HK airport celebrates HK and Shanghai culture with arts festival

Travellers can now immerse themselves in the distinct streetscapes of Hong Kong and Shanghai at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) as part of a twin-city arts exhibition running through November.

Under the theme "Resonance of two cities – Hong Kong and Shanghai," the HKIA Arts and Culture Festival 2026 is being staged simultaneously across Terminal 1 (T1) and Terminal 2 (T2) for the first time.

The three-month festival features a multi-sensory arts exhibition alongside a series of live stage performances celebrating the unique cultural identities of both metropolitan hubs.

The opening ceremony kicked off with a collaborative performance of the iconic classic theme song "The Bund" (Shanghai Tang), re-arranged and performed by Hong Kong singer Joey Tang, the In-heritage Philharmonic from Hong Kong, and the Music Bund City Band from Shanghai.

As part of the festival's spatial design, the arrival halls in both terminals have been transformed into immersive urban environments inspired by Hong Kong's heritage Tong Lau tenement buildings and Shanghai's historical Shikumen courtyard architecture.

Alongside the architectural installations, a series of photography and art showcases highlight the evolving urban landscapes of both cities. Meanwhile, the large digital screen in T1’s arrival hall is host to a digital art gallery featuring creative interpretations by local students and artists with special needs.

Over three consecutive weekends from 4 to 23 August, T1’s arrival hall will stage live cultural performances. The lineup spans 1970s–1990s Cantopop classics, Shanghai-inspired jazz, traditional Chinese music, and Chinese-Western music ensembles performed by student groups from both regions.

The festival is supported by a broad coalition of institutional and creative partners across both cities, including Edge Design Institute, Hong Kong In-heritage Philharmonic, City University of Hong Kong, Shanghai Highwin Advertising, Peoplehood, Shanghai JIN Space Culture Development, Hong Kong’s Cultural Inheritance and Development Foundation, the Hong Kong Education Bureau, and the Hong Chi Association.

In conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, a spokesperson from HKIA said the campaign's marketing approach is designed to position the festival as part of HKIA’s role as a cultural gateway, bringing the heritage and creativity of Hong Kong and Shanghai to travellers from around the world.

The campaign will roll out in phases, starting with launch announcements and programme highlights, followed by artist features and festival stories to sustain public interest throughout the event period.

To reach local, Mainland Chinese and international audiences, bilingual content will be shared across HKIA’s social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Xiaohongshu, WeChat and Weibo.

The campaign will also be supported by paid social promotion, digital display, media partnerships, KOL/KOC engagement and editorial collaborations to broaden reach and visibility, added the spokesperson.

Within the airport, HKIA’s owned media network, including digital screens, the HKIA website and mobile app, will help engage passengers at different touchpoints along their journey. Feature stories will further highlight the festival’s artistic depth and appeal to a wide range of audiences, from culture seekers and travellers to lifestyle and business communities.

Vivian Cheung, CEO of AAHK, said, "HKIA is not only a world-class aviation hub, but also an important platform for cultural connectivity and exchange. This year's Arts and Culture Festival is particularly meaningful as it follows the opening of T2 in May. With T1 and T2 seamlessly connected, the Festival extends across both terminals, allowing travellers from around the world to taste the seamless cultural tie between Hong Kong and Shanghai."

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