Regular cultural events in Futian

Lianhuashan Glades Music Festival

The Lianhuashan Glades Music Festival was established in 2014 and has successfully held nine editions. A total of 46 renowned symphony orchestras from 17 countries and regions across five continents have been invited to perform, presenting more than 50 high-quality public classical music concerts for the citizens. Online and offline audience numbers have exceeded 50 million, and media exposure has surpassed 100 million.

The festival takes place annually in early November at the Lianhuashan Park, a famous landmark in Shenzhen. Known for "enjoying classical music on the grass," the Lianhuashan Glades Music Festival has become a landmark "fully public outdoor classical music festival" not only in Shenzhen but also in China. It is the first outdoor classical music festival in South China. The festival attracts world-class symphony orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic and the China Philharmonic, as well as international stars such as Lang Lang, violinist Lv Siqing, and German violinist David Garrett.

Time: Every November

Venue: Lianhuashan Park

Shenzhen International Urban Aesthetics Forum

As Shenzhen's first forum dedicated to urban aesthetics development, the Shenzhen International Urban Aesthetics Forum began in 2022. The inaugural forum centered around the theme "Rediscovering Urban Aesthetics," inviting over 30 experts and industry elites to engage in in-depth discussions on how to construct and nurture the artistic atmosphere and aesthetic soil of the city. The goal was to jointly outline the development of urban aesthetics in Shenzhen and explore the core of future aesthetic construction.

To further enhance international cultural exchanges and emphasize the role of aesthetics in serving economic and social development, the 2023 Shenzhen International Urban Aesthetics Forum built upon this foundation, with the theme "Urban Aesthetic Renaissance, Leading High-Quality Development." Nearly 30 domestic and international experts and scholars participated in high-level dialogues on the development and construction of urban aesthetics and the innovation of the city's cultural spirit, with about 400 guests attending. The forum aimed to explore the development model of urban aesthetics in the Greater Bay Area, enabling high-quality urban development. Approximately 20 central and provincial media outlets covered the event, with over 100 online reprints and an exposure exceeding 20 million.

Time: July

Venue: Shenzhen Contemporary Art and Urban Planning Museum

Contemporary Theater Biennale

Founded in 2016, the Contemporary Theater Biennale is held every two years and has successfully completed four editions under the artistic direction of Meng Jinghui, one of the most influential Chinese theater directors on the international stage.

The event has garnered attention from the national and international art communities. It is the first biennale in China themed around theater and is the most influential theatrical event in Shenzhen and South China. The event's mission is to "promote international academic exchange in drama and encourage interdisciplinary theatrical creation," aligning with cutting-edge international theater culture and fostering the prosperity of Chinese drama.

The fourth edition of the "Contemporary Theater Biennale in Shenzhen Futian" in 2023 lasted for 11 days, showcasing performances, readings, displays, and exhibitions in five major venues, including the Shenzhen Grand Theatre, the Futian Cultural and Sports Center's DramaHall, Music Hall, Youth Culture Hall, and the Little Comma Theater. Twelve invited productions from six countries and regions presented over 26 performances to nearly 10,000 attendees, bringing together outstanding contemporary theater artists and their latest works to create a pioneering and diverse artistic exchange platform for the audience in Shenzhen and theater professionals.

Time: Every two years

Venue: Shenzhen Grand Theater, Futian Starry Sky Theatre

China International Vocal Music Art Week

The China International Vocal Music Art Week, led by Liao Changyong, a renowned singerin China, is Shenzhen's first vocal art event with international influence. It is jointly organized by the Futian District People's Government and Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

The inaugural China International Vocal Music Art Week includes a series of events such as the "International Vocal Competition of Chinese Art Songs and Award Concert," "International Seminar on the Creation, Performance, and Dissemination of Chinese Art Songs," "Master Open Classes," and "Elegant Music into Campus and Business Circles." Focusing on themes like "Celebrities + Public Welfare," "Culture + Education," "Competitions + International," and "Exploration + Heritage," it aims to promote Chinese art songs globally. The event also seeks to enhance vocal talent cultivation, popularize art among citizens, and advance youth art education, creating a cultural brand for Shenzhen as an "International Art Hub" and co-constructing a "City of Music."

Date: March

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall

Lang Lang Shenzhen Futian International Piano Festival

The Lang Lang Shenzhen Futian International Piano Festival is held every two years. Since its inaugural event in 2015, nearly a hundred activities have been organized, distributing over 20,000 free tickets. It has gained significant attention globally, attracting many young pianists, including students from professional music institutions, eagerly participating in this anticipated charitable music feast.

