Eight days of celebrations with special programmes and free admission in November mark five years of M+ and more than 12.5 million visitors

M+, Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK), is inviting the public to celebrate its fifth anniversary with a series of performances, film screenings and creative activities from 1 to 8 November. Among the highlights are the inaugural M+ Restored Festival, a special edition of M+ at Night featuring Cantopop band RubberBand, alongside free admission to designated exhibitions on Sunday, 8 November.

The anniversary is also an opportunity to reflect on how far the museum has come since opening in 2021. M+ has welcomed more than 12.5 million visitors in five years, connecting Hong Kong and international audiences with visual art, design, architecture and moving image. The celebrations extend that spirit of discovery beyond the galleries, with new anniversary merchandise and special offers throughout November.

A celebration that brings the museum to life

The anniversary programme opens on 1 November with the inaugural M+ Restored Festival, which brings together all nine restored Hong Kong New Wave films from the M+ Restored, an initiative supported by CHANEL, for the first time. Screenings, conversations with filmmakers and workshops will continue on selected weekends in November and December, offering audiences a chance to revisit a defining period of Hong Kong cinema.

On 6 November, the Public Conversation: 2026 Culture for the Planet Summit will explore how arts and cultural organisations are putting sustainability commitments into practice. Later that evening, M+ at Night: Five with Us will turn the museum into a space for art, music and shared experiences. Cantopop band RubberBand will perform, alongside The Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, making its Hong Kong debut. The orchestra plays instruments crafted from discarded materials, some of which are held in the M+ Collection and currently featured in the exhibition Making It Matters.

The celebrations continue over the weekend of 7 and 8 November with special tours, pop-up chats, Pinhole Cinema and Make Your Own Recycled Instrument workshops, family-friendly drop-in Pixel Monster activities, and screenings. Performances by The Recycled Orchestra of Cateura will offer further opportunities to encounter the group’s inventive approach to music-making. On Sunday, 8 November, visitors can enjoy free admission to designated exhibitions from 10:00 to 20:00. The offer excludes the Special Exhibitions Design Ah! Experience the Wonder of Everyday Design and Myths and Monsters: The Art of Fantasy in Asia.

The invitation to celebrate extends throughout the month. From 1 to 30 November 2026, visitors whose birthdays fall in November can redeem a complimentary M+ 'Very Hong Kong' Series Plush Keychain Blind Box* on site by presenting a valid same-day paid admission ticket and proof of their birth date.

From now until 30 November 2026, purchase or renew an M+ membership, or purchase an M+ Gift Membership, using the promo code "BDAY13M2026" to enjoy an extra one-month membership extension and redeem a member-exclusive limited-edition M+ building miniature* between 1 and 30 November 2026.

*Both offers are subject to stock availability and the museum’s redemption arrangements.

Further details about the fifth anniversary programme, please refer to the M+ website.

Anniversary collaborations bring art into everyday life

M+ is also marking its fifth anniversary with a special range of merchandise that connects the museum’s identity with art, design, and popular culture. Inspired in part by the exhibition Myths and Monsters: The Art of Fantasy in Asia, the fifth-anniversary celebration collection features exclusive Godzilla designs created for M+. Highlights include a design that combines traditional Chinese calligraphy with the words “Since 2021” to commemorate the museum’s opening, and another that places the iconic character against the backdrop of the M+ Building. Extending the museum’s creativity into sports and leisure, the collection also includes a Godzilla-themed pickleball paddle, bringing art into everyday recreation and offering visitors a unique way to express their passion for culture both on and off the court.

Other highlights of the anniversary collection include a special-edition TWEMCO clock, as well as a M+ exclusive silver-grey special edition ECHO chair created in collaboration by ZHA and Nagami, with a global limited run of only 55 pieces, thematic M+ building miniature, collaborative products with international artists and brands, and a mahjong collection that reinterprets traditional auspicious motifs through a contemporary design lens.

