Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), the 36th Macao Arts Festival will be held from 8 May to 27 June, featuring 15 selected programmes and 9 outreach activities, covering theatre, dance, Cantonese Opera and the visual arts. Themed “New Streams of Inspiration”, this year’s Festival highlights Macao’s role as a pivotal hub of the Maritime Silk Road, honouring its historical and cultural heritage while forging contemporary perspectives, bringing together artworks from various countries and regions along the Maritime Silk Road and new works from Mainland China and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, bridging the past and the present with the works from home and abroad, creating an artistic feast of cultural diversity.
Renowned BIRLIK Song and Dance Ensemble from Kazakhstan kicks off the Festival
In response to the “2026 China-Kazakhstan Year of Cultural Exchange”, this edition of the Festival has specially invited the BIRLIK Song and Dance Ensemble from Kazakhstan to present the opening performance Lotus on the Silk Road – Traditions in Motion, showcasing the cultural charm of the Silk Road in Central Asia with rich ethnic characteristics and dazzling dance. Local dance troupes will come together on stage, fostering cultural exchange. In addition, the Jolda Dance Theatre also from Kazakhstan will present Double Bill with two gems, the pieces Tamyr and Timeless, in which Kazakh dancers will offer a dance feast that transcends regions, space and time.
Intangible cultural heritage incorporated with moving stories; a musical theatre work filled with warm sentiments
Produced by Hong Kong’s leading musical theatre company Actors’ Family, The Starry Night – The Musical, which received enthusiastic response in its Greater Bay Area tour in 2025, will take the stage at this year’s Festival. It tells the story of a romantic encounter between a middle-aged man from Hong Kong and a middle-aged woman from Foshan, awakening precious memories of the Lingnan culture. Starring singer Hubert Wu and other talented actors, the musical incorporates the intangible cultural heritage of Cantonese opera and ceramic art, showing the warmth and bonds between people in music.
The performance 1014 - Nanyin x Jazz, by the Tang Shu-wing Theatre Studio centred on themes of memory and technology, tells the story of a couple who had their memories being replaced by implanted chips to confront their past once again. The director uses two distinct musical genres to showcase the clash between Eastern and Western cultures. Starring Hong Kong veteran Cantonese opera performer Yuen Siu-fai and singer Ashley Lin, the show is a collaborative production between Mainland China and Hong Kong, stimulating creative inspiration from different generations.
The well-received Patuá theatre, a national intangible cultural heritage item of Macao, returns to the Macao Arts Festival this year. With a humorous plot, the show Now What? unfolds the difficulties and decision faced by two sisters after inheriting a Macanese restaurant.
The newly adapted Cantonese Opera play Lotus Heart by the Zhen Hua Sing Cantonese Opera Association draws on the legend of the Chinese mythological figure He Xiangu, telling the story of how He Xiu went from the hardship to become an immortal. Starring renowned actors Chu Chan Wa and Mok Weng Lam, alongside a cast of local artists, the production showcases the full range of the female leading role (zhengdan), the male leading role (wenwusheng) and the clown role (chousheng). The stage design also incorporates AI technology, presenting a refreshing experience on Cantonese Opera for the audience.
A solo play brings innovative concepts; the world heritage theatre offers unique charm
Between the Lines is a solo play created by acclaimed Portuguese Director Tiago Rodrigues, currently the Artistic Director of the Festival d’Avignon in France, starreing Tónan Quito who was nominated for Best Actor by Time Out magazine. Starting from a false start, the play unfolds a family letter hidden between the lines of the script of Oedipus Rex. In the Mirror Hall of the Dom Pedro V Theatre, a World Heritage site, it narrates a story with words that shift between reality and fiction, leading the audience to reflect on the nature of theatre and the relationship between the audience and the performers.
The Night of Zheng Guanying – Environmental Dance Theatre by the Hou Kong Dance Group will once again lead the audiences to the Mandarin’s House, a World Heritage site, taking them to move through different spaces in the historic mansion and witness the creative process of Zheng Guanying’s work Words of Warning in Times of Prosperity during his retreat in Macao.
Outstanding works from home and abroad complement each other; classics and innovations take to the stage
Inspired by the literary masterpiece Divine Comedy, the NoGravity Theatre from Italy breaks through the boundaries of the conventional stage, creating a dual visual space that interweaves reality and illusion through a mirrored stage design, interpreting hell, purgatory and heaven depicted by the Italian writer Dante from a contemporary perspective. Through the exquisite, graceful yet powerful artistry by the dancers, the group crafts a profoundly poetic theatrical experience.
The Shanghai Ballet, in collaboration with British choreographer Derek Deane, presents a new interpretation of the classic ballet Swan Lake, featuring a corps de ballet twice the size of the usual count in other productions, offering the audiences a layered performance experience. With the exquisite stage and costume design, the Shanghai Ballet creates a strong visual impact and aesthetics through its eclectic, elegant and refined artistic style.
