Twenty-six groups will present more than 60 exciting performances for the annual International Arts Carnival from July 18 to August 24.

The programme includes ballet, music, drama, puppetry, multi-media performances and theatre.

Hong Kong Ballet will open the carnival with a new interpretation of everlasting romantic story Sleeping Beauty featuring the music of Tchaikovsky.

Art attack: This year's International Arts Carnival programme includes My Date with Mozart; Oops! Belle the Witch is Gone; and, Hyper.

The carnival will consist of three main themes: Wonderful Live Music, Shall We Talk? and HeARTS Linked.

The Hong Kong Sinfonietta, under the baton of Yip Wing-sie, will do My Date with Mozart with stand-up comedian Cheung Tat-ming.

The Five Elements will fuse music and magic by Harry Wong and Rick Scott, while Familieconcert Baron Rabinovitsj is a comedy concert by Het Filiaal from the Netherlands. Children's musical Oops! Belle the Witch is Gone! will be performed by the Theatre Ensembl, and the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra will play A Precious Little Baby.

Angel Aurora is a drama by the Chung Ying Theatre Company and The Good Person of Szechwan is a family musical from Actors' Family.

There will also be the Fred Garbo Inflatable Theater Company presenting amazing juggling and acrobatic feats, and there will be performances by the Hong Kong Youth Music Camp Concerts.

There's an interactive seminar called School of Jim Jim, the musical Hyper which is inspired by a popular local cartoon, and films and animations presented in the International Children's Film Carnival.

Also on the bill, are Tears No More by Theatre Fanatico, Romeo & Juliet by the Hong Kong Children's Musical Theatre, the Visual Diary of Summer Photography Workshop and the Video-making Day Camp jointly presented by Leisure & Cultural Services Department and the Chinese University.

Tickets are available at URBTIX outlets from June 18. As the carnival is one of the programmes included in the Arts Care ticket discount scheme, any purchase of tickets for cultural programmes with the Arts Care logo, patrons can enjoy a 20% discount for each purchase of four to seven tickets and a 40% discount for each purchase of eight or more tickets.

Programme brochures are available at URBTIX outlets or here.

For programme enquiries, call 2370 1044. Telephone reservations can be made on 2734 9009 and credit card telephone bookings on 2111 5999. Internet bookings can be made here.