fantastic tradition and one you should not miss. You can take part and experience as the 67-metre Fire Dragon winds through the streets of Tai Hang, like it did over a century ago... It's an amazing sight with over 300 performers, 70,000 incense sticks, and lots and lots of firecrackers!
When?: September 28 - 30, 2023 - approx. 8:15 pm - 10:30 pm
Where?: Tai Hang, Causeway Bay.
How Much?: Free
The 2023 Macau International Fireworks Contest
Just next door in Macau... Five evenings of mesmerizing fireworks and music extravaganzas!!! Fireworks displays can be some of the most sensational spectacles one can witness, imagine the best of the best in the world battling it out on a competition that encompasses five evenings of stunning lights and sounds, with international teams competing for the coveted trophy.
Two teams participate each evening, each performance lasts approximately 18 minutes.
When?: September 9, 16, 23, October 1, 7, 2023
Where?: Sea area in front of the Macau Tower.
How Much?: FREE!
Remember you can get Turbojet and CotaiJet Macau Ferry Discount Tickets from Klook.com:
TurboJet Macau Ferry Discount Tickets are as follows:
Hong Kong Island to/from Macau Harbour:
- Single Trip (weekday, slightly more on weekends):
HK200HK160 US$ 20.45
More information and Booking Macau TurboJet Ferry Tickets ››
CotaiJet Macau Ferry Discount Tickets are as follows:
- Single Trip (weekday, slightly more on weekends):
HK186HK160 US$ 20.45
More information and Booking Macau CotaiJet Ferry Tickets ››
TurboJet Macau Ferry Discount Tickets also available to/from Hong Kong Airport
Where to stay in Macau? Check out the latest deals:
Chinese Opera Festival
"Chinese Opera encapsulates the long history and traditional culture of China. The immaculately crafted movements of the hands, the eyes, the body and the feet of the actors are unique to a whole system of Chinese performing arts."
This art form has been around for centuries and to foster a better understanding of this ancient art, the Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Department brings the annual Chinese Opera Festival to the community.
If you have never experienced this unique kind of traditional art, this is your chance! The festival will offer stage performances by some of the leading Companies in the genre. Besides the stage performances, the festival also puts together an array of events from symposiums, Chinese Opera film screenings and exhibitions.
When?: June thru October. Exact dates TBA You can also check out these 7 places to discover Cantonese Opera in Hong Kong
Where?: Stage performances are held at a variety of venues, including the fabulous Grand Theatre at Xiqu Centre, in the West Kowloon Cultural District, in itself worth a visit. Also very convenient for visitors are the Grand Theatre at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre at the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade as well as the Hong Kong City Hall in Central.
How Much? Ticket prices vary depending on event.
- Tickets for a stage performance at the Xiqu Center for example range from HK180 - HK480, at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre from HK 100 - HK 350.
- Discounts are available to students and seniors.
Hong Kong Disneyland Haunted Halloween Celebrations
What?: Trick or Treating with Mickey and the gang, Halloween parade, haunted mansions, creepy surprises!
When?: September 16 through October 31, 2023
Where?: Throughout the park
How Much? Included with park admission
Remember you can buy discount tickets online at Klook.com:
HK Disneyland Discount Tickets Adult HK639 HKD584, Children HK475 HKD428
More Info and Booking at Klook.com
Dining Offers at Hong Kong Disneyland
Ocean Park Halloween Fest 2023
Ocean Park is every year's Halloween Grand Central, with one of the largest events in Asia.
Traditional haunted houses and plenty of interactive experiences throughout the park are being planned. Trick-or-treating for the little ones is always a favourite and we will likely see a return of the popular Survivor of the Undead, Forbidden Rainforest Treasure Hunt and The Supernatural Ghost Tour.
And of course plenty of shows, roaming ghosts and monsters for photo ops, and great food and entertainment round up a day of fun at this year's Halloween Fest.
When?: September 15 to October 31, 2023
Where?: Ocean Park Hong Kong
How Much? General admission ticket gives access to Halloween shows
and attractions. Extra charge for Halloween special attractions
Remember you can buy discount tickets online at Klook.com:
Ocean Park Discount Tickets Standard HK438 HK$388
More Info and Booking at Klook.com
Offers for Water World Ocean Park HK Ticket
Horse Racing Season 2023-24 starts this month!
The horse races in Hong Kong whether or not you are a horse racing enthusiast is an experience not to be missed!
The beautiful horses, the skillful jockeys, the crowds going wild, they all add up to an exciting, fun-filled, thrilling atmosphere in two world-class venues, at the Sha Tin Racecourse and the iconic Happy Valley Racecourse.
The Happy Valley race course is a sight in itself, the city has built around it through the years and it is now practically surrounded by skyscrapers, an awesome experience specially
at night when the city is illuminated.
When?: Season opener September 10 at Sha Tin and September 13, 2023 at Happy Valley. Happy Valley Night Races on Wednesday Nights. On race day, first race starts at 7:15 p.m. and the gates open at 5:15 p.m.
The races are done by 11:00 p.m.
Sha Tin Day Races are on Sundays. First race normally starts at 1:00 pm, earlier if there are more than 10 races. Gates open at 11:00 am.
How Much? Depends, there are many ways to experience the races, from General Stand to Private Boxes and
special packages including dinner and drinks. General Stand entrance starts at HK10. The "All inclusive VIP tour" provides transportation to/from your
hotel, dinner and drinks and access to the Member's Boxes.
Ongoing Hong Kong Events
These are some popular ongoing events that are worth checking out, specially since they are FREE or offered for a low fee!
These events feature some of the great and ancient traditions of the territory and are offered by experts in their corresponding fields:
The Symphony of Lights
The Symphony of Lights is Hong Kong's light and sound show, a tribute to the city and its people, their diversity, energy and vitality.
The stage is the entire city, which is what makes it so unique, you can watch the lights from just about anywhere in the waterfront.
This free show offered by the city, takes place every night at 8:00 pm and lasts about 12 minutes.
When?: Every Night
Where?: Can be seen from both sides of Victoria Harbour, specially stunning aboard a Harbour Cruise.
How Much? Free
- More on Hong Kong's Symphony of Lights, best spots to watch.
- Symphony of Lights Harbour Cruise with Aqualuna (NOW SAILING! Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays)
Hong Kong Events By Month
Most Popular Excursions in Hong Kong
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