The play Her Dynasty by The Nine Theatre from Beijing premiered in the “Dream Granary” section of the 12th Wuzhen Theatre Festival in 2025, which garnered widespread attention. Through an ingenious circular narrative structure, the play leads the audience to review the life of Chinese Empress Wu Zetian. This performance is part of the 6th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Chinese Theatre Culture Festival.
Local productions take the stage, bringing joy to the community through the arts
Premiered in 2006 at the 17th Macao Arts Festival, the play Everlasting Youth 2.0 by Theatre Farmers returns to the Macao Arts Festival twenty years later with a new adaption. Written and directed by renowned Macao playwright Lawrence Lei, produced by Jacky Li, a founding of Theatre Farmers, shares the stage with local actress Carmen Kong, unfolding a love story that spans sixty years across life and death.
Premiered at the 23rd Macao City Fringe Festival, The Old House of Orchid by Dirks Theatre Arts Association returns at this year’s MAF. Featuring a combination of storytelling, drama and live music at Box II, the production recounts the tragic story of the protagonist as being displaced and shifted after the coolies’ trade.
“Where culture flourishes, happiness happens” – Performing Arts Gala presents rich and diverse performances from various artistic groups from Macao and Mainland China for three consecutive nights. The participating groups include the Quanzhou One-Six Art Troupe from Fujian, located at the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, and the Ximeng County Ethnic Cultural Work Team from Yunnan, located along the Southwest Silk Road, both of which will showcase diverse presentations of intangible cultural heritage. Local groups such as the Big Mouse Kids Drama Group, the Association of Chinese National Culture and Arts, the Own Theatre and the Casa de Portugal em Macau will also present theatre, dance and music, invigorating the community through the arts.
Visual art exhibitions and outreach activities
Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the National Museum of China, the exhibition “Duet of Nature: Ming and Qing Landscape Paintings from the National Museum of China” features 65 pieces (sets) of landscape paintings created between the 15th to 19th centuries, from the collection of the National Museum of China, at the Macao Museum of Art. The exhibition is divided into two sections, namely “Exploring Magnificent Landscapes” and “Expressing Sentiments through Nature”, showcasing the richness and diversity of Chinese landscape paintings from the Ming and Qing dynasties while reflecting the philosophical ideals and aesthetic pursuits of the artists through images and ambiance. In addition to captivating performances, the Festival will also present a variety of outreach activities, including community flash mobs, meet-the-artist sessions, pre-show talks, charity events, workshops and post-show talks, broadening the visual horizons and artistic imagination of the public. Registration for some activities will open from 10am on 8 May through the “Activity Applications” of the Macao One Account. Limited places are available, and some activities require registration with payment.
Free tickets for the programme Grand Opening: Lotus on the Silk Road – Traditions in Motion will be distributed from 10am on 2 May through the Enjoy Macao Ticketing outlets and website. Distribution is limited to a maximum of 2 tickets per person. Tickets for the local programmes Everlasting Youth 2.0, Now What?, Lotus Heart, The Old House of Orchid and The Night of Zheng Guanying – Environmental Dance Theatre will be on sale simultaneously through the Enjoy Macao Ticketing outlets, telephone and online booking from 10am on 2 May (Saturday). Tickets for other programmes will be on sale simultaneously through the Enjoy Macao Ticketing outlets, telephone and online booking from 10am on 9 May (Saturday). On the first day of ticket sales, ticket purchases for each show are limited to a maximum of 10 tickets per performance per person. A 30% discount will be offered on ticket purchase when purchasing 10 or more tickets for the same performance, or when purchasing tickets for 3 different performances from 10am on 9 May. Members of the public who purchase an unlimited number of tickets for the special performances, including Divine Comedy and Swan Lake, with a BOC Credit Card or BOC Card. A 20% discount will be offered for holders of a MasterCard, Visa or UnionPay card from BNU, ICBC (Macau), Luso International Banking Ltd., BCM Bank, Tai Fung Bank and OCBC Macau. A 50% discount will be offered to holders of a Macao Senior Citizen Card or Disability Assessment Registration Card and to holders of a full-time student card (holders of local or overseas student card); each cardholder can only use one discounted ticket per performance. For every ticket purchase over MOP500 (net price after discounts), purchasers will receive one MGM dinning voucher. Air Macau customers can enjoy a 20% discount on ticket purchases at the Enjoy Macao Ticketing outlets by presenting their respective boarding pass (flight code NX) within 7 days upon their arrival in Macao.
The 36th Macao Arts Festival counts with the support of the Macao Government Tourism Office of the Macao SAR Government, TDM – Teledifusão de Macao, Air Macau, and MGM. The Festival’s website: www.icm.gov.mo/fam; email address: fam@icm.gov.mo. 24-hour ticketing hotlines: 2840 0555 (Macao), 8480 9038 (Hong Kong) and 153 4481 8382 (Mainland China). Ticketing website: ticketing.enjoymacao.mo.
