Cultural Services: Carnivals and Entertainment Programmes

In celebration of traditional festivals and major festive days, eight large-scale carnivals were organised during the year. The 2005 New Year's Eve Countdown Carnival held in Sha Tin Park and the Sha Tin Town Hall attracted some 82 000 visitors. The big crowd was kept entertained by a diverse programme that featured physical theatre by the visiting UK group mimbre, band performances, X-game demonstrations, ballroom and modern dances, percussion music, a clown and magic show, Scottish pipes and drums, and stilt walkers who mingled with the audience. The climax came with the countdown, which was followed by a spectacular show that combined pyrotechnics, lighting effects and acrobatics.

The Mid-Autumn and Lunar New Year Lantern Festivals were highlighted with large-scale thematic lantern displays at Kowloon Park that captivated tourists and local visitors alike. Heat Wave Channel, a new initiative consisting of a series of live entertainment DJ shows, was launched in Stanley and Sai Kung. The event attracted over 15 000 enthusiasts to interact with the artists on two consecutive summer weekends.

To foster community involvement in entertainment programmes, 606 performances were presented to audiences of all ages, usually at weekends and during holidays, throughout Hong Kong. They comprised traditional Chinese performing arts, music, dance and family entertainment. The Asian Ethnic Cultural Programme series and Concert in the Park were presented in collaboration with the consulates-general of India, the Republic of Indonesia and the Philippines. These activities enhanced cultural exchanges between the Hong Kong community and the Indian, Indonesian and Filipino communities in Hong Kong.

In 2005, the carnivals, special events and regular free entertainment organised by the department attracted a total attendance of 791 147.