Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), the 35th Macao Arts Festival, themed “Growth”, features artistic works that bring insights into life in different stages. The Festival will present 15 selected programmes from 25 April to 31 May, covering theatre, Chinese opera, dance, music and visual arts, spinning dreams with threads of light and shadow and inviting the audience to grow and move forward together in the nourishment of arts.
Grand Opening with a literary and cinematic classic unveils an extraordinary exploration of life
Life of Pi, the stage production which has swept major theatrical awards in both the United Kingdom and the United States, will premiere in East Asia kicking off the Macao Arts Festival this year. Adapted from the best-selling novel under the same name by Canadian author Yann Martel, the production combines cutting-edge stagecraft with astonishing puppetry, guiding the audience to explore the meaning of life and courage in three soul-stirring spectacular performances. Contemporary Portuguese choreographers JonasandLander reshape tradition with Tap Fado, a performance that melds singing and dance to render the lost Fado dance “Fado Batido” of the early 20th century, as well as combines the affection of traditional Fado and the vivacity of tap dance, allowing the audience to experience the Portuguese music in different layers and emotions. The US theatrical “magician” Geoff Sobelle conceived, created and performed the solo theatrical show Food featuring surreal and poetic scenes, inviting the audience to have a intimate dinner and explore the stories and meanings behind the food choices.
Diverse East Asian cultures converge to bring an artistic feast of mutual understanding and appreciation
To highlight the theme “East-West Encounter, Asia in Harmony” of the programme “Culture City of East Asia 2025 – Macao, China”, the Macao Arts Festival endeavours to forge a cultural bond among the Culture Cities of East Asia through a series of artistic events. The production Deling and Cixi, jointly produced by top-notch teams from Beijing and Hong Kong, resurrects the intimate narratives of the Qing Dynasty court’s private chambers. The magnificent stage design immerses the audience in the mysterious and solemn Forbidden City. The performance line-up includes professional performers such as the renowned actress Jiang Shan, Lang Ling from the National Theatre of China, and the popular rising star Xiao Yuliang. Their superb performance skills vividly portray the majesty of Empress Cixi, the youthful courage of Deling and the frustrations of Emperor Guangxu. The Cantonese Opera Concert “Unveiling Harmonious Voices”, presented by the Macao Chinese Orchestra in collaboration with Cantonese opera luminaries Zeng Xiaomin and National first-class performer Wen Ruqing, features stunning excerpts from theatrical classics such as Sweet Girl and The Legend of the White Snake, epitomising the artistic allure of Cantonese opera, a precious treasure of Lingnan culture. The Foshan Cantonese Opera Troupe will present the Cantonese opera The Mad Phoenix, an adaptation of a classic drama that centres on the life of the brilliant playwright Kong Yu-Kau. This production impresses the audience with a refreshing viewing experience for retaining dramatic tension while also ingeniously incorporating innovative Cantonese opera elements. The original Japanese musical Kiki’s Delivery Service is making its debut outside Japan. The musical is adapted from the eponymous work by Eiko Kakuno, the laureate of the international Hans Christian Andersen Awards. With newly written music pieces and a leading production team faithfully capturing the charm of Hayao Miyazaki’s animation, this performance leads the audience to embark on a fantastic healing adventure. The Drum Shaman by TAGO from South Korea combines traditional drumming techniques with modern aesthetics in a pounding spectacle that makes a splash with the allure of Korean music.
Local art troupes created works ingeniously to reveal humanistic empathy
The Dóci Papiaçám di Macau Drama Group continues to invite the audience to explore the affairs in the city through their new comedy What’s the Deal? at the Macao Arts Festival, which presents the unique humour and cultural essence of “Patuá Theatre”, a national intangible cultural heritage item of Macao. The Own Theatre, in collaboration with Free to Play Theatre from Hong Kong, will present a clown show Chris-mas Kingdom that unveils social issues, bringing an unexpected Christmas miracle in the early summer of May for families with laughter and empathy. Let No One Sleep by Spark Theatre Group explores the family stories related to caregivers and those under their care through black humour, unveiling the sorrows faced by the society’s underprivileged while probing into the possible ways to salvation. RAVING．Vibration Z by Four Dimension Spatial transforms the black box theatre into a dance floor, dissecting the loneliness and desires of Generation Z through electronic music and contemporary dance, and inviting the audience to join a dance party.
