Tickets for the 33rd Macao Arts Festival (MAF), organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, went on sale simultaneously through the Macau Ticketing Network outlets, telephone and online booking from 10am on 26 March. Many people bought tickets at the ticketing outlets on the first day of ticket sales for this year’s Festival in spite of the rain. The opening performance Rite of Spring presented by Yang Liping and the closing performance Patuá theatre Carnavaland were highly sought after. The programmes On Substance of Time by Portuguese Contemporary Dance Company and New Dragon Inn by Shanghai Jingju Theatre Company had an enthusiastic response. Tickets for some sessions of the local performances were sold out. The public is advised to purchase their tickets during the early bird discount period.
This edition of the MAF, themed “The Long Artistic Journey”, features 20 selected programmes covering theatre, opera, dance, music and the visual arts, inviting the public to be inspired by art to appreciate the beauty of life and the most beautiful landscapes. In addition to the abovementioned programmes, a number of masterpieces by well-known artists will be staged at the Festival, including The Miracles of the Namiya General Store, directed by Liu Fangqi and adapted from the novel by Keigo Higashino; I Am a Moon, by young playwright Zhu Yi, which unfolds the desires and secrets of urbanites; the ancient Greek tragedy Electra, jointly produced by Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre and a Greece-based production team; Xiao Ke, a dance collaboration between Chinese and French artists; the Multimedia Full-length Cantonese Opera Bonds of Hato; and the Experimental Cantonese Opera Farewell My Concubine (New Adaptation) produced by the Xiqu Centre, West Kowloon Cultural District.
Every year, the MAF offers different programmes for children and families to explore art together. A number of excellent programmes such as The Ocean, an immersive interactive performance dedicated for babies and toddlers; On This Side of Macao – The Quest for Verónica, which takes children and adults on a magical journey; and Paper Puppet Theatre Paperbelle, among others.
An early bird discount of 30%, subject to certain criteria, is available before 2 April, and a 20% discount will be offered from 3 April onwards. Various discount packages are also available, including discount vouchers for the exhibition “Visiting the Ruins of St. Paul’s in Space and Time” – Exhibition of Virtual Reality at the Ruins of St. Paul’s. Vouchers are limited and subject to availability.
For more information about the programmes, ticket purchase and other discounts, please visit the MAF’s website (www.icm.gov.mo/fam); follow the respective page on Facebook (search “Macao Arts Festival”), or subscribe to IC’s WeChat account. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. Online ticket reservation is available at www.macauticket.com.