The fifth Lang Lang Shenzhen Futian International Piano Festival in 2023 lasted seven days, featuring 22 elite piano competitions, concerts, and master classes on three stages. It offered large-scale charitable art events to citizens through a combination of online and offline formats, attracting over 5,000 participants on-site and accumulating four million views online. This festival established an international and professional platform for communication and display, gathering and cultivating more artistic talent, showcasing the charm of the "Piano Capital," and resonating the voice of the pioneering demonstration area.

Date: May

Venue: Shenzhen Broadcasting and Television 1800 Studio, Starry Sky Theater

Shenzhen International Urban Furniture Art Fair

The Shenzhen International Urban Furniture Art Fair was held at the South Square of Citizen Square and Citizen Park, lasting two months. With the annual theme "Come, Sit Down," it invited over 20 experts and industry elites to present theme speeches, exhibition tours, and market interactions.

The event showcased 25 pieces of net-zero, green furniture art, interpreting the relationship between people and nature, as well as cities and culture from a fresh perspective. The offline attendance reached 1.9 million, with over 7 million views online and media coverage from over 100 outlets, resulting in overall exposure exceeding 10 million. Four furniture art pieces will permanently reside in the city center, including "Dynamic and Static" which won international awards like the Melbourne Design Gold Award and the Muse Award. This two-month creative exhibition sparked a trend in sustainable design, exploring a blueprint for harmonious development between humanity, cities, and the earth.

Date: April - June

Venue: South Square of Citizen Square

Futian Lunar New Year Art Season

The first Futian Lunar New Year Art Season was established in 2021 to address the lack of performances during the Spring Festival in Shenzhen. It aims to promote cultural consumption by creating a holiday cultural brand, enriching the spiritual and cultural lives of residents celebrating the New Year, and making attending grand performances a new trend, custom, and way of celebrating the Spring Festival in Shenzhen.

The Futian Lunar New Year Art Season includes various cultural performances and exhibitions such as opera, dance, folk music, and calligraphy and painting. Activities commence in December and continue through the Lantern Festival (15th day of the first lunar month), showcasing high-quality music programs, blending traditional Chinese folk music with elegant Western classical music, and offering exquisite traditional opera performances. During the art season, rich artistic offerings and sincere cultural gifts are presented annually to residents at venues such as the Shenzhen Concert Hall, Shenzhen Grand Theater, Futian Starry Sky Theatre, and public cultural spaces within the district.

Date: December-Lantern Festival (15th day of the first lunar month)

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, Shenzhen Grand Theatre, Futian Starry Sky Theatre, public cultural spaces in Futian

Business Mall With Public Culture

To accelerate the establishment of a public cultural service system in Futian and support the economic prosperity of commercial areas in the district, the Futian Public Culture and Sports Development Center began hosting public cultural activities in commercial areas in 2021. They created a "Public Culture Menu for Commercial Area" that integrates Futian's cultural characteristics and resources, implementing a "point-and-service" model to provide precise cultural services. In 2022, the initiative was upgraded, launching the brand "Exciting Commercial Areas, Enjoyable Futian" to promote a "new" upgrade in consumption. By using a combination of live performances, store visits, commercial district promotions, and discount vouchers, they have actively promoted various commercial districts’ characteristics. In 2023, they continued to develop the "Exciting Commercial Areas, Enjoyable Futian" brand, aiming to enhance economic recovery during festivals. Activities were conducted in commercial districts around major holidays, benefiting over 700,000 people and featuring diverse cultural forms such as lion dances, spontaneous dances, and immersive theater, effectively stimulating consumer spending and enhancing the vitality of commercial areas. The related short videos garnered over a million likes and tens of millions of views on platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu.

Time: Year-round

Address: Major commercial areas in Futian

Starry Night Concert

The Starry Night Concert is a key brand event initiated by the Futian district government to boost the night economy and culture. Since its establishment in 2018, it has attracted numerous local and international music teams each year, hosting approximately 150 high-quality concerts featuring styles such as jazz, folk, symphonic, traditional Chinese music, and original compositions.

