Hong Kong Halloween crowds arrive a week early
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong’s Halloween festivities began a week early on Saturday, with streets in Central packed by families, tourists and costumed revellers taking part in the Tourism Board’s first “Hong Kong Halloween Month” campaign. The programme started on October 17 and features street celebrations in Central, including Lan Kwai Fong, as well as Kai Tak, Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui East on three consecutive Saturdays before culminating on Halloween night. In Central, Chater Road hosted “Halloween in Central”, where visitors gathered around a giant eyeball installation in Statue Square and joined themed activities, food and drink offerings. The early turnout also gave a lift to nightlife and event-related trade, with some establishments seeing business rise by as much as 20 per cent.
Key Points
- The Tourism Board’s inaugural “Hong Kong Halloween Month” began on October 17 and runs across three consecutive Saturdays before Halloween night.
- Central was crowded on Saturday, with hundreds of people of different ages filling Chater Road for “Halloween in Central”.
- Attractions included a large eyeball installation at Statue Square, ghoulish face painting, and themed snacks and drinks such as eyeball-shaped cake pops.
- Hong Kong resident Stephen Poon, 40, brought daughters Gisele, five, and Gabryel, three, dressed as Slinky from Pixar’s Toy Story films.
- Poon said the family planned to spend about HK$500 during the day, while event food-and-drink operator Pyjama said business was doing quite well.
Why It Matters
The early crowds suggest themed public events can draw both families and nightlife visitors back into core urban districts at the same time. For bars, food vendors and nearby businesses, stronger foot traffic ahead of Halloween offers a timely boost and may encourage larger seasonal programming in future.