The best things to do in the Greater Bay Area this September

Autumn is right around the corner, and the Greater Bay Area’s arts and entertainment scene is bubbling with energy. An extraordinary lineup of events will be on show this September – from K-pop’s annual music awards and a special AI exhibition by Cai Guo-Qiang in Macao to the debut show by British street artist Banksy in Shenzhen. To help you navigate the cultural events this September, we’ve selected the best events to mark in your calendar.

1. Macao: K-pop awards – music

The Fact Music Awards are heading to the Macao Outdoor Performance Venue this year, with a stellar lineup including Stray Kids, IVE and last year’s grand prize awardee, Aespa. Online fan voting will determine two of the prizes: the Global Hot Star Award and the Fans N Star Choice Award. Will G-Dragon, J-Hope, Le Sserafim, Twice and other K-pop heavyweights show up? Only time will tell.

20 September 

2. Macao: Air Supply – music 

Aussie soft rock legends Air Supply are bringing their 50th Anniversary World Tour to Broadway Theatre, Broadway Macau. With five consecutive singles landing in the top five of the Billboard charts and a timeless repertoire of classic ballads, this iconic duo has cultivated a devoted following across generations. Expect a night of unforgettable hits, soaring vocals and, yes, even hair that defies gravity and time.

6 September 

3. Macao: Cai Guo-Qiang – art 

“CAI Lab 2.0 – Is it Your Gaze that Meets Mine, or Mine that Seeks Yours?” is a special exhibition at MGM Macao, presented as part of Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2025. The immersive experience will introduce cAI, an artificial intelligence (AI) model custom-developed by the renowned contemporary Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang and his team. Visitors are invited to engage with a living “retrospective” of the AI artist, whose creative output spans digital firework displays, documentary films and conceptual works that dissolve the boundaries between art and algorithm. 

Until 22 September 

4. Shenzhen: McDull – music

Original animation and classical music come together in McDull – The Pig is Coming! , an extraordinary production slated to open at Shenzhen Concert Hall. World-renowned conductor Yip Wing-sie will conduct the Hong Kong Sinfonietta to bring Hong Kong’s homegrown character McDull to life with a programme featuring Beethoven’s Symphony No 7 in A and Edward Elgar’s Salut d’Amour, among others.

6 September 

5. Shenzhen: “Banksy is NoWhere” – art

British street artist Banksy’s debut exhibition in the Chinese Mainland, “Banksy is NoWhere” , will be on view at Shenzhen’s Sea World Culture and Arts Center this month – putting on show 34 original works, including the iconic Girl with Balloon (2002), alongside rare footage and archival materials. In this immersive setting, visitors are led to significant locations, such as the original sites of the artist’s street murals and his personal art studio.

Until 16 November 

6. Shenzhen: Design Shenzhen – design

Design Shenzhen , a leading annual event in Asia’s consumer technology and interior design scene, returns to the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center. A signature highlight of this edition is “Good Design Select”, co-curated by designer Shi Xiaoxi and Japan’s G-Mark Good Design Award, which was established in 1957. The exhibition showcases the latest Best 100-winning works, including award-winning team Nothing, which will present its cutting-edge creations in its Design Shenzhen debut.

18-21 September 

7. Shenzhen: Shenzhen Bay Culture Park – shopping

Spanning 19 hectares, Shenzhen Bay Culture Park  in Houhai, Nanshan District, is home to two striking architectural landmarks: the Creative Design Hall and the Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum. Designed by celebrated architect Ma Yan-song, the stone-like structures draw inspiration from pebbles along the shore. Their undulating green roofs envelop exhibition spaces, a library, café and retail areas to create a sweeping urban oasis that blends innovation with nature.

8. Guangzhou: Alley-oop – theatre

Coming to the Guangzhou Opera House’s Opera Hall this September is Alley-oop , a sports-themed production celebrating the passion and poetry of basketball. The show draws inspiration from basketball’s energy, rhythm and teamwork, translating those elements into a visually dynamic stage experience. Audiences can expect a fusion of athletic choreography, urban storytelling and multimedia design, where the spirit of the game becomes a powerful metaphor for human connection. 

27 September 

9. Guangzhou: Silk Jazz Trio – music

This jazz ensemble , featuring A-list musicians Wu Wei on sheng (Chinese mouth organ), Florian Weber from Germany on piano and Ingolf Burkhardt from NDR Big Band on trumpet, will redefine jazz improvisation on the stage of Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangzhou. The performance is an East-meets-West dialogue, blending ancient Chinese instruments with the free-spirited energy of modern jazz improvisation.

12 September

10. Guangzhou: Nicholas Tse – music 

The enfant terrible of Cantopop is set to light up the stage at Guangzhou University Town Sports Centre with his electrifying solo tour . Alongside his classic hits, audiences will be swept away by a visual extravaganza featuring three animated stages, more than 2,000 stage lights and lush vegetation flanking both sides – a symbolic nod to evolution and artistic growth.

20-21 September