Hong Kong is set to welcome 2026 with a dazzling multimedia spectacle, blending live music and an architectural light show across Central’s iconic skyline, the Hong Kong Tourism Board announced on Monday.

Under the theme “New Hopes, New Beginnings”, the celebration will begin at 11:28 pm on Wednesday, New Year’s Eve, at Chater Road pedestrian precinct.

A 20-second countdown will be projected onto eight landmark buildings, including Hong Kong City Hall High Block, the Court of Final Appeal, HSBC Main Building, and the Bank of China Tower.

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At midnight, the facades of these buildings will ignite in a three-minute themed light show, marking the arrival of the new year. The public can join the festivities at two main outdoor viewing zones — Chater Garden and Edinburgh Place — where giant screens will broadcast the spectacle live.

In addition, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui will feature a simulcast projection, while a giant countdown clock will be projected onto Wan Chai’s Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

A live music lineup at the Statue Square Gardens will be headlined by the renowned Australian soft rock duo Air Supply. They will be joined by popular local singers Jay Fung and Cloud Wan Ho-ying, along with performances by a children’s choir and the Hong Kong Police Band.

The event will be livestreamed on the HKTB’s official website and social media channels for both local and global audiences.

Earlier this month, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government announced the cancellation of the iconic Victoria Harbour fireworks countdown, which attracted over 400,000 spectators last year.

Mason Hung Chung-hing, HKTB’s lead adviser for event and product development, said the visitor turnout is hard to predict, but he believes the new program will deliver a “more layered and in-depth” festive atmosphere for the city. To manage the expected crowds, phased road closures around Chater Road will begin at 6 pm on Wednesday. The Winter Wonderland in Central, a seasonal Christmas attraction at Statue Square Gardens, will close early at 4 pm.

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For cross-border travel, the Shenzhen Bay port will operate around the clock, and the Lo Wu checkpoint will extend service until 2 am on New Year’s Day. The last MTR East Rail Line train from Admiralty to Lo Wu will depart at 12:56 am on Thursday, while most local MTR lines will provide overnight services.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Lok Ma Chau/ Huanggang ports will maintain 24-hour operations.

The Immigration Department estimates that total cross-boundary trips from Wednesday to Sunday will reach 11.52 million. The Chinese mainland will observe a three-day holiday from Thursday through Saturday; Thursday is also a public holiday in Hong Kong.

Fu Yinglin and Valeria Shan contributed to the story.