Hong Kong to host ‘biggest-ever’ New Year’s Eve fireworks display, after years of muted celebrations
- The 12-minute long ‘pyromusical’ display will be the ‘biggest and longest’ to date, tourism authorities say
- Set along a 1.3km stretch on Victoria Harbour from Central to Causeway Bay, the show will depict the ‘changing seasons and the beauty of nature’
Hongkongers will get to ring in 2024 with a bang, with tourism authorities announcing that the city’s traditional New Year countdown fireworks display will be making a full comeback for the first time since 2018 – with an extra-long extravaganza to celebrate the end of the hiatus.
The 12-minute “pyromusical” show will be the “biggest and longest” of the city’s countdown fireworks to date, “surpassing all previous editions in Hong Kong in both scale and duration”, the Tourism Board on Tuesday said.
Set along a 1.3km (0.8 miles) stretch on Victoria Harbour from Central to Causeway Bay, the fireworks will depict the “changing seasons and the beauty of nature” set to the overarching theme of “New Year New Legend”.
Five ships along the harbour will be used to launch the pyrotechnics, accompanied by an eclectic mix of music spanning Western classical to Chinese instrumental tunes and electronic beats.
Tuesday’s announcement follows the resumption of other large-scale public events in 2023 after being suspended or scaled down for several years, as the government pushes to rekindle the city’s flagging nighttime economy.
Hongkongers were last treated to countdown fireworks in 2018, with the 2019 show cancelled due to social unrest amid anti-government demonstrations that year.
Hong Kong snuffs out hope to bring back fireworks display, opts for lights shows
The fireworks display did not return in the following years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, the countdown event employed a multimedia light show with laser beams and pyrotechnics mounted on buildings around Victoria Park.
In October, more than 430,000 residents flocked to Victoria Harbour for the first National Day fireworks show in five years, which went on for 23 minutes.
This year, as midnight approaches, revellers will get to usher in 2024 with mini firework shows every 15 minutes from 11pm till midnight ahead of the main display, with a massive countdown clock projected onto the waterfront facade of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, according to the Tourism Board.
The mini fireworks, called “wishmaking sessions”, will be launched from Harbour Centre, Harcourt House and Cheung Kong Center to symbolise love, health, happiness and wealth in the new year.
Revellers who are unable to join the festivities in person will be able to catch the live broadcast on local television, the board’s Discover Hong Kong website or on social media.
‘Night vibes’ push too limited when it comes to reviving economy
Besides the Victoria Harbour fireworks, there will be a New Year’s Eve market and countdown concert held at Kwun Tong Promenade Garden on December 30 and 31.
The festivities at the promenade will open from 2pm to midnight on both days, with nearly 100 stalls selling food and drinks, while the concert will run from 8pm to midnight on December 31.
