An Eventful Year
Plan your visit: Twelve months of world-class sporting events in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong calendar: Forthcoming highlights
International sporting occasions are increasingly influencing global travel. Hong Kong plays host to many of the region’s most anticipated events, from marathons and sailing races to a unique bun-scrambling contest.
1.
Victoria Harbour Race
22 November
One of the world’s most iconic skylines, Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour is also among the region’s busiest waterways. But this traffic comes to a standstill when 4,000 swimmers are given the opportunity to compete in the annual Victoria Harbour Race, a 1km-long course from Wan Chai’s Golden Bauhinia Square Public Pier to Tsim Sha Tsui’s Avenue of Stars. Both are prime locations for spectators, but Wan Chai Temporary Promenade also has a great view.
2.
Around The Island Race
13 December
Organised by Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in collaboration with the Hong Kong, China Rowing Association, the Around the Island Race dates back to 1864, when six boats first navigated the 45km course. Today, more than 200 vessels set sail, from keelboats and dinghies to beachcats and cruisers. They are manned by more than 1,500 crew, including members of Hong Kong’s numerous yacht, sailing and rowing clubs, as well as overseas competitors.
3.
Hong Kong Marathon
18 January 2026
The annual Hong Kong Marathon is the city’s largest annual long-distance running event, attracting international athletes and local competitors. Three categories of race – 10km, half-marathon and full marathon – draw 74,000 participants, who run along some of Hong Kong’s most famous roads and infrastructures, including Nathan Road, Ting Kau Bridge and the Western Harbour Crossing. Whether breaking records, setting personal bests or donning fun costumes, the Hong Kong Marathon has something for everyone.
4.
Hong Kong Sevens
17-19 April 2026
Possibly the city’s most popular sporting event of the year, the Hong Kong Sevens is also one of the biggest tournaments in the World Rugby Sevens Series calendar. This year saw the tournament move from its longtime home of Hong Kong Stadium to the new Kai Tak Stadium, increasing crowd capacity to 50,000. Next year is the tournament’s 50th anniversary with 24 teams from all corners of the globe competing in more than 70 matches.
5.
Cheung Chau Bun Festival
24 May 2026
Inscribed on the intangible cultural heritage list since 2011, this traditional Chinese festival is unique to Hong Kong’s outlying island of Cheung Chau. Held on the eighth day of the fourth month of the Chinese calendar, the “Bun Carnival” includes a Bun Scrambling Final where contestants snatch buns from a tower erected on the soccer pitch of the Pak Tai Temple playground. The festivity attracts a crowd of more than 10,000 to Cheung Chau each year, flooding the island’s decorated streets.
6.
Dragon Boat Races
From 19 June 2026
The Dragon Boat Festival (or Tuen Ng) falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of each Chinese calendar year – a public holiday in Hong Kong. Each boat is adorned with a dragon’s head on its bow, and rowers paddle in perfect synchronicity to the beat of a drum. Races are staged everywhere from Stanley to Sha Tin, but the largest – the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races – takes place on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. More than 100 local and international teams compete in the waters of the scenic Victoria Harbour, celebrating a Chinese cultural tradition that dates back more than a thousand years.
To learn more about Hong Kong’s year-round excitement, please visit the Brand Hong Kong website.
