For Your Diary: What’s On in Hong Kong for March

Another new month is here… which means a whole load of new events, exhibitions, shows and concerts to get in your diary! There’s tonnes going on this month – so make sure you get your cultural fix with our pick of the best happenings around town.

Go Greased Lightning…
Grease fans, your dreams are coming true! The guys at Hushup have teamed up with Philips headphones to re-create the awesome carnival at the end of Grease – with food stalls, games and a seriously fun vibe. Better yet, a silent cinema screening of this classic film will be shown on the big screen, with guests using their own personal set of Philips headphones to listen… you even get to take the headphones home when you’re done! Looks like Grease is still the word!

This giveaway is now closed! SASSY GIVEAWAY: We have one pair of tickets to give away for the Hushup Grease Silent Cinema on 21 March!

When: 21 March, door opens 5.30pm, film starts 8.30pm
Where: CyberPort Podium, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
How much: $300 per person, including entrance to the ‘carnival’, the cinema experience and one pair of Philips CitiScape headphones (worth $999!) to take home; buy tickets here

A-ca-awesome!
Pitch Perfect given you an ear for acapella? Check out the Oxford Gargoyles, an amazing jazz a cappella group who will be touring for the first time in Hong Kong! Their perfect harmonising and cool tunes have made them an award-winning group, and we’re lucky enough to have them in Hong Kong for a number of public concerts, school workshops and high-profile performances.

The giveaway is now closed! SASSY GIVEAWAY: We have five pairs of tickets to give away for the Oxford Gargoyles’ City Hall performance on 24 March.

When: 24 March, 8pm
Where: 5 Edinburgh Place, Central, Hong Kong
How much: $250, $200. Tickets available at all URTIX outlets and via www.urbtix.hk, 2734 9009. See here for other dates and venues

Dragon dancing galore
Get cultural and celebrate Chinese traditions at the Tai Kok Tsui Temple Fair! With a parade, cultural performances and an epically long 152-metre luminous dancing dragon, this event is sure to have some great photo opportunities (check out the full programme here).

When: 2 March, 10am-9.30pm
Where: Fuk Tsun Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
How much: Free admission!

Fun running!
If you want to get involved in a charity run but you’re not quite up to marathon standards, you’ll be pleased to hear that there’s an alternative! Lantau Base Camp has organised a cool new event, the Prodigy Running Skirt Chaser, which is only 8.5km and is in support of the Hong Kong Breast Cancer Foundation. This fun new trail run will give women racers an eight minute head-start – and see the male racers working hard to catch up! On your marks…

When: 2 March, 10am for women, 10.08am for men!
Where: Mui Wo Beach, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
How much: All participants are required to donate $100 before or at the start of the race; cheques should be made out to the Hong Kong Breast Cancer Foundation and mailed to Lantau Base Camp, or dropped off in person

Banana-rama
The 9th Beat the Banana Charity Run kicks off in March, in support of the World Cancer Research Fund Hong Kong. From the 5km Elite Run to the 3km Fun Run (and the 1km Kid’s Banana Run!), there’s plenty of action to watch along the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade… not only will it be a wonderful fun-filled day out, but it’s all for a great cause too. Go bananas!

When: 2 March, 8-11am
Where: Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
How much: Free to watch

Bloomin’ marvellous
Roses are red, violets are blue… we’re off to HK’s flower show, and you should come too! If horticulture is your passion or if you simply love the beauty of flowers, make your way to The Hong Kong Flower Show and gaze upon the extensive array of blossoms and plants, flower arrangements and landscape displays at this very spring-appropriate event. In addition to the beautiful flowers, there will also be a range of activities and stalls, from a drawing competition to floral art demonstrations, and music and cultural performances. Make a day of it!

When: 7-16 March, 9am-9pm
Where: Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
How much: $14 on the door (concessions apply)

Paint it black!
Your chance to hear mega hits such as Can’t Always Get What You Want, Brown Sugar and Satisfaction sung live is just a stone’s throw away in Macau! That’s right – the legends that are The Rolling Stones are brining their On Fire tour to The Venetian Macao, and it’s guaranteed to be one hot performance! Now’s your chance to see Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood in action, so snap up these final tickets quick if you’re a fan!

