HKAF has presented top international artists and ensembles across multiple genres, such as*:
• Western Opera: Bavarian State Opera, Oper Leipzig, The Bolshoi Theatre, The Mariinsky Theatre
• Chinese opera: China National Peking Opera Company, Hebei Clapper Opera Troupe, Shanghai Zhang Jun Kunqu Art Center, Suzhou Kunqu Opera Company of Jiangsu, Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe
• Classical music: Cecilia Bartoli, Riccardo Chailly, Seong-Jin Cho, Gustavo Dudamel, Philip Glass, Bruce Liu, Yo-Yo Ma, Denis Matsuev, Anna Netrebko, Gianandrea Noseda, Seiji Ozawa, Thomas Quasthoff, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Tan Dun, Muhai Tang, Christian Thielemann, Bamberg Symphony, London Symphony Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rundfunkchor Berlin, Thomanerchor Leipzig, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
• Jazz and world music: Bobby McFerrin, Youssou N’Dour, Esperanza Spalding, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, Pink Martini
• Dance: Mikhail Baryshnikov, Sylvie Guillem, Akram Khan, Natalia Osipova, American Ballet Theatre, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, The Hamburg Ballet – John Neumeier, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch
• Theatre: Peter Brook, Robert Lepage, Yukio Ninagawa, Robert Wilson, Berliner Ensemble, National Theatre of China, Royal Shakespeare Company
• Large-scale special events: World of WearableArt, Zingaro
• Outdoor events: Power Plant, Super Pool, Chorus

HKAF actively collaborates with Hong Kong’s own creative talent and showcases emerging local artists. Over the years, HKAF has commissioned and produced over 250 local productions across genres including Cantonese opera, theatre, chamber opera, music and contemporary dance, many with successful subsequent runs in Hong Kong and overseas. Recent HKAF productions include Table for Six on stage, Loveless Romance, We Are Gay, The Plague, Always by Your Side, Pavilion of a Hundred Flowers, A Floating Family – A Trilogy, Hong Kong Odyssey, Danz Up, Datong – The Chinese Utopia, The Amahs and Murder in San Jose, to name a few.

HKAF frequently partners with renowned international artists and institutions to produce exceptional works, such as Der Fensterputzer (The Window Washer) co-produced by HKAF, Goethe-Institut Hong Kong and Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Richard III and The Tempest produced by The Old Vic, BAM and Neal Street under “The Bridge Project” with HKAF as a co-commissioning institution, Green Snake co-commissioned with Shanghai International Arts Festival, Dream of the Red Chamber co-produced with San Francisco Opera, and Laila, a co-production of HKAF and Finnish National Opera and Ballet.

HKAF invests heavily in arts education for young people. Over the past 31 years, our “Young Friends” scheme has reached over 820,000 local secondary and tertiary school students. A variety of arts education projects serving primary, secondary, and tertiary school students have been launched in recent years, featuring activities such as student showcases, pre-performance talks, open rehearsals, opportunities to attend Festival performances, as well as in-school workshops and lecture demonstrations led by international and local artists. Donations to the “Student Ticket Scheme” also make available approximately 10,000 half-price student tickets each year.

HKAF organises a diverse range of “Festival PLUS” activities in community locations each year to enhance engagement between artists and audiences. These include films, lecture demonstrations, masterclasses, workshops, symposia, backstage visits, exhibitions, meet-the-artist sessions, and guided cultural tours.

Hong Kong Arts Festival actively promotes inclusion via the arts to every corner of the community. The “No Limits” project, co-presented with The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, was launched in 2019. Through a series of performances and diverse arts experiences for students and the community, “No Limits” strives to create an inclusive space for people with different abilities to share the joy of the arts together.