Hong Kong Pulse Light Festival 2018 – Celebration of Christmas, New Year, CNY

If you are in Hong Kong during Christmas, New Year or Chinese New Year, check out the complete guide to latest Christmas celebrations and events, New Year’s Countdown Fireworks and events and CNY celebrations. Find out where the best markets, lights, decorations, concerts, events, activities, dinner and street parties are.

From 2018 Christmas till 2019 Chinese New Year, you can enjoy a very special festive ambience in the city. Besides all the gorgeous Christmas decoration in the shopping malls, Hong Kong Tourism Board has also launched “The Hong Kong Pulse Light Festival 2018”. It puts up sparkling lights to the city during the festive season, including a special A Symphony of Lights (laser show), International Light Art Display and the dazzling Christmas tree in Statue Square.

The former name of Hong Kong Pulse Light Festival is called “Hong Kong WinterFest”, which has been an annual event organized by Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) for years. This year the WinterFest has been rebranded with new name, new concept and new design.

Highlights of the Hong Kong Pulse Light Festival 2018

There are several highlights of the Hong Kong Pulse Light Festival this year, including special winter edition of A Symphony of Lights show, an International Light Art Display, the Statue Square Christmas Tree and of course the New Year Countdown Celebration and event.

A Symphony of Lights Winter Edition with fireworks

– 8:00pm, Nov 29, 2018 – Jan 1, 2019

A Symphony of Lights, the popular multimedia light and sound show, has attracted thousands of thousands of visitors since its launch in 2004.

In the normal days, you will experience a visual feast created by 40 skyscrapers and buildings along Victoria Harbour. However, this festive season, it will be upgraded to the special winter edition with fireworks show on the selected days.

Fireworks will be launched on the top of some of the buildings on Hong Kong Island. You can enjoy the pyrotechnic effects and small fireworks on the following dates: November 29, December 1, 8, 12, 15, 22 and 29.

The Winter Edition of A Symphony of Lights takes approx. 10 minutes and is one of the highlights of the Hong Kong Pulse Light Festival 2018 you should not miss.

• Best venue to watch A Symphony of Lights winter edition:

  You can watch it from Tsim Sha Tsui Harbourfront (just next to the Hong Kong Cultural Centre) or Golden Bauhinia in Wan Chai. Alternatively, you can enjoy the light and laser show also on one of the harbour tour cruise, which gives you the stunning views of both sides of Victoria Harbour.

International Light Art Display

– 5:00pm – 11:00pm, Nov 29, 2018 – Feb 24, 2019

The International Light Art Display takes place at the Central Habourfront (right among the glittering and sparkling skyscrapers with their festival decorations).

19 selected light art installations are displayed between Central Pier (Central) and Tamar Park (Admiralty). They are created by international artists from Belgium, France, Israel, USA, Singapore, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, India, Hungary and Hong Kong.

The master piece is the 25-meter-tall XTree next to Hong Kong Observation Wheel in Central. It is also the entrance of the venue of International Light Art Display. This special Christmas Tree is a new and innovative approach to Christmas traditions. The environmental friendly, reusable and colour changing Christmas Tree will be one of the hotspots for selfies and Instagram lovers.

Furthermore, many of the light art installations are interactive. For example, the light art installation “Angels of Freedom”, “Talking Heads”, “Bat and Coins”, “Light Tunnel” and “LightPiano” invite you to participate.

• Talking Head – (Viktor Vicsek, Hungary)

  The two illuminated head with 4000 LED lights can show countless expressions with different colors.

• Bat and Coin – (Daydreamers Design, Hong Kong)

  The design of “Bat and Coin” is inspired by the typical Hong Kong pawn shop’s logo.

• Angels of Freedom – (OGE CreativeGroup, Israel)

• Light Tunnel

• LightPiano – (Kleurbleur, The Netherlands)

  LightPiano is another large interactive light installation as both artwork and instrument. You are invited to play the piano and initiate the illumination of the lights.

• Bands of Friendship – (Vikas Patil and Santoshi Gujar, India)

• Tapping – (IOIO Creative, Hong Kong)

  Tapping is a wind instrument with sound generator, which will be triggered by wind.

• Rotifers – (Nicole Banowetz, USA)

  Rotifers are micrscopic aquatic animals leaving in moist soil. The artwork “Rotifers” gives us a direct view of the microscope world.

• Urbanscape – (430 LTD, Hong Kong)

  “Urbanscape” is inspired by Hong Kong most unique streetscape, the bamboo scaffolding.

• Flowering Phantasm – (Clay Dorse Odom, USA)

  “Flowering Phantasm” turns the form of illusion in our mind visible. It’s hard to tell what it actually is. It can be a monster, a flower or anything you can imagine.

The Statue Square Christmas Tree

– 5:00pm – 11:00pm, Nov 29, 2018 – Jan 1, 2019

One of the Christmas tradition in Hong Kong is the giant Christmas Tree at the Statue Square. The traditional 30-meter high Christmas Tree attracts lots of people every year and becomes the centrepiece during the Christmas season. You will find it just adjacent to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel at the Central Statue Square.

In case you ask, in the past, luxury brands Tiffany, Swarovski and Bulgari have been the theme and commercial sponsor, who were responsible to design and decorate a very special Christmas Tree. This year’s major sponsor is The Bank of Communication.

With the illuminated skyscrapers (e.g HKBC Bank of China Tower, Standard Chartered Bank) as background on one side and sparkling Victoria Harbour on another, it is one of the hottest spots for Christmas selfie in town.

Furthermore, as Christmas approaches you can enjoy traditional Christmas songs and carols performed by a Christmas Choir in front of the giant Christmas Tree. And for the young and young at hearts, prepare that Santa Claus is coming to town. There is a special appearance of Santa Claus every weekend and at the final week before Christmas.

Lumieres Hong Kong 2018 （cancelled)

Lumieres Hong Kong 2018 was supposed to be part of the Hong Kong WinterFest celebrations. Last year, Hong Kong government invited the French and Hong Kong artists and created Hong Kong-edition Festival of Lights. It was a huge success last year.

It was announced in May this year that the Lumieres Hong Kong 2018 would come back from Nov 29 – Dec 2, 2018. However, without any notice and explanation, the activity has been suddenly cancelled and changed the date of 2nd Lumieres Hong Kong to November 2019.