When: 9 March, 8pm
Where: CotaiArena, Venetian Macao, Macau
How much: All tickets are sold out except the most expensive ones – at an eye-watering $14,880, which are part of The Ultimate Rolling Stones VIP Package; tickets available via www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288

Walk that walk
Time to get arty and join Hong Kong’s 14th ArtWalk! Never heard of it before? Well, ArtWalk is a fantastic charity art event, where participants are allowed entry to sixty of HK’s best galleries over the course of one very special evening to view wonderful artwork and enjoy a sociable night of wine and food too! All donations raised from ticket sales will be donated to a charity, which this year is the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO); ArtWalk’s donation will benefit their pro-active community work, original social policy research and advocacy work.

When: 12 March, 4.30-11.30pm
Where: Various galleries around Hong Kong (see the full list here)
How much: $400 (or $280 for galleries only in Aberdeen & Wong Chuk Hang); tickets available via Bookazine, Connoisseur Art Gallery and Puerta Roja (see full addresses here)

Beer, glorious beer
If a glass of that hoppy golden goodness is your tipple of choice then you can’t miss out on Hong Kong’s very own international craft beer festival, Beertopia! The growing craft beer craze in this city culminates at this event, where you can try everything from strong ales and IPAs, to Banana Bread beer and Mango Cider – and don’t forget to check out our very own Sassy Guide to Beertopia for all our favourite tipples. Come thirsty, y’all!

When: 13-15 March, 6-11pm (plus 12-5pm on Saturday)
Where: West Kowloon Waterfront, West Kowloon Cultural District, Kowloon, Hong Kong
How much: Single session tickets $330-380, VIP Saturday all-day pass (2 sessions) $530, VIP three-day pass (4 sessions) $930; early bird prices available, get more info and buy tickets here

Lean green machine!
We’re all about keeping green in 2014 – so that’s why we couldn’t resist being part of the Green Queen Made In HK pop-up event! Not only will you be supporting Hong Kong artisans, but the products for sale are also all unique and handmade. From locally prepared food to lifestyle products, you’ll find everything you need here for the perfect shopping day out – including a Green Queen Café area to feast on-site and a bespoke Ayurveda Bar to get your own personalised products mixed there and then! To top it all off, there will be a lucky hamper draw and 500 free shopping bags to give away, so make sure you get there early! Plus, RSVP here for your chance to win four pints of vegan ice-cream from Happy Cow… yum!

When: 15 March, 10am-6pm
Where: The Space, 210 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
How much: $10, free for children; make sure you RSVP here for your chance to win four pints of vegan ice-cream from Happy Cow… yum!

Derby delights
Hong Kong wouldn’t be Hong Kong without the races! If you want to really get into it, pop along to the BMW Hong Kong Derby (which dates back to 1873!) and watch this intense race. With a prize of $16 million, we’re wondering why we didn’t consider an alternative career as a jockey… guess we’ll settle for having a flutter instead!

When: 16 March, 11am-6pm
Where: Sha Tin Racecourse, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
How much: $10 for public racecourse, $190 for the tourist badge

I wear your grandma’s coat, I look incredible
If you can relate to the above lyric, then you’ll probably love Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ concert in Hong Kong! These rag-to-riches rappers have taken the world by storm with their hit single Thrift Shop and now have four Grammys under their belt. They’re sure to deliver a high-energy, fun performance, so make sure you snap tickets up soon as they’re sure to sell out!

When: 20 March, 8pm
Where: Asia World Expo, Lantau, Hong Kong
How much: $680 & $880, tickets available via www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288

Cabaret, did you say?
For two nights only, Sandra Leung Waters and Michael Sharmon will be performing their successful Australian cabaret show You By My Side at the Fringe Club – including fabulous music and vocals, witty banter and hilarious anecdotes. This story of friendship will also include some of our favourite hits from the likes of Kylie Minogue, The Carpenters and Burt Bacharach so get ready for a few sing-along moments too!

