Hong Kong’s Performing Arts Expo (HKPAX), a HK$40 million (US$5 million) event scheduled for October 2026 to boost the city’s international image as a cultural centre, has cut ticket prices and diversified its programming to attract attendance during a tough global economic climate, its new leadership says.
Launched by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (ADC) in 2024, the biennial five-day event aims to match the delegate numbers from two years ago without increasing the amount it pays on inviting guests and covering their expenses.
“It is industry practice to invite some guests,” says Anne Chan, co-director of HKPAX and ADC’s arts space, research and development director. “Last time, we covered the flight and hotel expenses of 5 per cent of the 1,600 delegates, and the ratio is likely to remain the same this time.”
Funded by Hong Kong’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), the event’s HK$40 million budget is slightly less than the HK$43 million in 2024.
Though listed as a “mega-event” on the CSTB website, HKPAX does not receive additional funding from the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund, which the city launched in April 2023 to support and attract large-scale international arts and cultural events.