The best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend (August 1-3)

Before G-Dragon even performs in Hong Kong, the K-pop star’s pet cat beats him to the stage with the Zo&Friends pop-up in Times Square. Inspired by his Scottish fold named Princess Zoa, GD has spent two years creating and designing this original IP, and the results can’t be any cuter.

A large cynical-looking Zoa sits in the middle of Times Square’s second-floor atrium, surrounded by flowers and the daisy A&ne. Walk through and snap pictures at photo spots, explore Zoa’s room, and see plenty of artworks, decals, BTS captures, and more. There’ll be a range of Zo&Friends products on sale, such as soft toys, plush keychains, kitchenware, rugs, stickers, and wearable accessories.

From now until the end of August, purchase a McDonald’s Happy Meal to receive a Chiikawa toy. There are eight versions altogether, with each type being offered on specific dates throughout the promotion period, so make sure you keep an eye on the dates to get your favourite. There’ll be a Chiikawa notepad and penholder, an Usagi hotcake box, a Momonga pen cap, a Hachiware photo frame, and more.

Order a Happy Meal via the designated webpage on the McDonald’s app, or visit 40 select outlets across Hong Kong to get your hands on these collectables.

Eight oversized blind box characters from Crybaby’s Crying For Love series have taken over Festival Walk for fans to admire and take photos with. The centrepiece is the giant Love You Cherry Much figures, sitting side by side in their cherry outfits above a ball pit, though we also really liked the angel and devil Kiss Kiss characters pouting towards each other in a smooch.

Stop by the Pop Mart pop-up store to find products from the Crying For Love series – like angel and heart plushies, an adorable straw cup, and vinyl plush hanging dolls – as well as Crybaby’s other lines, such as the animal-themed Wild but Cutie series, the tutu-wearing Shiny Shiny series, their Powerpuff Girls collab, not to mention scented candles and fragrances. 

Italian restaurant Pane e Latte went viral for selling the largest commercially available pastries in Hong Kong, and now they’re back again with huge cookies, available in monthly flavours. After the hazelnut and pistachio flavours of July, August sees them rolling out a raspberry cookie, featuring raspberry cookie dough with a luscious raspberry ganache filling, as well as their classic cookie, which features the quintessential chocolate chip dough filled with rich chocolate ganache.

These two flavours will be paired with a tropical shake, which blends pineapple juice, coconut milk, vanilla gelato, and whipped cream, topped with dried mango for a beachy island vibe. Each giant cookie is available at $68, and for an extra $28 you can add additional toppings, because why not?

Stay cool during Hong Kong’s brutal summer by grabbing an icy treat from Snack Baby, one of Hong Kong’s top gelato shops. From now until September 13, the gelateria is holding a pop-up at BaseHall 02, where they’ll be offering a rotating selection of their crowd-pleasing gelatos. Expect flavours such as BB Cinnamon, olive oil dark chocolate, speculoos, pistachio crunch, as well as Strawberry Moon, a BaseHall exclusive strawberry sorbet swirled with strawberry coulis. Snack Baby’s gelato offerings will be updated every fortnight, and customers can enjoy up to three gelato flavours in each cup ($68), so be sure to swing by and try their new flavours.

Rising South Korean cosmetic brand Fwee – viral on social media for their bouncy pudding pot tints for lips and cheeks – has finally decided to bring their latest international flagship to Hong Kong, named Fwee Agit. Makeup fans can now get their hands on all 35 shades of their viral Lip & Cheek Blurry Pudding Pot and its newer, luminous counterpart the Lip & Cheek Glowy Jelly Pot. In the continuing Y2K resurgence, a must-have product from Fwee is their pudding pot keychain, which can hold a handy amount of the Blurry Pudding Pot or Glowy Jelly Pot products for touch-ups on the go – and it also makes for a cute bag charm, with a Hong Kong-exclusive colour.

From their opening day on July 25 to the last day of July, customers to Fwee Agit can enjoy a 15-percent discount, and receive a free mini keychain pot when purchasing a Blurry Pudding Pot, which you can then fill with your shade of choice. Purchases of at least $350 or $580 after the in-store discount will also receive a free pocket mirror or taporin bag, respectively.

Bar Leone has just been crowned top slot in Asia’s 50 Best Bars for the second year in a row, so if you thought the queues were crazy, it’s probably going to get worse. Luckily, Leone’s founder Lorenzo Antinori has just opened a new venture with Simone Caporale, co-founder of the acclaimed Sips bar in Barcelona. From Cuban vibes and cocktails made from original recipes from the 1930s, to Latino music and finger-lickin’ bar snacks, Montana is undoubtedly Hong Kong’s latest drinks hotspot. Click below for our full review!

Whether you’re a casual Instagram user or a photography fanatic, you’ve likely come across a post by Accidentally Wes Anderson, a platform known for showcasing moments in daily life that replicate the American filmmaker’s signature symmetrical style. This internationally acclaimed art project has held exhibitions in cities such as London, Tokyo, Seoul, and Los Angeles, and this July, it’ll be arriving in Hong Kong for the first time at The Mills and Airside simultaneously. Find more information about these exhibitions here.

A good dose of laughter is a great remedy for the stressors of hectic urban life, which is why comedic comics have been so well-received since they appeared in Hong Kong in the early 20th century. By the 1950s, local comics truly began to take off, giving rise to iconic characters like Old Master Q, My Boy, and Sau Sing Chai. Visitors can see beloved comic works spanning from the 50s to modern-day characters used in our everyday group chat stickers.

