Popular culture is an indispensable part of life that often stimulates vitality and creativity. Hong Kong’s pop culture has been getting its inspirations particularly from humour, a constant trend-setter which has left a deep footprint on many aspects of the city’s rich and colourful pop cultural landscape. From comedy movies and songs to novels, comics and stand-up comedies, everything can be infused with a sense of humour. Whether it is a chunk of lyrics, a sentence from a dialogue or a scene, if it is linked to humour, it can transcend barriers and become a universal language that enables everyone to feel the charm of culture through laughter.

This emotional connection is not only an experience of entertainment but also an expression of cultural identity and social diversity. To delve into this cultural phenomenon, the “Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2025” (Festival) will centre around the theme of “More Than Joy”. By digging out the classics of Hong Kong’s master comedians, and discovering the elements of hilarity in music, images and text, the Festival offers the audience not only joy and laughter, but also an opportunity to appreciate how pop culture can be transmitted and transformed, and how integration and breakthroughs are possible.

The third Festival, scheduled to open in April, features a diverse range of programmes including stage performances, film screenings, thematic exhibitions and outreach activities. These programmes will not only delight the audience with exciting performances and works, but will also offer an insight into the paths of development of Hong Kong’s pop culture along the line of “happiness”. By participating in these activities, the audience can feel a unique cultural vibe, discover things that resonate with them, and reflect on the humour in life while savouring it.

In pop culture, laughter serves as a bridge in interpersonal relationships and allows people to find moments of relaxation and pleasure in their busy lives. Whether it is a little smile, a hearty laugh or a knowing smile, those who love Hong Kong’s pop culture will be able to discover their own happiness at the Festival.

Pop Culture Programmes Office