Tai Kwun | The Jockey Club and Tai Kwun - "ENCORE! Cheer Together" 7th Anniversary Event "Enjoy Tai Kwun": Have fun at Tai Kwun and gather the community

Description

This May, Tai Kwun celebrates its 7th anniversary. The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) and Tai Kwun jointly present the “ENCORE! Cheer Together” 7th Anniversary Event, creating a joyous event that combines creativity and connects the community. With the theme of "Fun in Tai Kwun", Tai Kwun will be transformed into an interactive playground full of surprises - in addition to setting up giant table games in the Review Square, the prison playground will also be transformed into a vibrant pickleball court, allowing laughter and joy to fill every corner of Tai Kwun.

This anniversary celebration will bring more exciting programs, from guided tours that explore the stories behind different check-in corners of Tai Kwun in an easy-to-understand way, to handcraft workshops that inspire creativity, to the magical street parade of the French May Art Festival, and Tai Kwun FAN-only surprises that pay tribute to the architectural features. Whether it is impromptu play or in-depth interaction, visitors can explore Tai Kwun from different perspectives and create unique memories in the interweaving of laughter and inspiration.

Tai Kwun is the result of a collaborative effort between the Jockey Club and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. Since its opening in 2018, this historic complex has been transformed into one of Hong Kong’s most popular arts and cultural landmarks, all thanks to the Club’s continued support. History, culture, art and every bit of daily life have long become a part of Tai Kwun, and are also the shared memories and connections among the community. Tai Kwun carries the footprints, laughter, soul-touching moments and imaginative heartbeats of tens of millions of visitors. This seventh anniversary celebration is not only a tribute to this extraordinary journey, but also a sincere invitation to the millions of visitors who have repeatedly visited Tai Kwun to participate in various cultural and artistic activities, to write and continue this artistic and cultural journey together.

Connecting the community through fun and laughter

A classic childhood game transformed into a gorgeous one! Amazing giant game installations will appear in the Reviewing Square - enlarged versions of stacking machines as tall as children, super-large Connect Four, and Cross Three Levels. The sun shines on the Reviewing Square. Some visitors relive their childhood memories, some children explore the fun of classic games for the first time, and some tourists meet for the first time and play together, having a happy time. The purest happiness, the most precious memories, games have become a common language across all ages, letting laughter resound in every corner of Tai Kwun.

Move on to the prison playground, which has been transformed into a pickleball court, a new sport in Hong Kong! With the historical buildings as the backdrop, the crisp sounds of hitting the ball and cheering are intertwined. Whether you are sweating on the court or enjoying the sunshine and the game on the sidelines, you can feel the vitality and connection brought by this emerging sport, and feel the heartbeat pulse stimulated by the interaction.

"Fun at Tai Kwun" Giant Game Experience at the Parade Plaza

Date: May 23 - June 1, 2025
Time: 8:00am - 11:00pm
Location: Tai Kwun Parade Plaza
Admission: Free admission

"Fun in Tai Kwun" Pickleball Experience at the Prison Playground

Date: May 23 - June 1, 2025
Time: Monday to Friday
Tai Kwun FAN exclusive reservation: 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Onsite open participation: 4:00pm - 6:00pm

Saturday and Sunday
Tai Kwun FAN exclusive reservation [Coaching time]: 11:00am - 4:00pm
Onsite open participation: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: Tai Kwun Prison Drill Ground
Admission: Free registration - https://qrs.ly/zsgopa6

Art, culture and history parent-child experience for little explorers

Tai Kwun’s seventh anniversary event has carefully created a diverse interactive experience so that visitors of all ages can find exclusive fun, and has also prepared a variety of parent-child activities for little explorers. The "Freeze-Frame Heritage Parent-Child Exploration Tour" will lead parents and children on a 45-minute fun treasure hunt, discovering the little-known stories behind Tai Kwun's check-in hotspots in a relaxed and lively way. The "Tai Kwun Contemporary Art Museum Family Art Tour" has specially designed children's exploration packs and travel logs for children. Through gamification and interaction, it leads children to explore the "Art Planet" and understand contemporary art from different perspectives. Children who love hands-on creation should not miss the "Baluster Column DIY Workshop [Special Edition]", which turns the classic architectural elements of the Tai Kwun Barracks Building into creative inspiration and adds visual elements such as splashed color textures to the balustrades. Parents and children can work together to unleash their creativity and experience the infinite possibilities of artistic creation together.

