Overview
The 33rd Macau Arts Festival, themed "Journey with Art," presents a curated selection of high-quality artistic programs. It aims to showcase innovative contemporary expressions, inviting audiences to appreciate beauty, focus on local culture, embrace the world, and look toward the future. Through diverse artistic reflections, the festival explores the multifaceted nature of existence. The main visual, inspired by a compass, symbolizes "guiding the way and illuminating hearts." Traveling with art makes life's scenery more beautiful and the journey longer.
Featured Highlights
- Opening Performance: Renowned Chinese dance artist Yang Liping presents The Rite of Spring, a fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics created in collaboration with international artists.
- Theatre: Acclaimed director Liu Fangqi adapts Keigo Higashino's bestselling novel Miracles of the Namiya General Store, offering a heartwarming theatrical experience.
- International Collaboration: The festival welcomes Portugal's contemporary dance scene with Compass Dança, choreographed by Vasco Wellenkamp and Mário Ramalho, transforming poetry into movement.
- Returning Masterpieces: Previously postponed due to the pandemic, celebrated works finally take the stage, including I Am a Moon, Electra, Xiao Ke, New Dragon Gate Inn, and a new adaptation of Farewell My Concubine.
Local Creations
Local programs constitute 50% of the festival, blending creativity, technology, introspection, and humanistic care.
- Drama & Immersive Theatre: Dóci Papiaçám di Macau and Hong Kong teams present Memo for the Next (Virtual) Golden Age 2.0, combining VR and immersive theatre. Pó Arte Studio brings its popular "pseudo-travel theatre" I Need a Break….
- Dance: Macau Dance Poem and Berlin's TOTAL BRUTAL collaborate on Club of Solitude, exploring love and loneliness across cultures through movement.
- Theatre & Documentary: Dream Theatre Association presents Neptune, a documentary-style theatre piece exploring sensory worlds. Chun Wa Seng Cantonese Opera Association transforms the pain of Typhoon Hato into the multimedia Cantonese opera Hato．Love.
- Music: The Macao Orchestra, under conductor Lio Kuokman and featuring violinist Chen Xi, presents the concert Strings．Intoxication, paying tribute to Tchaikovsky.
- Closure: The Macao Portuguese Theatre Company celebrates its 30th anniversary with the closing performance Carnival of Pots and Pans.
Family & Community Programs
- Family Shows: Magical image theatre Break Out Macau – Finding Verónica, minimalist creative play Paper Beauty, and immersive interactive classical musical Ocean Concerto.
- Community Outreach: Hundred Arts Pavilion continues to bring art into neighborhoods across the city.
Extended Activities
- International Stage Screenings: A selection of recorded performances from top Asian, European, and American arts groups, allowing audiences to experience world-class productions.
Festival Period
- Date: April 28 – May 28, 2023
After three years of the pandemic, the passion for life is bursting forth. This May, the Macau Arts Festival invites everyone to savor the journey and discover the most beautiful scenery.
