It’s the merry month of May and with that comes the perfect excuse for Hong Kongers to party like the French! To welcome back
Le French May we've picked some of the highlights and goodies lined up around town to help you enjoy all things 'français’ and sample the more laid back side of life.
Voilà!
Have a French Soirée
Nothing beats a good soirée at the end of the day. Let your cares fade away and enjoy an ice-cold pint at one of Kronenbourg 1664's four pop-up bars (or soirées) listed below. All pop-ups are FREE, open to the public, and promise to bring the ambience of a trendy French bar from the heart of Paris as they serve you a freebie pint of Kronenbourg 1664 Lager or Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc and entertain you with funky live music. You can even get your portrait drawn by a French style street artist if you're brave enough!
And to make sure that you hardworking folk don't miss out on your happy hour soirée due to work demands, Kronenbourg will run an online poll to make sure they take place at times that best suit you. If that wasn't generous enough, they've also teamed up with restaurants taking part in Le French GourMay to bring you deliciously curated French dishes that go oh-so-well with your lovely pint. Check out the Facebook page for more details.
Wednesday May 20 at 6° (55 Wyndham Street, Central)
Thursday May 21 at AT Restaurant & Bar (Union Mansion, No.33-35 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui)
Wednesday May 27 at Prince Lounge (224-226 Tung Choi Street, Prince Edward)
Thursday May 28 at Club 97 (9 Lan Kwai Fong, Central)
Be Happy Any Hour
Do long work hours mean you always miss out on happy hour drinks? Well now you can be happy whenever you want, thanks to the considerate folks at Kronenbourg 1664. In its efforts to let Hong Kongers enjoy the French way of life this May, they’re launching anyhour.com.hk so you can arrange to meet friends for a happy hour drink, whenever you like. In just a few simple clicks, you can select one of 60 participating bars in Hong Kong to initiate a happy hour at your own desired time and date, even if the official session has ended. And in keeping with the French way of life, they encourage you to invite at least two friends to make the occasion more social. So no drinking alone people!
Party at PMQ
For the ultimate French experience, head down to the
Festive French Weekend in the Courtyard at PMQ from May 1 to 3 to enjoy a variety of performances, gastronomy, and music from France. Falling under the theme 'Essentially French', the 3-day celebration brings together a variety of festivities that you would experience in a typical French-style town. Listen to big brass bands
JB Brass Section and
Jo Bithume Company in an open-air street party, or dance the day away with the rocking female acappella quartet
Go Girls! If you love a bit of jazz and rock, then talented trio
Lions for Lions will blow you away with their saxophone, trombone, and drums.
No French street party is complete without a feast! Browse the booths of Le French GourMay restaurants and shops and savor authentic flavors from France and Midi-Pyrénées with cheeses, delicatessen, sumptuous wines, and of course your pick of Kronenbourg 1664 beers.
Hit the Races
The Hong Kong Jockey Club sure know how to party! They've teamed up with France Galop and the Consulate General of France to bring you
French Day at Happy Valley Racecourse on May 20. As well as staging two cup races, Le French May Trophy and the France Galop Cup, the night will be filled with spectacular French arts performance and delicious wines and cuisine. Catch Hong Kong’s favourite French gipsy-jazz style musicians bring their lively and energetic beats to your ears.
If you can't make this date, don't worry, because you can still get your fix of French culture at the Wednesday races throughout the month. Let the 10 French musicians and dancers from the
Jo Bithume Company entertain you with their big brass band and percussion ensemble on May 6, and watch the seven musical acrobatics from
Circa Tsuica Company amaze you with their circus stunts on May 13.
Catch Some Culture
If you fancy a more cultural slice of the French way of life, watch the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) bring music from French composers Hector Berlioz, Maurice Ravel, and Albert Roussel to your doorstep in
The Flying Frenchman on May 1 and 2 (8pm). With an eye to the exotic, these French composers have written music to portray adventures in distant landscapes, which you can now enjoy in the comfort of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Alternatively, take a stroll down Broadway and catch
The Macallan Bravo Series: Broadway franҫais! as HK Phil bring an international cast of Broadway vocalists, composers, and lyricists together for two glittering musical nights on May 29 and 30 (8pm). Click
here for ticket information and bookings.
Watch a Flick
Ever dabbled in French cinema? If not, then now's your chance. For the second year running, UA Galaxy Cinemas in Macau will showcase seven films during the
French Film Festival 2015, (May 29 to June 4). Presenting a wider genre than before, including 3D animated film
Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants, the festival gives you the perfect chance to appreciate French made movies and escape Hong Kong for a while. If you're a French expat living in Hong Kong, you might want to check out the dramatic comedy,
L’arrivée D’un Typhoon - A Typhoon Is Coming! (June 1 to 20). This tells the story of interesting French expatriates in Hong Kong going from mad party nights, unique friendships, and stimulating encounters in the run up to a T10. Now we can all relate to that! Click
here for ticket information and bookings.
Join the Circus
K11 has several tricks up its sleeve to help you celebrate this merry month of May. Let the seven incredible performers from
Circa Tsuica Company dazzle you with their combination of circus stunts, music, and clowning around as they pump out the joyful sounds of a brass band whilst showing their amazing acrobatics without ever dropping a beat, or an instrument! Catch them at K11 Piazza & B2/F on May 17 (2.30pm). If you love live music, then don't miss performances by French band
Les Gromechkos, as they bring their unique blend of ska, rock, gypsy-punk and French musette to the K11 Piazza & B2/F on May 3 and 10 (2pm). And if you're a bit of a shopaholic, then you'll love soaking up the colours, smells and tastes of France at
Le French Marché, which brings culinary arts workshops hosted by a star chef, artistic craftworks and accessories to the K11 Atrium until May 17.
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