The best things to do in Hong Kong in July

Cool off at one of Hong Kong’s many cultural venues this summer, where everything from sprawling book fairs to fascinating exhibitions about architecture and fashion are taking over the city. 

As the sound of air-conditioning hums through the city and beaches fill up with sun seekers, you’ll also find people flocking to bars to cheer on Hong Kong’s Olympians and Paralympians at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Here are all the best things to do in Hong Kong this July.  

Mamma Mia in Hong Kong

Grab your bell bottoms and best friends – it's time for an ABBA extravaganza. Mamma Mia, a musical set to the Scandi chart topper’s best hits, is returning to Hong Kong and bringing the party with it. Sophie, a young bride-to-be living on a remote Greek island, decides she wants her father to give her away on her wedding day. There’s only one small issue: she has three potential dads and she’s invited them all to the wedding without her mother’s knowledge.  

This hilarious and heartwarming drama unfolds to hits like Money Money Money and Super Trouper, brought to life by a UK touring cast. Performances will run between 26 July and 25 August, so get your tickets through Cityline before they sell out.

IM Pei exhibition 

The Bank of China is undoubtedly the Hong Kong skyline’s most iconic building, and we have the acclaimed architect IM Pei to thank for it. Pei’s seven-decade career, spent designing and crafting buildings like Washington D.C.’s National Gallery of Art East Building and The Louvre’s iconic pyramid in Paris, will sit centre stage at M+’s latest exhibition I. M. Pei: Life is Architecture .

The Adorned Body at Hong Kong Palace Museum

Fancy frocks are the order of the day at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, where historical French fashion will be unveiled in all its glory in an exhibition jointly organised by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. We’re proud to be a travel partner of The Adorned Body: French Fashion and Jewellery 1770-1910 From the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris , which takes visitors on a journey through the centuries which defined France as a global fashion powerhouse. With nearly 400 pieces spanning jewellery, clothing and accessories, it’s a rare opportunity to view pieces that have never been seen before in Asia. 

Atsuko Okatsuka in Hong Kong

Funny woman Atsuko Okatsuka is back for another round, following her sold-out March performances earlier this year. The Taiwanese-born stand-up comedian, known for her high-energy brand of observational comedy and impeccable bowl cut, will be taking over Freespace The Box on 20 July as part of her Full Grown tour. 

Hong Kong Book Fair

The city’s book fair is the biggest event on any literature lover’s calendar, with a string of panels with acclaimed authors, workshops and a showroom floor teeming with publishing houses. Whether you’re searching for your next summer page-turner or looking to get a head start on that novel you’ve been meaning to finish, you’ll find all the fun unfolding at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre between 17-23 July. Although this year’s theme has yet to be announced, last year’s edition focused on children’s and young adult literature with both international and local writers getting the spotlight. 

Book your tickets and find out more about the line-up here . 

Watch the Paris 2024 Olympics and Euros at a Hong Kong bar

Hong Kong athletes Siobhán Haughey, Cheung Ka-long and more have their sights set on gold medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics – and it’s your turn to cheer them on from home turf. The government recently announced that it has purchased broadcasting rights for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics, meaning you’ll be able to watch all the fun unfold live on local channels like RTHK. The nail-biting finals of the Euros will also be taking place this month, so follow the sound of clinking beer bottles and people hollering across the city to get in on the fun at some of the best places to watch the Summer Olympics and Euros.

Art exhibitions in Hong Kong 

Elsewhere in the city, artist Hsiao Chin’s moving works will be showcased in a memorial exhibition. Following the passing of his daughter in the 90s, Chin’s abstract works shifted towards exploring emotion, grief, spirituality and eternity. The 3812 Gallery exhibition From Eternal Garden to the Bright Side explores that period in a show thoughtfully curated by Calvin Hui. 

South Korean artist Jeong Ji-yoon will also get the spotlight at The Stroll Gallery, in a show titled Ambiguous Intimacy 這麼近 那麼遠 . Running till 3 August, Jeong’s periwinkle works reconstruct online images as painted monochrome canvases – reassessing our relationship with modern technology and our own humanity.