The event utilizes public spaces in commercial districts, encouraging active participation from streets, communities, enterprises, and social organizations, with an emphasis on smaller, exquisite performances. Concerts have been held at numerous venues, including One Avenue, Wongtee Plaza, Link CentralWalk, INJOY Mall in Shangmeilin, UpperHills, Coco Park, and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone. The program further enhances the cultural quality and urban function of Shenzhen's central commercial areas, promotes brand upgrading, assists in building an international consumption center, and elevates the city's cultural atmosphere.

Time: Year-round

Address: Commercial areas and cultural spaces in Futian

Lianhuashan Youth Cultural Festival

The Lianhuashan Youth Cultural Festival was established in 2016, themed "Beyond the Young (Not Just Young!)", focusing on youthful vitality, trendsetting, and interactive participation. Since 2020, it has transitioned from mainly offline events to a hybrid model of online and offline activities. By integrating new media platforms such as Douyin, Bilibili, and video accounts, the festival's reach expanded from local youth to all young people. In 2022, a "White Paper on Cultural Traits of Futian Youth" was published, with total online engagement reaching approximately 63 million during the festival. The 2023 festival, aligning with its theme, focused on the cultural traits of Futian youth under the theme "Deep Run Youth," featuring promotional MV "Deep Run," a series of opening events for Youth Culture Hall, the "In-Depth Perspective" youth art exhibition, youth drama flash mobs, and the popular Happy Mahua youth comedy. The festival included ten major activities and over 170 cultural events over 34 days, attracting nearly 13 million citizens’ attention both online and offline.

Time: May to July

Address: Combination of online and offline activities

"Blooming" Art Festival (Shenzhen•Futian)

The early art festival is hosted at various themed cultural centers in Futian, featuring a range of cultural and artistic activities from September to November each year. After continuous enrichment and enhancement, it has accompanied citizens through nine spring and autumn seasons, hosting nearly 500 high-quality cultural events, benefiting over 50 million participants.

The 2023 "Blooming" Art Festival (Shenzhen•Futian) is divided into six major sections, concentrating on 37 high-quality activities, with an expected online and offline participant count of 13.06 million. It emphasizes educating people through art, benefiting the public with art, and delighting citizens with art, contributing cultural strength to enhance people's sense of gain and happiness.

Time: Late September - Early December

Locations: Various cultural venues and public cultural spaces inFutian, Central Axis Cloud Gallery, parks, etc.

Mangrove National Enjoyment Festival

Launched in 2023, the Mangrove National Enjoyment Festival aims to implement the decision to build an "International Mangrove Center," focusing on ecological construction for a "Green and Beautiful Guangdong," and assisting in the high-quality development of cultural cities. It spreads the connotations of environmental protection, culture, art, nature, and ecology to citizens.

The inaugural festival consists of five sections: "Deep Mangroves," "Living Mangroves," "Voices of Mangroves," "Rising Mangroves," and "Thriving Mangroves." It released the proposal "Promote the Spirit of Mangroves and Protect Ecological Civilization" and conducted 57 enriching cultural activities through fun lectures, enjoyable concerts, science exhibitions, cross-country hiking, and parent-child painting in the Futian Mangrove Ecological Park, Central Axis Cloud Gallery's starry stage, and various cultural spaces in Futian. It invites both Shenzhen and Hong Kong residents to participate and featured on CCTV-1 evening news. The festival aims to raise public awareness of environmental protection and ecology, promote cultural exchanges between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, cultivate citizens' artistic literacy, and enhance community cohesion and belonging.

Time : October - December

Locations: Futian Mangrove Ecological Park, cultural venues in Futian, Central Axis Cloud Gallery's starry stage, community activity centers on related streets in Futian, and various cultural spaces and commercial districts.

National Fitness Activities

The "Futian Cup" National Fitness Activitiesseries was established in 2020 and has become an important brand for community sports events in Futian, held annually. Since its inception, 20 community sports competitions have been organized, benefiting nearly 10,000 citizens. Through a series of engaging, interactive, and experiential sports projects, it enriches the lives of residents in the area and builds a sports brand for the city.

The 2023 national fitness series included a winter swimming competition and the commercial district's "Dare to Move Lifestyle Festival," attracting approximately 4,500 participants, a 50% increase from the previous year. The "Dare to Move" festival featured a series of trendy, light-combat, and participatory sports experiences in the Futian commercial district, including a retro sports meeting, street basketball, joyful pickleball, and fun jump rope activities, seamlessly merging unique competitions, interactive experiences, and commercial district consumption, injecting fashionable vitality into the Futian commercial area while enhancing public participation in fitness activities.

Time: September - December

Locations: Futian