The budget for this year’s Macau International Parade is 17.50 million patacas, 1.5 million patacas more than last year, due to a higher number of performers from different countries and regions. Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Mok Ian Ian said.
Mok made the comments during a press conference held at the Macau Cultural Centre about the parade, which is to mark the 19th anniversary of the establishment of Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) on December 20,1999.
The parade will take place on December 16.
According to yesterday’s presentation, the parade will be themed around the mythology and folklore of China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
Mok said that this year’s budget was more than last year’s because more overseas performers will be coming to Macau for the one-day event, from 18 countries and regions in total.
The parade, in its eighth year now, will follow last year’s route, starting from the Ruins of St Paul’s through Nam Van on to Macau Tower, since it was rebranded from the “Parade through Macau, Latin City” title which many locals found inappropriate for a Chinese city.
The presentation shows that there will be about 1,700 performers from a total of 76 groups, of which 57 are local groups and 19 groups are from the mainland, Hong Kong, Argentina, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Russia, South Korea and Spain, as well as Portuguese-speaking countries such as Brazil, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Portugal.
According to an IC statement, a total of 24 outreach performances and community workshops will be added to the event, scheduled to take place before the actual parade.
The event will be telecast live by TDM and also featured in a programme on Hong Kong’s TVB.
