The AIA Great European Carnival returns to Central Harbourfront for the sixth year to bring excitement and joy to one and all.
There is nothing quite like wandering the midway with family or friends to bring a smile to one’s face. This year’s carnival runs until the 16 February 2020 and features rides, games and the Great Circus of Europe.
To celebrate the opening of the Fifth AIA Carnival at Central Harbourfront, organisers The Great European Carnival hosted a cocktail party for sponsors, friends and supporters. This year’s carnival runs until the 17 February 2019 and features rides, games and Great Circus of Europe.
Click on any photo for the full gallery of images.
Khalil Fong & Diana Wang captivated their fans with a unique concert experience under The Big Top at the AIA Great European Carnival. The concert was the final one of a series of Billboard Radio Live gigs. Ahead of the gig, fans queued excitedly – many intrigued by being so up close and personal with the stars during the show.
Click on any photo to see the full gallery of images.
Say Goodbye this week to The AIA Great European Carnival and Hello to the Year of the Goat!
There’s an action packed final week of fun and fireworks at The AIA Great European Carnival which will be open until 2am on New Year’s Eve Wednesday 18th February, with tickets only available at the gate.
Choi Sun will be making daily appearances at the Cherry Blossom Tree from Wednesday to Sunday, so be sure to bring some good luck for the year and get a photo of yourself with the God of Wealth.
There will Lion Dances daily from the 19th to the 22nd February. Times are 5pm on Thursday, 4pm on Friday, and 3pm on Saturday and Sunday.
The Smurfs will be meeting their fans live on the main stage on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
And of course the carnival is one of the best vantage points in Hong Kong from which to watch the fireworks at 8pm on Friday evening.
So come on down, see out the old year, welcome in the new year, and say goodbye to the carnival until next winter!
Come down to the AIA Great European Carnival and see Ryan Higa in person, interviewed by Dom Lau from Asia Pop 40, at 4pm this Friday 13th February, on the main stage!
Community Programs are Winners at The AIA Great European Carnival
The AIA Great European Carnival will continue to thrill and entertain people all walks of life within the Hong Kong community up until February 22.
A range of community outreach programs have been taking place on weekdays which have enabled participation from a range of local and international schools, underprivileged children and charitable organisations in Hong Kong. These groups not only had the opportunity to enjoy the fun of the Carnival, but were offered a range of unique educational experiences and behind the scenes tours.
Several prominent Hong Kong-based charities – including the Mother’s Choice, Project WeCan, ShelterBox, Po Leung Kuk and the Nesbitt Centre – have held special events and open days for their clients, volunteers and supporters. During these days guests were given special one-on-one time with the Carnival’s colourful array of street performers. Others used the Live Stage for public dance and drama performances.
As title sponsor of the AIA Great European Carnival, AIA also facilitated days on which their Hong Kong staff accompanied students from Po Leung Kuk schools on daytime visits to the Carnival.
As part of the Carnival’s community programs, school groups have been invited to visit the Carnival and choose from a range of packaged excursions specially designed for Primary and Secondary school students.
“We established the schools programs as we discovered there was a lot to learn from all the different components of the Carnival and thought that it would enable unique experiences for younger students and provide interesting case studies especially for older students,” said Alex Gibbs, Director of Community Programs. “Our ‘Business Behind the Carnival’ tours and the ‘Physics, Design and Engineering of Rides’ have been very popular and we will develop these programs even more in the future.”
Led by some of the carnival’s colourful array of street performers, Primary students choose between activities involving arts and crafts such as make their own juggling balls, or learning the art of balloon twisting, juggling or African drumming.
For the Secondary students, specific assignments are given including a physics program, where pupils work out the mechanics of some of the Carnival’s thrill-making rides, guided by some of the Carnival’s chief engineers. Another choice revolves around business studies, where students get behind- the- scenes tours of the Carnival and explore the wide range of components, people, skills and coordination required to run an event of this magnitude.
“There is an enormous range of interesting facts and figures that are certain to excite young minds, and it’s not all hard work. Following the completion of their assignments, students are given some free time to go on a ride and play skill games and sample the refreshments which are also available,” added Alex Gibbs. “The AIA Great European Carnival has been described by so many visitors as an awesome experience, and sponsors and organisers have been absolutely thrilled with the enthusiastic support received from Hong Kong residents and visitors alike”.
The VS Music Indie Festival will take place at the AIA Great European Carnival on Saturday 7 February and Sunday 8 February from 4pm until late. Sponsored by VS Music, the Indie music festival will feature up and coming performers from Hong Kong and Taiwan. Included in the line-up is Hey Rachel, Merry Go Round, Tri-dueces, Jabin Law, and Gravity Altestra.
A number of charitable organisations have enjoyed the carnival in recent weeks. Mother’s Choice, Po Leung Kuk and Shelterbox have held days inviting their members to enjoy the different experiences at the Carnival. The ShelterBox held a concert last Saturday featuring bands from Hong Kong such as Shepherds the Weak and Shotgun Politics as well as New Zealand group The Bollands.
Carnival organisers, along with title sponsor AIA have made the community programs and accessibility to underprivileged a feature of their event. “It’s recognised that not all members of the Hong Kong community can access the carnival so easily, so we have created unique and bespoke programs to enable both those less fortunate and those in need, to enjoy a great day out,” said Alex Gibbs, Director of Community Programs. On Tuesday, the Nesbitt Centre will have a day at the carnival and will also perform on the Live Stage at around 2pm.
If you are interested in having your school or charity participate in one of the programs please email Alex at [email protected].
The Bollands were out on a Saturday afternoon at The Great European carnival to support Shelter Box in one of their final appearances in Hong Kong before they set off on a massive US Tour. With Joyce on drums, the gig was great fun. I’d love for Joyce and Christian to be recording their gigs and releasing them online. The CD’s are great, but the live shows are fun and The Bollands will be missed when they head to the US.
Click on the photos to see more. My apologies for the video quality, the sound is fine.
