APEC China Year meets arts as Greater Bay Area festival opens

The sixth Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival will open at Bay Opera of Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province on the evening of October 31, with an original symphonic suite titled "Pearl River" marking the occasion. Coinciding with activities related to the 2026 APEC "China Year" being held in Shenzhen, the month-long festival is providing an international platform to showcase the cultural vitality and artistic achievements of the Greater Bay Area.

Running through November 30, the festival brings together 11 cities across Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao, featuring 75 high-quality stage productions, including 22 international productions, 148 performances, 25 art exhibitions and nearly 100 public cultural and arts education activities.

International artists and renowned ensembles are among the highlights. They include Russian opera soprano Anna Netrebko, Beijing-born pianist Yuja Wang, German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and Canadian jazz singer Diana Krall, alongside the Berliner Barock Solisten and American Ballet Theatre. For the first time in the Greater Bay Area, the latter will present "Swan Lake," while the Berliner Barock Solisten will bring a special Mozart concert to the region, marking the 270th anniversary of the composer's birth.

The program also features a wide range of Chinese productions. Seven major Chinese opera genres, including Peking Opera, Kunqu Opera and Cantonese Opera, will be represented, with more than 10 recipients of the Plum Blossom Award, China's top theatrical performing arts honor, taking part.

With its opening performance in Shenzhen and closing program in Guangzhou, the festival highlights the Greater Bay Area's collective efforts to promote cultural exchange and advance the arts sector. Now in its sixth edition, it has grown into the region's largest and most prestigious cultural event.