Cover ’Azure After the Rain’, an arts production by the Shanghai Dance Theatre (Photo: courtesy of LCSD)
’Azure After the Rain’, an arts production by the Shanghai Dance Theatre (Photo: courtesy of LCSD)
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September brings a surge of cultural energy to Hong Kong, as galleries unveil new exhibitions and performing arts companies launch their seasons. From a Korean reimagining of Chekhov’s last play to a Silk Road concert and a Kowloon City heritage walk, here are the highlights.
September ushers in a dynamic arts season in Hong Kong, with galleries and theatres unveiling programmes that span heritage, history and contemporary experimentation. Highlights include The Cherry Orchard, Simon Stone’s bold Korean retelling of Chekhov’s classic which features Squid Game’s Haesoo Park, and the Min Chiu Society’s landmark 65th-anniversary exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Audiences can explore Silk Road sounds in Silken Notes of the Pipa, discover Victoria Harbour through Rick Lowe’s Harbour Fragments, or revisit wartime resilience with Cradle of Courage.
From boundary-pushing visual art to stirring music and theatre, the month reflects Hong Kong’s role as a crossroads of global culture and creativity.
Don’t miss: Van Cliburn winner Aristo Sham starts his Asian tour this month—his first stop: Hong Kong
1. ‘Engaging Past Wisdom: Min Chiu Society at Sixty-five’
Above ‘Hu ritual vessel of Zhou Zha’ from the Mid-Western Zhou dynasty (Photo: courtesy of the Hong Kong Museum of Art and Min Chiu Society)
‘Hu ritual vessel of Zhou Zha’ from the Mid-Western Zhou dynasty (Photo: courtesy of the Hong Kong Museum of Art and Min Chiu Society)
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When: Until January 14, 2026
Where: Hong Kong Museum of Art
What: Celebrating its 65th anniversary, the Min Chiu Society—one of the city’s most prestigious Chinese art collectors’ groups—presents its largest exhibition to date at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. More than 400 treasures from over 40 members are displayed, spanning the Bronze Age to the 20th century. Enhanced with holographic imaging, highlights include imperial relics and masterpieces of painting, ceramics, jade and lacquerware.
2. ‘Muse Walk Culture Tour’
Above Muse Walk Culture Tour (Photo: courtesy of the organiser)
Muse Walk Culture Tour (Photo: courtesy of the organiser)
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When: September 5
Where: Kowloon City
What: To mark the unveiling of its Bohemian Collection residences, New World Development partners with Walk in Hong Kong, a cultural enterprise offering neighbourhood-focused walking tours, for a free guided tour of Kowloon City. Highlights include Kowloon Walled City Park, century-old herbal tea shops and tong-lau turned cafés, reflecting the district’s evolving mix of heritage and creativity.
3. ‘Cradle of Courage’
Above Matilda International Hospital (Photo: courtesy of Matilda International Hospital)
Matilda International Hospital (Photo: courtesy of Matilda International Hospital)
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When: September 6
Where: Matilda International Hospital, The Peak
What: Musicus Society presents Cradle of Courage, a concert series marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Held at the historic Matilda International Hospital, rebuilt after wartime damage, the programme features works by Purcell, Prokofiev and Bach. Artistic director Trey Lee leads rising musicians, including violist Hoi Yan-lok. A guided tour and exhibition by D-Day Hong Kong enrich the experience.
4. ‘Book of Mountains and Seas – The Fates of Mountains and Rivers (Finale)’
Above ‘Book of Mountains and Seas – The Fates of Mountains and Rivers (Finale)’ (Photo: courtesy of 夏冬)
‘Book of Mountains and Seas – The Fates of Mountains and Rivers (Finale)’ (Photo: courtesy of 夏冬)
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When: September 7–14
Where: Freespace, West Kowloon
What: Inspired by the Chinese classic, this collaboration between WestK and Théâtre de la Feuille reimagines pre-Qin China through geography, mythology and shamanic texts. Blending eastern and western stage traditions, with a haunting soundtrack, the show takes audiences on a surreal journey into existence.
5. ‘Harbour Fragments’
Above ‘The Harbour Fragment Series: Fragment 1’ (2025) by Rick Lowe (Image: courtesy of Rick Lowe Studio and Thomas Dubrock)
‘The Harbour Fragment Series: Fragment 1’ (2025) by Rick Lowe (Image: courtesy of Rick Lowe Studio and Thomas Dubrock)
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When: September 11–November 1
Where: Gagosian, 7/F Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central
What: American artist Rick Lowe debuts his first Asian solo exhibition with Harbour Fragments. Abstracting aerial views of Victoria Harbour into vibrant grids, vectors and domino-inspired patterns, Lowe explores the interplay of land and water. His improvisational method merges painting, collage and cartography to reflect Hong Kong’s fluid identity.
