The holiday spirit is in full swing across the Greater Bay Area this week, with festive markets popping up in the heart of Macao’s Tap Seac Square and Barra district, as well as at Hong Kong’s seaside Stanley Plaza.
Beyond the Christmas cheer, the stage comes alive with legendary productions, from the powerful mid-20th century ballet The Red Detachment of Women in Dongguan to the acclaimed productions of Mozart! and Anna Karenina in Guangzhou.
Meanwhile in Shenzhen, gamers battle it out at the annual J Cup finals.
[See more: Here’s a guide to the ‘other’ Greater Bay Area cities]
But that’s not all. Read on to find out what else is happening around the Greater Bay Area.
Dongguan
The Red Detachment of Women ballet
This performance fuses ballet, Chinese folk dance, opera and martial art in a renowned depiction of the proletariat rising up under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.
Venue: Dongguan Yulan Grand Theatre (东莞玉兰大剧院)
Date: 16 December
Time: From 8 pm
Guangzhou
Mozart! musical
Based on the biography of the famous Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, this internationally acclaimed coming-of-age drama brings his story to life.
Venue: Guangzhou Opera House (广州大剧院歌剧厅)
Date: 17 to 21 December
Time: 2:30 and 7:30 pm
[See more: Guangdong sets out plan to drive Greater Bay Area integration]
Anna Karenina musical
This classic love story and masterpiece by Leo Tolstoy is brought to life with immersive technology, and performed in Russian with Chinese surtitles.
Venue: Guangzhou Beilei Theatre (广州蓓蕾剧院)
Date: 20 December
Time: From 2:30 pm
Hong Kong
Frozen live in concert
Watch a film screening of Frozen while the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra performs the movie’s musical score live.
Venue: Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Date: 18 to 20 December
Time: From 7:30 pm
Merry Gingermas
Head to Hong Kong’s seaside Stanley Plaza for a ginger-themed Christmas market with over a hundred festive stalls.
Venue: Stanley Plaza
Date: 19 to 28 December
[See more: What’s behind Hong Kong’s bar apocalypse?]
FutureScope opens
Hong Kong’s first-ever large-scale art dome presents a series of immersive multi-sensory experiences to the public.
Venue: Kai Tak Sports Park
Date: 19 December to April 2026
[See more: Macao and mainland drivers can now park at Hong Kong airport – and skip border controls]
Urban Flea Christmas market
Head to a curated, vintage Christmas market of clothes, accessories and more at Hong Kong’s Central Market.
Venue: Central Market
Date: 15 to 28 December
Time: 12 to 8 pm
Macao
Tap Seac Christmas Market
Expect festive stalls, play facilities, live performances, plenty of photo opportunities – and of course a visit from Santa – at Macao’s annual Christmas Market.
Venue: Tap Seac Square
Date: 16 December to 1 January 2026
Time: 2 to 11 pm (until midnight on 24, 25 and 31 December)
[See more: Winter Flower Show to bring ‘Fields of Purple Blossoms’ to Taipa]
Decade Macao illustrators exhibition
To mark the Macao Illustrators Association’s tenth anniversary, local illustrators present artworks around the theme of “Ten.”
Venue: Barra District Navy Yard No. 1
Date: 15 December to 11 January 2026
Time: 11 am to 6 pm
Macao Orchestra presents A Medley of Chinese Classics
In celebration of the 26th anniversary of Macao’s return to China, the Macao Orchestra performs iconic works by six distinguished Chinese composers.
Venue: Macao Cultural Centre
Date: 18 December
Time: From 7:45 pm
[See more: A new bilingual 24-hour mental health hotline has launched in Macao]
Ghostly Park album launch concert
Electronic music duo Ghostly Park will play tracks from their latest album Mirror Sea for the first time, accompanied with visuals created by visual designer Essa.
Venue: Macao Cultural Centre
Date: 20 December
Time: 7:45 to 9 pm
[See more: An oasis of sound: How Shenzhen’s Oil Club is fuelling China’s underground club scene]
Festival of Wishing Star
MGM and the Macao Illustrators Association present a market with 30+ small businesses, local IPs, music, mulled wine, and family-friendly activities.
Venue: Barra District Navy Yard No. 1
Date: 20 December to 4 January 2026
Time: 12 to 9 pm
Christmas fine dining at SW Steakhouse
SW Steakhouse has crafted a festive dining menu for Christmas which features French blue lobster and Japanese wagyu.
Venue: SW Steakhouse, Wynn Palace
Date: 20 to 27 December
[See more: Shenzhen dance drama Wing Chun makes its North American premiere]
Shenzhen
Naraka Bladepoint World Championship
This year’s J Cup finals, an annual global esports event, will take place in Shenzhen. Eighteen teams across the world compete for prize money worth US$ 1.5 million.
Venue: Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre (深圳湾体育中心)
Date: 20 to 21 December
