Artistic traditions set to come alive at Asia+

The fourth edition of the Asia+ Festival will be held from September to November. Presented by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, this year's festival spans a wide range of art forms, including music, dance, acrobatics and more, under the theme of "Traditions Recast". More than 30 countries and regions will take part, with six joining for the first time, namely Armenia, Brazil, Czechia, Moldova, Palestine and Uruguay. The festival will showcase the artistic essence of Asia and countries and regions along the Belt and Road, presenting more than 100 performances and related arts. Linda Lee, senior manager of the festivals office at the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, believes Asia+ can entertain different kinds of audiences. "This year, we particularly curated a few programmes that are collaborations between visiting artists and local artists," she said. "For example, in our opening programme, the 'TRI-ART!ON' concert, we have arranged for local bands to collaborate with bands from Asia." The concert will be led by award-winning Hong Kong producer Carl Wong and a local line-up. The festival will present cross-disciplinary performances such as the Guitar Duo Recital by the Assad Brothers, a Brazilian duo commemorating their 60th anniversary, accompanied by local guzheng musician Wan Xing. Also in the offing are a contemporary acrobatic theatre show "Teh Dar" by Vietnamese group Lune Production, dance performances, and many more. Edited by Aaron Tam