Hong Kong to retire 22-year-old ‘Symphony of Lights’ show – but few tourists will miss it

2026-03-15 - 00:35

On a Friday evening in March, the Avenue of Stars was packed with tourists jostling for the perfect selfie spot against the Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront. Tourists watching the show “A Symphony of Lights” in Tsim Sha Tsui in 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. When the clock struck 8pm, more phones went up in the air as green lasers flickered across the nightscape. In the background, tourists could make out the faint sound of a theatrical music track. This was “A Symphony of Lights,” a 10-minute light and sound show that has been part of the city’s skyline almost every night since 2004. But the light show will soon be gone. During the budget address last month, the government announced its cancellation. It will be retired in the second half of the year and replaced by light shows at tourist attractions, such as the Peak, during special holiday events like Christmas and Lunar New Year. “A Symphony of Lights has accompanied Hong Kong for over 20 years and has completed its historical mission,” tourism chief Rosanna Law said in Cantonese last month. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. The Tourism Commission calls A Symphony of Lights – run at an annual expenditure of around HK$6 million – a “signature icon” of the city. “A myriad of searchlights, lasers, LED screens and lighting illuminate for this nightly spectacle that transforms the HK skyline into an outdoor audio visual feast for the senses,” the commission’s website states. The government’s upbeat words, however, contrast with tourists’ negative reviews. Online, many have called the show underwhelming and too subtle against the city’s massive skyline. Two mainland Chinese tourists strolling along the Avenue of Stars early on Friday evening were unaware that a light show had just taken place. “I’ve been here for half an hour. There was a light show?” one of the tourists, surnamed Xiao, said in Mandarin. He said he had been taking in the view of boats and ferries gliding across the harbour. When HKFP showed him videos of the show, Xiao – from Guangzhou – said he thought it was monotonous and would not return to watch it. “Either make [the light show] bigger, or just don’t do it at all,” he said, adding that he had seen more impressive light shows in mainland China, such as in Shanghai. Expansion over the years A Symphony of Lights debuted in January 2004, as part of a government initiative to boost visitor numbers to the city after the 2003 SARS epidemic dampened the tourism industry. A total of 18 buildings on Hong Kong Island took part in the first iteration of the show. Tourists watching “A Symphony of Lights” in Tsim Sha Tsui in 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. By December 2005, A Symphony of Lights expanded across Victoria Harbour to include buildings in Kowloon. A “new edition” was unveiled in 2017, with an additional 10 LED screens on harbourside buildings, “all-new beam lights,” and new music recorded by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. The music includes Chinese flutes and the erhu, among other instruments, “matching Hong Kong’s character of ‘east meets west,'” according to the Tourism Commission. The show now encompasses 43 buildings across the harbour. Hong Kong’s authorities still boast A Symphony of Lights as the world’s “largest permanent light and sound show,” awarded by Guinness World Records in 2005 – despite losing the title to a light show in China’s Jiangxi province in 2015. Then-financial secretary Henry Tang (centre) at a Guinness World Records ceremony in 2005. Photo: Laservision. The cancellation of A Symphony of Lights is a departure from the government’s previous plans. During the 2024 budget speech, authorities said they would revamp A Symphony of Lights, allocating HK$354 million over the coming three years. The following month, the government said it would “invite tenderers and select a contractor to re-conceptualise the content and design” of the show, with the revamped attraction to launch in the first half of 2025. It is unclear if the revamp was ever done. When asked, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said it had no comment. Ptarmigan Integration, a company that takes on technological projects related to light, sound and projection, previously said it was contracted by the Tourism Commission to create an “updated show” for its 25th anniversary, which would have been in 2029. However, the company, which was commissioned for past iterations of the light show, told HKFP on Wednesday that its last involvement was two years ago. ‘I thought it would be bigger’ Tourism experts say they think the cancellation of A Symphony of Lights is the right move. Timothy Chui, the executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, told HKFP that having lights and lasers on both sides of the harbour 20 years ago was an impressive feat. “But now, many cities have shows involving 3D elements and projections on buildings,” he said in Cantonese. “There are many more ways of doing it now.” A woman poses for a photo at the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade while Super Typhoon Ragasa nears Hong Kong on September 23, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Paul Chan, the co-founder and CEO of tour group Walk in Hong Kong, said the government’s plan to hold holiday-themed light shows at tourist spots, rather than the same harbour display every night, would provide a more “immersive” experience for tourists. “The issue with A Symphony of Lights is that the area [of the show] is too big,” he said. “You don’t get the experience that you’re part of it.” Chan said the impact is greater when the lights are confined to a smaller area, allowing tourists to feel a stronger sense of participation. He cited the light show at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay, a popular tourist attraction, as an example of a light show that captivates visitors. Law, the tourism minister, also said last month that authorities were encouraged by the positive feedback to an “immersive audiovisual show” held nightly in Central from late December to early January as part of “Winter Wonderland in Central,” an event run by the Hong Kong Tourism Board and property developer Hongkong Land. The light show involved holographic projections on eight buildings, including the HSBC Main Building and the Court of Final Appeal. Tourists watching the show “A Symphony of Lights” in Tsim Sha Tsui in 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Still, the tourists HKFP spoke to along the Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront said they were happy to have caught the light show before the end of its run – though they admitted it did not meet their expectations. Sara Matok, a tourist from Hungary, said that she first saw the light show on TikTok. “I thought it would be bigger,” she said, but added that it was still “really nice.” Another tourist, Boris Kosarev from Russia, said he learned about the light show from his sister, who recently visited Hong Kong. “When you see big crowds of people gathering, you hope it’s going to be some magic,” he said. “It’s good, but it’s not magical.”