When: 21-22 March, 10pm
Where: Fringe Dairy, Fringe Club, 2 Albert Road, Central, Hong Kong
How much: $250 ($200 for Fringe Club Members); tickets available via www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288

Buy it up!
Love art, but never thought you could afford it? You’re in luck, as Hong Kong’s very own Affordable Art Fair is here! With the likes of Cat Street Gallery (where our former That Girl Emma French works!) and Artify exhibiting (amongst many others!), you can guarantee that there will be tonnes of amazing artists from Hong Kong and overseas exhibiting their work. Find something you love that reflects your personal taste or splash out on a unique and thoughtful present for someone else… either way, it will be cool to see the best of HK’s art scene!

When: 21-23 March
Where: Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
How much: Buy tickets before 20 March and get two for the price of one! ‘Artylicious Evening’ $180 per person at the door, $180 for two tickets in advance. Single entry $120 per person at the door, $120 for two tickets in advance (more info available here); tickets available via www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288

Sing when you’re winning
Classical music group Il Divo are coming to Hong Kong to perform The Greatest Songs of Broadway Live! This is the perfect concert for all you Broadway fans, with the group singing classics from Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables and West Side Story to name but a few. Get ready for a theatrical performance of your favourite hits!

When: 23 March, 8pm
Where: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
How much: $490-1590; tickets available via www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288
Film Fest Fun
The 38^th Hong Kong International Film Festival is back for another year, promoting the power and creativity of film. As a non-profit and non-governmental organisation, the HKIFF looks to discover new talent and enrich the cultural life of Hong Kong. This year, they will be screening over 280 films from more than 50 countries in 11 major cultural venues in Hong Kong, making this one of Asia’s most reputable platforms for filmmakers and filmgoers. We can’t wait to check out some these quality flicks – get the popcorn ready!

When: 24 March-7 April
Where: Various venues, see here for further details
How much: Tickets available 1 March

Seven heaven
It’s that time of the year again, when a jug of Pimms can be drank all day, everyone becomes super patriotic and the more outrageous the fancy dress, the better! That’s right, it’s the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens 2014! This epic three-day event is a Hong Kong rites of passage and loved by locals and tourists around the world. If you’re lucky enough to have nabbed some tickets, then get ready for a weekend of Sevens-partying… we can’t wait to see your costumes!

When: 28-30 March
Where: Hong Kong Stadium, 55 Easter Hospital Road, So Kon Po, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
How much: Tickets are sold out (but you know someone that knows someone, right?!)… and the parties will be going on throughout Hong Kong!

Treasure… that is what you are
He’s the coolest guy in the music biz, with a soothing voice and romantic lyrics that make use all swoon. That’s right, Mr. Bruno Mars is gracing the stage at the Asia World Expo and will be performing smash hits such as Treasure, Grenade and Just the Way You Are – so get ready to sing and dance along to his funky beats at his Moonshine Jungle tour!

When: 29-30 March, 8pm
Where: Asia World Expo, Lantau, Hong Kong
How much: $488-$1,088; tickets available via www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288

Flea spree
If you’re looking for a shopping spree, why not try the Global Flea Market Hong Kong in TST? This brand new event will be a shopping extravaganza, boasting tonnes of vendors with goodies from around the world. This is a great opportunity to have some fun and there will be a real communal and cultural focus throughout the day. Expect various handicrafts, jewellery, fashion and food stalls galore, so check it out if you’re in the mood for a market!

When: 30 March, 9am-9pm
Where: The Regal Kowloon Hotel, 71 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong
How much: Free entry; more ticketing info available here

Foreign feeling…
Uber cool gallery and restaurant Duddell’s presents its fourth art exhibition, Foreign Presence. Presented by Hong Kong-based critic and curator Inti Guerrero, the exhibition will explore a range of contemporary art mediums; from fashion photography to archival documents, Guerrero shows how foreign influence has contributed to Hong Kong culture and made this city so distinct from others. Don’t miss out on this must-see exhibition!

When: Now until 30 April
Where: Duddell’s, Level 3, Shanghai Tang Mansion, 1 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong
How much: Free entry to exhibition