Invigorating the community through arts and offering diverse experience with visual arts
The Performing Arts Gala will once again be staged at the Iao Hon Market Park for three consecutive nights, presenting a variety of shows in both traditional to contemporary genres, including physical theatre, puppetry, street dance in Chinese styles, interactive dance theatre, children’s play and street theatre by local and international art troupes. The award-winning performances from the 32nd Inter-School Drama Competition will also make a remarkable return. In terms of exhibitions, the interactive installation “Cave of Sounds” will be exhibited at the Tap Seac Gallery for a month, allowing the public to explore the power of music through digital technologies. The public can generate different soundscapes freely by interacting with the installation, and create a new music experience. The exhibition “New Perspectives: Modern and Contemporary Works from the Macao Museum of Art” features nearly 100 pieces of modern and contemporary artworks, including watercolour, oil painting and ink art, demonstrating the unique cultural characteristics of Macao and various forms of expression through the modern and contemporary arts.
Tickets for the 35th Macao Arts Festival are on sale simultaneously through the Enjoy Macao Ticketing outlets, hotlines and website from 10am on 22 March (Saturday). On the first day of ticket sales, ticket purchases for each show are limited to a maximum of 10 tickets per performance per person. An early bird discount of 30%, subject to certain criteria, is available from 22 to 30 March, and a 20% discount will be offered from 31 March onwards. A 30% discount will be offered on ticket purchases for two performances of selected screenings of “Culture City of East Asia”, including the Cantonese Opera Concert Unveiling the Harmonious Voices, Kiki’s Delivery Service - the Musical, Deling and Cixi and The Drum Shaman. Members of the public purchasing their tickets with a BOC Macau Credit Card or BOC Macau Card will receive a 30% discount on tickets for the opening programme Grand Opening: Life of Pi and the show The Mad Phoenix, as well as a 20% discount on tickets for other shows. A 20% discount will be offered for holders of a MasterCard, Visa or UnionPay card from ICBC (Macau), BNU, Luso International Banking Ltd., BCM Bank, Tai Fung Bank or OCBC Macau. A 50% discount will be offered to holders of a Macao Senior Citizen Card or Disability Assessment Registration Card and to holders of a full-time student card (holders of local or overseas student card); each cardholder can only use one discounted ticket per performance. For every ticket purchase over MOP500 (net price after discounts), purchasers will receive one MGM dinning voucher. Air Macau customers can enjoy a 20% discount on ticket purchases at the Enjoy Macao Ticketing outlets by presenting their respective boarding pass (flight code NX) within 7 days upon their arrival in Macao.
The 35th Macao Arts Festival counts with the support of the Macao Government Tourism Office of the Macao SAR Government, TDM – Teledifusão de Macao, Air Macau, and MGM. The Festival’s website: www.icm.gov.mo/fam; email address: fam@icm.gov.mo. 24-hour ticketing hotlines: 2840 0555 (Macao), 8480 9038 (Hong Kong) and 153 4481 8382 (Mainland China). Ticketing website: ticketing.enjoymacao.mo.
The presentation of the 35th Macao Arts Festival programmes was held on 11 March at the Vista of MGM Cotai, in the presence of the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man; the Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the Member of the Executive Committee of Teledifusão de Macau, S.A., Un Weng Kuai; the Vice President of Air Macau Company Limited, Zhang Yun; the President and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited, Kenneth Feng; the Vice President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Cheang Kai Meng; the Acting Vice President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Choi Kin Long; and representatives of the participating art groups. The event was also broadcast live online for a number of media and art troupe representatives from the Greater Bay Area.
