GUANGZHOU, China, Sept. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The fifth Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival kicked off at the Guangzhou Opera House on the evening of September 16. The festival is jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), and the Government of the Macao SAR.
The month-long culture and arts feast features five categories of events across 11 cities: the “Arts in the Bay” performance series; “Resonance in Arts” art lectures; “Shared Aesthetics” art exhibitions; “Art in Daily Life” activities for the benefit of the public; and the “Radiance of Arts” performing arts fair. Over 100 performances, 19 exhibitions, and more than 150 community events will be held.
The festival began with the “Symphony of the Greater Bay Area” concert, where seven compositions highlighting the “GBA gene”—Guangdong’s most outstanding original symphonic works from recent years—were performed.
Multiple world-renowned classic works will be staged in the GBA, and several acclaimed international troupes have chosen the festival as their first stop in China, allowing local audiences to savor the charm of world-class art without traveling far.
Among the performances already staged was “La Traviata,” a classic opera performed by an approximately 150-member troupe from the Greek National Opera for their debut in China. Another performance was Matthew Bourne’s “Swan Lake,” renowned for its groundbreaking all-male ensemble that reimagines the classic story and is regarded as a milestone in modern ballet. Additionally, “Eugene Onegin” and “Uncle Vanya,” both classic plays produced by the century-old Vakhtangov Theatre of Russia, were praised for their embodiment of the depth and subtlety of Russian literary giants. Five internationally acclaimed musical theatre stars, including Brad Little, shared the stage for the first time at the GBA, performing 26 pieces of classic musicals.
Following that, the hit French musical “Molière” will take the stage at the Guangzhou Opera House in October, depicting the legendary life of the French theatre master Molière through its revolutionary stage aesthetics.
“Confucius,” a dance drama by the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater, has been staged. Following that, the National Theatre of China will present the modern drama “The Yellow Storm,” while the Shanghai Yue Opera House will showcase its classic interpretation of the literary masterpiece A Dream of Red Mansions with its Yue Opera adaptation of the same name. The Guangdong Yue Opera Theatre’s production “Samsui Women” tells an inspiring story of female resilience, and the Southern Song and Dance Troupe’s “I Like You” bridges tradition and modernity by integrating Yingge Dance with musical theatre.
To further vitalize the performing arts market in the GBA and support the high-quality development of Guangdong’s performing arts market, this year’s festival encompasses the component themed “Radiance of Arts”—the 16th China (Guangzhou) International Performing Arts Fair. Scheduled from September 25 to 28, the event will bring together nearly 300 performing arts institutions from 20 countries and regions, showcasing nearly 1,000 productions.
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SOURCE Guangdong Province