Five years of connection, in Hong Kong and beyond

Behind the festivities is a broader story of a museum that has become part of Hong Kong’s cultural life while extending its reach internationally. The M+ Collections now comprise more than 9,000 works, with a focus on Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and Asia. Its exhibitions have introduced audiences to different histories and perspectives, while its public programmes have created opportunities for people to engage with visual culture in less conventional ways.

That reach is evident in the museum’s visitors and its work with schools. Approximately half of M+ visitors are from Hong Kong, with the remainder coming from the Chinese Mainland and elsewhere; its audience is predominantly aged between sixteen and forty-four. Beyond the museum, M+ has reached 70% of Hong Kong schools and built long-term partnerships with more than 770 primary and secondary schools. The M+ Facade commissions and free public displays have also brought art into spaces where people encounter it as part of everyday life.

M+ has carried stories from Hong Kong and Asia to audiences overseas. Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now attracted more than 1.65 million visitors across Hong Kong, Bilbao and Porto, while I. M. Pei: Life Is Architecture drew nearly 400,000 visitors across Hong Kong, Shanghai and Doha. Through M+ Restored, Hong Kong cinema has reached audiences at festivals including Cannes, Venice and New York. These projects illustrate how a museum rooted in Hong Kong can participate in international cultural exchange.

Looking ahead to the next chapter

M+ has established fifteen collaborative agreements with museums and cultural institutions worldwide, including Centre Pompidou, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Getty Conservation Institute, Powerhouse and Tate. These relationships support exhibition-making, conservation, research and professional exchange. In November 2026, the museum will launch M+ Academy to support current and emerging cultural leaders, building on the expertise and connections developed over its first five years.

Paulo Pong, Chairman of the M+ Board, says, ‘Five years ago, M+ opened with an ambitious vision: to create a museum rooted in Hong Kong and engaged with the world. More than 12.5 million visits later, we can see how strongly that vision has resonated. This anniversary is an opportunity to thank the people who made it possible, from our museum team and supporters to the visitors who have made M+ part of their lives.’

Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+, says, ‘What excites me most about these first five years is the curiosity our audiences bring to the museum. They have embraced visual culture in all its forms, from art and architecture to film and design. Our anniversary programme celebrates that openness, and the next chapter will be about creating even more opportunities for people to encounter new ideas and perspectives.’

Betty Fung, Chief Executive Officer, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, says, ‘M+ has helped establish WestK as a destination that connects Hong Kong with cultural audiences worldwide. Its success shows what a major cultural institution can contribute to the city, not only through international exhibitions but also through sustained engagement with local communities. We look forward to supporting M+ as it enters its next five years.’

About M+

M+ is Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture. Located in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK), it is dedicated to collecting, exhibiting, and interpreting visual art, design, architecture, moving image, and Hong Kong visual culture of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The landmark M+ building on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbourfront was designed by the world-renowned architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron in partnership with TFP Farrells and Arup. With a total floor area of 65,000 square metres, it includes thirty-three galleries spanning 17,000 square metres alongside a Learning Hub, Moving Image Centre, Research Centre, Roof Garden, and other event and programming spaces. The M+ Facade is one of the largest LED screens in the world, showcasing commissioned artworks on the Hong Kong skyline every evening. The museum stewards a multidisciplinary permanent collection of more than 9,000 works, primarily from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, and across Asia. A highlight is the M+ Sigg Collection, which is one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of Chinese contemporary visual art. Today, M+ is a nexus for researching and presenting contemporary visual culture, inspiring thought and curiosity.

About the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK)

WestK is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural hubs in the world and Hong Kong’s new cultural tourism landmark, spanning forty hectares alongside Victoria Harbour. WestK comprises a mix of landmark arts and cultural facilities, including world-class museums M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, intricately designed performing arts venues such as the Xiqu Centre, Freespace and the WestK Performing Arts Centre to be opened in 2027, as well as the eleven-hectare Art Park with a waterfront promenade.

Hosting over one thousand exhibitions, performances, programmes, and events each year, WestK provides a vital platform for both emerging and established artists. WestK welcomes more than seventeen million visitors in 2025, evolving as the international cultural brand of Hong Kong and strengthening the city’s strategic role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.