"Freeze-frame the family exploration tour of historic sites"

Date: May 24, 25, 31 and June 1, 2025
time:
11:30am – Mandarin session, 1:45pm – Cantonese session
3:00pm – English session, 4:15pm – Cantonese session

45 minutes per session
Location: Tai Kwun
Admission: Free registration – https://qrs.ly/nogopa8
Each registration pass is valid for one child and one adult

"Tai Kwun Museum of Contemporary Art Family Art Tour"

Date: May 25 and June 1, 2025
time:
2:00pm – Cantonese session, 3:00pm – Cantonese session
4:00pm – Cantonese session, 5:00pm – English session

45 minutes per session
Venue: Tai Kwun Jockey Club Arts Centre
Admission: Free registration – https://qrs.ly/2mgopab
Each registration pass is valid for one child and one adult

「Baluster Post DIY Workshop [Special Edition]」

Date: May 24, 2025
Time: 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Location: Creative Studio, LG2, Police Headquarters Building, Block 01, Tai Kwun
Admission:
Family Tickets*
HK$380 | For two persons; including one child (includes a mini railing candlestick and guided tour)
HK$720 | Three people; including at least one child (includes two mini railing candlesticks and guided tour)

*The parent-child session welcomes children aged five to twelve years old to participate with their parents or guardians.

Learn more – https://qrs.ly/25gopag

Pre-booking and online payment are required.

The magnificent parade in the painter’s dream

To add a touch of European splendor to the celebration, the "Fantasy Night Ball" will return to the stage and become the highlight of the French May Arts Festival. On selected evenings in May, the Place de la Parade takes us back to the elegant dreamland of the Belle Époque, with horse-drawn carriages, dancers and circus performers making a grand appearance in tribute to French theatrical art. This surreal and luxurious performance is like a feast for the eyes and soul.

Date: 9-11 & 13-18 May, 2025

time:
6:00pm - 6:30pm
7:30pm - 8:00pm
Location: Tai Kwun Parade Plaza
Admission: Free admission

Bring home treasures and souvenirs

Merchants in Tai Kwun have also joined the celebration, offering delicious food, workshops and collectible souvenirs suitable for the whole family. This May, visitors can enjoy a variety of international cuisines at Tai Kwun, including a family food party hosted by Spanish restaurant 1862 Bar de Tapas y Vino, where children can make their own mini Spanish churros. In addition, a series of creative workshops are equally exciting and can be enjoyed by both parents and children, including the "Shuhu ~ Koala Clay Workshop" by Living Pottery and the weaving workshop by Bookazine Social.

Cantina and The Chinese Library offer weekend Italian brunch and weekend dim sum feast respectively. Children under five years old can dine for free, and the special magical moments will add joy and surprise to the dining time. Magistracy Dining Room offers a barbecue dinner on Sundays, upholding the British tradition of gathering with loved ones; Le Cha Xuan Tea House offers a vegetarian dim sum platter; there is also the elegant floral afternoon tea at Madame Fù - Grand Café Chinois, 20% off dinner at Café Claudel and 30% off family discount at Stecco Natura, allowing visitors to spend unforgettable moments with family and friends over dining.

To express our appreciation to Tai Kwun fans for their support, anyone spending HK$300 or more at Tai Kwun can redeem a limited edition seventh anniversary notebook. The notebook is inspired by the unique architectural style of Tai Kwun. Whether it is for recording memories, writing freely or expressing inspiration, it will become a thoughtful choice.

