The 4th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture & Arts Festival will be held in the "9+2" cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) from October 19 to November 24, with Hong Kong chosen as the host city for the first time.

Addressing the festival's programme parade at the Cultural Centre today, Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Kevin Yeung said the Leisure & Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will organise the opening programme and co-ordinate over 260 performances, exhibitions and exchange activities to be held concurrently in Hong Kong and other GBA cities.

One of the major features of this year's festival is a number of programmes that are jointly presented by the department, municipal governments and arts organisations of various GBA cities in Hong Kong, highlighting the in-depth exchanges among artistic talent in the bay area.

The opening programme is the world premiere of Sound River, a work produced by renowned Chinese composer and conductor Tan Dun. Signature arts and cultural programmes with the characteristics of the GBA and Lingnan style will also be staged, to be infused with Hong Kong elements.

The LCSD will also organise the Greater Bay Area Culture & Arts Symposium 2024 at the Ko Shan Theatre to explore new trends in the evolving arts and cultural scenes in the region. Its public seminars on October 25 and roundtable conferences on October 26 will be open for the public with free registration.

Tickets of the highlight programmes will be available at URBTIX from September 12 onwards. Call 3166 1288 for telephone bookings. A limited-time offer is available from September 12 until 25 for purchasing the selected stage programmes. Call 2734 2960 for enquiries and visit the festival's website for further details.

As regards the exhibitions, the free “Celebrating National Day - Auspicious Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Greater Bay Area” exhibition will be held at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum from October 19, 2024 to March 31, 2025.

Additionally, the “Heritage & Inclusion: Literary Treasures of the Greater Bay Area” exhibition will be held at the Hong Kong Central Library.