HKPAX

Connecting continents, creating partnerships

As one of Asia’s leading performing arts marketplace, the biennial Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo (HKPAX) returns this October for five days of showcases, pitching and industry networking, designed to turn introductions between continents into touring deals, commissions and co-productions

A meeting point for the global sector

With the theme “Passion in Motion”, the biennial Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo (HKPAX) returns for its second edition from 9 to 13 October 2026, bringing performances, project pitches, talks, exhibitions and professional exchange into a single platform. Organised by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) and sponsored by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, it was established to connect performing arts organisations and artists from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and around the world.

The inaugural edition in 2024 drew more than 1,600 arts leaders and practitioners from 60 countries and regions, alongside upwards of 32,000 attendees and audience members. This year’s programme is larger still: over 40 performances across International Showcase and Pitching, more than 30 curated dialogue and exchange sessions, and artists drawn from five continents.

Hong Kong’s connectivity with the Chinese Mainland, Asia and international markets makes the city a natural crossroads, where presenters, programmers, producers, artists, venue leaders and policymakers can pursue touring, commissioning, partnership and co-production opportunities in one place, across five days.

“Hong Kong’s role in the performing arts ecosystem is rooted in its history as a place where different cultures, artistic traditions and creative practices have long converged,” explains Kenneth Fok, Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. “Over time, this has given the city a unique ability not only to showcase artistic work, but also to connect people, ideas and opportunities across regions.”

For international delegates, that means access to artistic developments and potential collaborators across the region. For artists and organisations from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, it means a route into global networks and international markets.

Where partnerships begin

Beyond its performances, HKPAX acts as a marketplace for the global sector, with a curated programme of industry dialogue, networking and business exchange. It brings together artists, presenters, producers and touring managers, venue and festival directors, agents, administrators, funders and policymakers, along with the networks and associations that connect them.

Conversations is the Expo’s dedicated forum unpacking trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the industry now. Its varied formats include: Creative Dialogue, Regional Snapshot, Off-stage Talk, You Say, I Say and the speed-brainstorming session Lightning Table, each built to deliver market insights and structured peer exchange.

Exchange Avenue is the Expo’s dedicated exhibition and networking space, where organisations, festivals, venues and artists introduce their work and engage directly with potential partners. It takes place at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on the Victoria Harbour waterfront, and functions as the meeting hub throughout the event. Structured networking sessions, breakout discussions and evening mixers run alongside it.

The programme also extends beyond the five days. After the Expo closes, delegates can join the Greater Bay Area Performing Arts Tour. This curated visit offers first-hand insights into the cultural ecosystem and market conditions across Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

New work, new voices

International Showcase and Pitching is at the heart of HKPAX, giving delegates the chance to find new work, identify collaborators and assess projects at every stage, from tour-ready productions to early creative concepts.

International Showcase presents work across dance, theatre, music, xiqu and multidisciplinary arts, selected from hundreds of submissions spanning more than 80 countries and regions. The 2026 edition features 15 programmes from 14 countries and regions, staged across 13 venues of varying scale and technical specification. Presenters and programmers can identify work with touring potential and engage directly with the companies behind it.

Pitching brings together 18 works from 15 countries and regions, covering early-stage ideas, works in progress and pieces ready to tour. This is built to connect creators with presenters, producers, venues, agents, curators and funding bodies, opening up commissioning, co-production and touring conversations at the point where a partner’s input can still shape the work. Two sessions take place on Sunday 11 October at the Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, divided between dance and multidisciplinary arts, and drama, music and multidisciplinary arts.

New for 2026, Hong Kong Chapter gives international delegates a curated route into the city’s performing arts ecosystem. It presents 10 independent artists and small and medium-sized arts groups in 20-minute presentations, demonstrations and excerpts, across two sessions at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre on Monday 12 October.

Together, the three strands position HKPAX as a gateway to artistic discovery, giving delegates access to outstanding performances, future projects and diverse creative voices from Hong Kong, Asia and around the world.

A city-wide celebration

HKPAX 2026 also reaches beyond the delegate community. Through a programme of free and ticketed events, the Expo opens out across the city, giving local audiences and visitors direct access to work from Hong Kong and around the world, while delegates can experience how that work lands with a Hong Kong audience.

Open Prologue is the Expo’s four-day prelude. From 6 to 9 October, local and overseas artists perform dance, xiqu, music and choral works in the piazza outside the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, staged from late afternoon into the night against the backdrop of Victoria Harbour.

Selected productions are also released to the public as ticketed performances. The Opening Showcase City Reverie, a multidisciplinary work by Joel Kwong, Vvzela Kook, Fung Lam and Silver Cheung, is staged for the public on Thursday 8 October at the Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Two International Showcase productions follow on Sunday 11 October at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre: An Isolated Case by Arte un rato (Chile) and Paradisum by Recirquel Cirque Danse (Hungary).

Partner Programmes further expand the reach of HKPAX with performances and activities delivered by leading cultural institutions across Hong Kong and the region, including China Performing Arts Agency, Xinjiang Performing Arts and Culture Co., Ltd., The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong Ballet, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, Hong Kong Dance company, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Opera Hong Kong, Tai Kwun, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and WestK Performing Arts. These offerings help delegates build a fuller picture of the wider regional performing-arts landscape.

Beyond performances and professional exchange, Cultural Offerings take delegates into the city’s creative neighbourhoods and local artistic communities, and into the informal conversations where collaborations tend to start. Delegates will be able to experience Hong Kong as a vibrant cultural destination.