More exciting exhibitions and events in May

Travel through Tai Kwun and discover the unique charm of art and culture:

Tai Kwun Performing Arts Festival: SPOTLIGHT - Asynchronous Music

During the Age of Discovery, the exotic treasures collected by Western colonists were like seedlings about to sprout. They were brought from Macau to Hong Kong and quickly took root there. They sprouted from nascent nurseries into fragrant botanical gardens, and from scattered symbols that built Western cities, they gradually grew into large-scale fruits. The two cities that once shaped the maritime empire, the legends of their successive creation are linked to each other like a dream.

Following the "Etude by the Wall" (2021) and "March of the Unknown" (2023) presented by the "Vivid" team, the team continues with the immersive environmental theater "Asynchronous Song" as the finale of the series. Four travelers will take you through the time and space of Tai Kwun, in a multi-dimensional space where light, shadow and sound are intertwined, and fall into two invisible cities woven by legend and history, fiction and reality.

Date and Time:
May 1-3, 5, 8-10 and 15-17, 2025
8:00pm - 10:00pm

May 4 and 11, 2025
7:00pm - 9:00pm

Location: Tai Kwun F Warehouse Exhibition Room and Prison Exercise Yard
Admission: HK$280

Tickets are now on sale at art-mate.net

"Tai Kwun Dialogue: Notre Dame de Paris - Phoenix Reborn"

On April 15, 2019, Notre Dame de Paris was engulfed in flames. The medieval carpentry structure, the 19th-century spire and part of the vault collapsed. This fire shocked the world, and was followed by generous assistance from all walks of life.

The rebirth of Notre Dame faces many challenges: Is it in line with doctrine? Is there appropriate technology? Can it stay true to its original form? Finally, it's a race against time.

On Christmas Eve 2024, the doors of Notre Dame finally reopened. This five-year epic project is vast and arduous, and is determined to restore the solemn appearance of Notre Dame to the public, using 21st century technology to restore the spirit and enthusiasm of this great medieval building.

The lecture was given by Professor Benjamin Mouton, General Inspector of Historical Monuments of the French Ministry of Culture, former President of the French Academy of Architecture and chief architect of Notre Dame de Paris.

Date: May 8, 2025
Time: 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Location: Tai Kwun Jockey Club Cube
Admission: Pre-registration, free admission

"Cantonese pop music heritage documentary short: a journey of knowing each other"

Last summer, the “Imprint of Lyrics and Songs: Joseph Koo x James Wong x Cantonese Pop Songs” exhibition took us back to the golden years of “James Wong” classics. In conjunction with this musical heritage journey, 14 new-generation Hong Kong musicians, under the guidance of Joseph Koo's last disciple, the famous composer, arranger, producer and music director To Chi-chi, re-arranged and performed five "Hui Huang" classics. "Acquaintances" is Tai Kwun's artist development project, produced by Wong Tsui-wah.

This documentary short captures the process of re-arranging and reinterpreting classics, and bears witness to the touching moments of the passing on of the Hong Kong music scene.

Date: May 24, 2025
Time: 11:00am - 7:00pm (show every half hour)
Location: Stone steps of Tai Kwun Laundry
Admission: Free admission

"Victoria Prison: Personal Memories"

After conservation, Warehouse E retains its original architectural layout, Chinese-style tiled roof and wooden frame. Some of the cells were converted into dining facilities and backstage dressing rooms, which is one of the examples of Tai Kwun's adaptive reuse.

To further enhance the cultural heritage value of Warehouse E, some spaces have been given a new historical interpretation, showcasing a series of documentaries reminiscing about the past of the former Victoria Prison, including rehabilitated prisoners, former correctional officers and prison chaplains. By listening to their real voices, we can see the common values ​​of humanity and transcend the boundaries of prison walls.

Date: From April 29, 2025
Time: 9:00am - 7:00pm
Location: Warehouse E, Tai Kwun
Admission: Free admission