Your Family-Friendly Guide To Art Central Hong Kong 2026

Get ready for an explosion of art on the harbor! Art Central 2026, in partnership with Lead Partner UOB, promises to be bigger and better than ever. This year’s fair, taking place from 25 to 29 March 2026, with an exclusive VIP Preview on 24 March, will spotlight breakthrough voices and internationally acclaimed practices across its dazzling gallery program. Held at the iconic Central Harbourfront, this cornerstone event of Hong Kong Art Month is perfect for all ages, offering a vibrant mix of culture, installations, talks, and more. Early bird tickets are available now, so be sure to book before 21 January 2026!

Art Central 2026 Highlights

This year, Elnaz Javani and Marta Frėjutė join the spotlight alongside the collective SIDE CORE, showcasing globally acclaimed artistic voices:

• Elnaz Javani: Iranian-American artist working across textiles, sculpture, and drawing, exploring migration, memory, and identity.
• Marta Frėjutė: Lithuanian artist, known for incisive installations examining how fiction and memory shape our experiences.

Central Stage debuts as a platform for mid-career artists with recent participation in leading exhibitions, biennials, and public commissions.

Returning for 2026, Neo continues to launch bold new talent and cross-disciplinary practices. This year’s sector features ten galleries, including six returning participants and four newcomers. Highlights include:

• Ma Kelu: Founding member of the No Name Group, blending impressionist landscapes with refined abstraction.
• Maxim Zhestkov: London-based digital artist, known for his stunning CGI-driven simulations.
• Marlene Steyn: South African artist engaging psychoanalytic themes through her surreal paintings and sculptures.

Participating galleries include Areté Space (Beijing), Bounded Space (Beijing), Wolf & Nomad (Miami), and more.

Yi Tai Sculpture & Installation Projects

The Yi Tai Projects expand in 2026 with five large-scale installations, including three by Hong Kong artists:

• Silvester Mok (Touch Gallery, Hong Kong): The Digital Fossiliser explores memory and permanence through “accelerated fossilization” using 3D scanning and printing.
• OrangeTerry (Square Street Gallery, Hong Kong): Found Faith transforms a gifted pew into a powerful sculptural form, exploring values and faith in uncertain times.
• Alexis Wong (Yiwei Gallery, Los Angeles/Wuhan): When Meandering Through the Sunken Echoes creates a charged, responsive field of organic and mountainous forms.

What’s New in 2026?

Art Central enters its second decade with a record-breaking 100+ galleries and 500+ artists from Hong Kong, Asia, and beyond. New features include:

• C3NTR4L+: A cutting-edge sector spotlighting galleries integrating digital art into their presentations.
• An increase in Duo Projects, showcasing two-artist booths curated for deeper dialogues between works.

The Full Art Central Experience

Art Central 2026 is more than just an art fair—it’s an immersive cultural journey. Visitors can enjoy:

• Complimentary Public Tours: Twice daily, led by knowledgeable docents.
• Talks and Performances: Featuring global artists and curators.
• Night Central: An artsy date night on 25 March (5:00 PM–9:00 PM), with extended hours and special programming.
• Black Sheep Gallery: Returning for its second year, offering culinary delights as an art form. This year’s highlights include Chôm Chôm’s Vietnamese street food, Maison Libanaise’s Lebanese flavors, and the debut of Botanical Garden, a refined retreat for refreshing drinks.
• Family-Friendly Fun: Children aged 4 and under enter for free with a ticket-holding adult. Kids aged 5–15 need a ticket and must be accompanied by an adult.

Art Central 2026 Event Details

• Dates: 25–29 March 2026 (VIP Preview: 24 March)
• Location: Central Harbourfront, Hong Kong
• Opening Hours:
  • Tuesday, 24 March: VIP Preview (By Invitation Only)
  • Wednesday, 25 March: 12 PM–5 PM (General Admission) | 5 PM–9 PM (Night Central)
  • Thursday, 26 March: 12 PM–7 PM
  • Friday, 27 March: 12 PM–7 PM
  • Saturday, 28 March: 11 AM–7 PM
  • Sunday, 29 March: 11 AM–5 PM