6. ‘Silken Notes of the Pipa’
Above Zhang Ying, principal pipa of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (Image: courtesy of HKCO)
Zhang Ying, principal pipa of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (Image: courtesy of HKCO)
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When: September 12 and 13
Where: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui
What: The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra presents Silken Notes of the Pipa, the company’s season-opening concert and part of the Chinese Culture Festival 2025. Supported by the National Arts Fund and international sponsors, the concert unites Silk Road instruments—including the five-string pipa, four-string pipa, satsuma‑biwa, shakuhachi, oud, guan, duduk and guqin—in a seven‑movement orchestral suite.
Performed by musicians from China, Japan, Turkey and Hong Kong, the concert celebrates the cultural dialogue and musical diversity of the Silk Road, offering audiences a richly layered, cross-cultural panorama through the expansive voice of the pipa.
7. ‘Border(line)’
Above ‘Flowers on the Steps’ (2024) by Chen Wei (Image: courtesy of the artist and Blindspot Gallery)
‘Flowers on the Steps’ (2024) by Chen Wei (Image: courtesy of the artist and Blindspot Gallery)
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When: September 13 to October 25
Where: David Zwirner, 5-6/F, H Queen's, 80 Queen’s Road Central, Central
What: Border(line) examines physical and psychological thresholds that shape contemporary life. Anchored by Francis Alÿs’s Painting/Retoque (2008), the show brings together works by Josef Albers, Raoul De Keyser, Felix Gonzalez-Torres and artists across Asia, including Chen Wei, Hu Xiaoyuan, Xie Nanxing, James Prapaithong, Prae Pupityastaporn and Wong Ping. Through painting, photography, video and installation, Border(line) offers a cross-generational, transcultural vision of how shifting borders define memory, identity, and belonging.
8. ‘Swire Denim Series: The Epic Movie Music of James Horner’
Above A film still from ‘Titanic’ (1997) (Image: courtesy of IMDB)
A film still from ‘Titanic’ (1997) (Image: courtesy of IMDB)
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When: September 12 and 13
Where: Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town Hall, 72 Tai Ho Road, Tsuen Wan
What: The Hong Kong Philharmonic pays tribute to legendary Hollywood composer James Horner on the 10th anniversary of his passing with Swire Denim Series: The Epic Movie Music of James Horner. Conducted by Sir Dirk Brossé, the programme features iconic scores from Avatar (2009), Braveheart (1995), Titanic (1997), Star Trek II (1982) and more, with actress-vocalist Crisel Consunji performing All Love Can Be (2001) and My Heart Will Go On (1997).
9. ‘The Cherry Orchard’
Above From left: Jeon Do-yeon and Haesoo Park (Photo: courtesy of Asia+ Festival)
From left: Jeon Do-yeon and Haesoo Park (Photo: courtesy of Asia+ Festival)
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When: September 19 to 21
Where: Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui
What: Australian film and theatre director Simon Stone reimagines Anton Chekhov’s last play written in 1903, The Cherry Orchard, transporting the drama from old Russia to modern-day South Korea. Starring Cannes Best Actress Doyeon Jeon and Squid Game’s Haesoo Park, the play follows chaebol heiress Doyoung Song as her family faces decline amid Seoul’s shifting social order. Blending tragic realities with sharp comedy, Stone captures tensions between old elites and new classes. After a sold-out Seoul première, the acclaimed production begins its world tour with Hong Kong as its first stop.
In case you missed it: ‘The Cherry Orchard’ blooms anew in Hong Kong, led by Cannes winner Jeon Do-yeon
10. ‘Min-Jia: World of Interiors’
Above ‘The Seed III’ (detail) (2024) by Min-Jia. (Image: courtesy of the artist and Podium)
‘The Seed III’ (detail) (2024) by Min-Jia. (Image: courtesy of the artist and Podium)
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When: September 20 to November 15
Where: Podium Gallery, Unit 9D, E Tat Factory Building, 4 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang
What: Podium Gallery presents World of Interiors, the debut solo exhibition of Urumqi-born, Berlin-based artist Min-Jia. Rooted in their apprenticeship in Shaanxi Huaxian shadow puppetry with master Wang Tianwen, the works remix traditional techniques and ornamental forms across cultures. Engaging London-based writer Aurelia Guo’s book of the same title and diasporic experience, Min-Jia explores how migration and economics shape identity. Through fractured narratives and recycled motifs, the exhibition probes the interior life of the migrant while destabilising myths of origin and belonging.
11. ‘Azure After the Rain’
Above ‘Azure After the Rain’ (Photo: courtesy of LCSD)
‘Azure After the Rain’ (Photo: courtesy of LCSD)
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When: September 26 and 27
Where: Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui
What: As part of the Chinese Culture Festival 2025, Shanghai Dance Theatre presents Azure After the Rain. This dance drama portrays the life of Song dynasty (960 to 1279) poetess Li Qingzhao, tracing her journey from youthful passion to resilience in adversity. Through lyrical choreography, multimedia staging and evocative music, the production illuminates her verses of love, loss and cultural inheritance. Featuring leading dancers Zhu Jiejing and Zhou Xiaohui, the performance celebrates Li’s enduring spirit and poetic legacy.
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