See what life was like in the legendary Kowloon Walled City and step inside this immersive 'real life' movie set exhibition! Featuring meticulously recreated shops and scenes from the award-winning film Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, the exhibition will take you back into the 1980s inside the famous Walled City to explore everything from the local cafe to the neighbourhood dental clinic.

Check out our guide for everything you need to know about the exhibition, from dates and opening hours to highlights not to be missed.

The team behind Socio have decided to give Hong Kong’s night owls the best of both worlds by combining the nightclub and cocktail lounge concepts into a premium cocktail club, named Gossip. Their drinks menu is inspired by the many traditional masks of Asia, each made with distinctly Asian ingredients such as mango sticky rice, Korean gochujang, and Sichuan pepper.

The cocktail lounge hosts live music performances on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, transforming into a clubby atmosphere when the clock hits midnight from Thursday through the weekend. If you’re bored of the thumping, techno-heavy beats that are spinning in most clubs, then you’ll appreciate that Gossip focuses on playing R&B and hip-hop.

The Ways in Patterns is an immersive exhibition themed around traditional patterns from the Palace Museum’s architecture, ceramics, and textiles, featuring seven immersive spaces that burst into life with projections of colourful Chinese motifs like waves, clouds, florals, birds, and more. Don't leave without creating your own bird or fish to let loose onto a digital canvas, where it will live on the walls of the exhibition, and interact with these thematic spaces to understand the auspicious meanings that these motifs and patterns carry. Visitors can access the exhibition with a general admission ticket (from $70) or special exhibition ticket (from $150).

Sweettooths are in for a treat as Japanese dessert brand Mr. Cheesecake is hosting a time-limited pop-up at IFC Mall from now to August 21. Apart from its signature Mr. Cheesecake classic box, known for its melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich flavours, customers will also be able to try this season's newly launched Basque cheesecake, along with two Hong Kong-exclusive takes on the classic: Matcha, made with Yame Matcha from Yame City (Fukuoka prefecture, and milk tea, a combination of Uva tea and Yunnan tea. Be sure not to miss other hot-sellers like the Mr. Cheescake cream brew coffee, silky chocolate white tonka and black cacao, snowball vanilla tonka, and more. Online pre-orders are available for easy pick-up at the IFC pop-up on selected dates. 

Where: Kiosk LA15, Podium Level 1, IFC Mall

From now until August 3, basketball fans can immerse themselves in the world of the NBA as Cityplaza's 'Live The Game!' event brings player-inspired installations and interactive experiences that capture the excitement of the sport from every angle.

The first phase (June 6-23) kicks off with six must-visit photo spots, including a dazzling display of over 100 official NBA basketballs at the entrance and a replica locker room of this year's Finals contenders, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. Relive iconic NBA moments on the giant LED screen, which will also broadcast live Finals games, or test your skills at the Basketball Hoop Challenge and Connect Four for a chance to win exclusive merch. Don't miss the NBA Exhibition Hall, where you can see rare memorabilia up close, including the legendary Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.

Phase two (June 28-August 3) turns up the energy with a mini basketball court and interactive carnival games. Cityplaza's Live+ members can also redeem limited-edition NBA basketball charms and shopping vouchers during the promotion. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just looking for some summer fun, this is your chance to experience the NBA like never before. 

Have some fun under the sun this summer at the annual SummerFest running from now until August 3. From open-air concerts to sports competitions and outdoor markets, there are tons of free programmes this year covering sports, music, dance, and culture. 

Find out more about SummerFest 2025 in our guide

Hong Kong's first large-scale Crayon Shinchan interactive exhibition has landed in Kai Tak Sports Park from now to August 31. Spanning over 10,000 square feet, this playful experience lets you join Shinchan and the 'Kasukabe Defence Force' on a thrilling time-travelling rescue mission. The exhibition features nine immersive zones, including recreations of Shinchan's living room, a UFO spaceship, a futuristic city, and a ninja village. Visitors can enjoy interactive games, AR missions, and plenty of photo opportunities with 3D characters.

There's also a special museum section showcasing 35 years of Crayon Shinchan history, complete with original artwork and movie memorabilia. After the adventure, be sure to stop by the pop-up shop to browse over 200 themed merchandise items or grab a snack at the themed food stall. Tickets start at $108 and are available on INCUTix, K11 Experience, and KKday.

Local artist Chang (formerly referred to as Ernest Chang) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of his gallery, The Stallery, with an exhibition exploring the conflicts between time, technology, and life. Chinese scholar’s rocks are typically prized for their natural resemblance to things – ‘Artifice’ overlays the heresy of modern-day symbols onto the purity of natural rock forms, and asks if this strips away its artistic value. To match these rocks, the gallery has been transformed into a Zen garden with pebbles on the floor, artificial grass, and even a traditional Chinese bridge. This exhibition is running until August 31.

The second edition of the Chinese Culture Festival (CCF) returns to Hong Kong this summer with over 280 performing arts programmes, film screenings, exhibitions, and other events. 

Running from April 16 through to September 28, keep an eye on the schedule of upcoming CCF performances and events here. Tickets will open for sale from April 15, and prices will differ depending on the specific events, but there will be a limited-time discount of up to 30-percent off until April 30.