Hong Kong Events - May 2027
May brings two public holidays and the first properly hot, humid weather of the year. Labour Day falls on Saturday 1 May and Buddha's Birthday on Thursday 13 May, which gives Hong Kong a long weekend from 13 to 16 May. At the Cultural Centre the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra closes its spring with a Sam Hui tribute on 8 and 9 May, and the French May arts programme traditionally begins its citywide run this month. Between the holidays and the increasing rain, this is a good month for indoor culture: museums, concerts, shopping malls and the district's cooking classes.
๐ต Music at the Cultural Centre
Salute to Sam Hui โ Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra
๐ Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 May 2027 (8 May 8pm; 9 May 3pm & 8pm)
The HKCO reworks the Cantopop songbook of Sam Hui for Chinese orchestra at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall โ three performances across the weekend.
๐ Where: Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
๐๏ธ Tickets: Ticketed โ confirm dates and times with HKCO when booking
Why go: Cantopop classics arranged for a full Chinese orchestra is a Hong Kong-only concert experience, and the audience sings along.
๐ More information: Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra
๐ฎ Festivals & public holidays
Labour Day
๐ Saturday, May 1, 2027
A general holiday. Expect full restaurants, busy malls and a heavy day on the promenade; the Labour Day golden week also brings a wave of mainland visitors to Tsim Sha Tsui.
๐ Where: Hong Kong-wide
๐๏ธ Tickets: Public holiday โ no ticket
Why go: If you want the district at full volume, this is it; if not, save the promenade for a weekday.
Birthday of the Buddha and the Cheung Chau Bun Festival
๐ Thursday, May 13, 2027 โ long weekend 13โ16 May
Buddha's Birthday is a general holiday and the start of a four-day weekend. The Cheung Chau Bun Festival, with its bun towers and floating parade, is traditionally held around the same festival in early-to-mid May on Cheung Chau island; the 2027 dates have not been announced, so check before planning the ferry trip.
๐ Where: Hong Kong-wide; Cheung Chau for the bun festival
๐๏ธ Tickets: Public holiday โ no ticket; ferries charge normally
Why go: A rare chance to see a genuinely local festival an hour from Tsim Sha Tsui by ferry.
๐ More information: traditional festivals
๐จ Exhibitions & culture
Closing: Lin Tianmiao & Wang Gongxin โ M+
๐ Until Sunday, May 9, 2027
Lin Tianmiao & Wang Gongxin: Here and There closes at M+ on 9 May, while Hong Kong: Here and Beyond 2027 (opened 13 March) runs through to August.
๐ Where: M+, West Kowloon Cultural District
๐๏ธ Tickets: Ticketed museum admission
Why go: One MTR stop from Tsim Sha Tsui, and you can be back on the harbour for sunset.
๐ More information: M+ exhibitions
French May Arts Festival
๐ Typically MayโJune 2027 โ dates to be confirmed
The French May programme of performing and visual arts spills across Hong Kong venues each spring, usually with a clutch of exhibitions and concerts in Kowloon. The 2027 line-up has not been published โ check the festival site for what lands in Tsim Sha Tsui.
๐ Where: Various venues across Hong Kong
๐๏ธ Tickets: Mixed โ some free, some ticketed
Why go: A reliable month of small, interesting shows that fill the gap between Art Basel and summer.
๐ More information: TST art and culture
๐ Courses & workshops
Dim sum, Cantonese and food walks
๐ Rolling through May 2027
Yum Cha's Tsim Sha Tsui dim sum workshop runs daily 3:30โ5:45pm at about HK$550 per person including seven dishes (min 8 people, book via theloop.hk). Cookly lists a three-hour private Cantonese class with a chef in Kowloon at about US$362, and Maxim's Dim Sum Academy runs a Cantonese cooking class from about US$24.55 through Klook. Big Foot Tour and Walk Hong Kong take private market and food walks across Kowloon.
๐ Where: Tsim Sha Tsui and Kowloon
๐๏ธ Tickets: Book direct with each provider
๐ More information: Hong Kong cooking classes ยท TST dining guide
๐งญ Practical notes
- Long weekend 13โ16 May: Buddha's Birthday plus the bridge makes this one of the busiest domestic travel weekends of the spring. Book hotels and ferries early.
- Weather: May is hot and humid with the rainy season arriving; keep an umbrella and plan at least one indoor half-day โ the malls, museums and Cultural Centre all work.
- Labour Day golden week: early May brings heavy visitor numbers to Canton Road and Harbour City; go early if you actually want to shop.
- Plan around your transport: see how to get to Tsim Sha Tsui and opening hours.