Swire Symphony Under The Stars 2026: Free Harbourfront Concert With Fireworks

The Hong Kong Philharmonic’s free night under the stars is back on the harbourfront, and this year comes with a first: new Music Director Tarmo Peltokoski steps onto the podium for his debut at the event. Swire Symphony Under The Stars takes over Central Harbourfront on Friday, November 13, 2026, at 7:30pm, with a programme designed so toddlers, teens, and grandparents all find something to love.

Peltokoski and Van Cliburn gold medalist Aristo Sham team up on two pianos for Saint-Saëns’s The Carnival of the Animals, a menagerie of lions, hens, and swans in music. HK Phil Principal Clarinet Andrew Simon and vocalist Talie Monin bring the swing with a set of Gershwin favourites. Then John Williams’s Star Wars Suite lifts off, before Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture closes the night with cannon-fire brass and fireworks bursting over Victoria Harbour.

Tickets are free, but there is no walk-up entry. Admission is by online ballot only, open on the HK Phil registration page from Friday, October 16, 2026, at 10 am until Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 7 pm. Each person can request up to four tickets, and everyone attending, including babies, needs their own.

Register For Free Tickets

Details On Swire Symphony Under The Stars

• Who: Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Music Director Tarmo Peltokoski. Guest artists: pianist Aristo Sham, Principal Clarinet Andrew Simon, and vocalist Talie Monin. Suitable for all ages.
• When: Friday, November 13, 2026, 7:30pm. Gates open at 6pm. Roughly 2 hours, including an intermission.
• Where: Central Harbourfront Event Space, 9 Lung Wo Road, Central, Hong Kong. Free picnic-style seating on the lawn.
• How to join: Free admission by online ballot only. Register between Friday, October 16, 2026, 10am and Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 7pm at suts.hkphil.org/reg. One entry per person, up to four tickets. Every registration in the window has an equal chance, so there is no need to race the clock. You will need to verify your email, then keep your Registration Reference Number to check results from Friday, October 23, 2026. E-tickets land in winners’ inboxes by Friday, October 30, 2026. Show the QR code on your phone or bring a printed ticket, and keep the code unfolded and unmarked or you will be turned away.

The Scoop – What to Expect

• The kid hook is The Carnival of the Animals: lions, hens, a swan, an aquarium, and more, all painted in sound on two pianos. Whisper each animal’s name as it appears and watch little faces light up. The Star Wars Suite is the other guaranteed win for school-age fans.
• Also on the bill: Wagner’s Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin; Gershwin’s It Ain’t Necessarily So, I Got Rhythm, and Variations on I Got Rhythm; and Yao Chen’s Waltz of the Rolling Giants.
• Pack a picnic. Bring your own mat, snacks, and drinks. Glassware is banned, so decant into plastic or cans. A light layer is worth carrying since the harbour breeze turns cool once the sun goes down.
• Arrive at 6pm when the gates open if you want a spot near the front. Seating is unreserved, so a compact stroller is far easier to park at the lawn’s edge than a wide wagon. Remember that babies need their own ticket too.
• Use the intermission for snacks and a bathroom run. Build the evening around the 1812 fireworks finale as the stay-awake payoff, then make a quick exit toward the MTR before the crowds.
• Missed the ballot? The concert streams live on the HK Phil website, Facebook, YouTube, and WeChat, plus the SwireThrive and Swire Pacific Facebook pages. You can also catch it on RTHK TV 31, the RTHK website, and CCTV.com.