Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Mok Ian Ian announced yesterday that the Macau Arts Festival (MAF) will be restarted from April 30 to May 29, after a one-year hiatus.
Mok made the announcement during a press conference for the 31st Macau Arts Festival (MAF) at MGM Cotai.
Mok noted that this year’s festival is aptly themed “Restart”, featuring a total of 20 programmes covering theatre, dance, music and visual arts. She underlined that this year’s festival has been postponed to May due to the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic. She pointed out that in the midst of the pandemic, the festival would focus on local productions and productions from the mainland. She also said that almost 100 events will be presented during the festival, which includes outreach activities in various districts, apart from establishing a display and exchange platform, expanding the festival’s artistic vision and enhancing the aesthetic perception of its audience.
According to an IC statement provided during the press conference yesterday, the bureau highlighted a few performances, including White Snake by Lin Zhaohua, Dream of Red Chamber by Jin Xin Dance Theatre from Shanghai, and Boss for a Day by the Dóci Papiaçám di Macau Drama Group which performs in Macau’s highly endangered Patuá Creole. The statement also pointed out that there will also be a scenography exhibition, family-friendly performances and cultural diversity shows.
New ticketing service
Another IC statement also released during yesterday’s press conference said that this year the bureau has decided to launch a new ticketing system. The statement said that MAF tickets will be available at the Macau Ticketing Network from 10 a.m. on Sunday, adding that telephone and online booking will be available at the same time on the first day of ticket sales.
The statement also noted that in order to reduce crowds gathering at the ticket stations, an online reservation system has been set up for the first day of ticket sales. According to the statement, members of the public who are interested in purchasing the tickets in person are required to reserve their ticketing slot from tomorrow at 10 a.m. through Macau Ticketing Network’s online reservation system.
The statement said that those who want to purchase tickets at the outlets from 10 a.m. to 3p.m. on the first day of tickets sales are required to reserve their ticketing slot with a mobile phone number. The statement added that those who have successfully registered will be able to purchase their tickets at their selected outlets accordingly. The statement pointed out that people who are in need of assistance to reserve a ticketing slot can visit any Macau Ticketing Network outlet personally during business hours and ask the staff for assistance.
The statement stresses that the booking time slots are limited and available on a first-come first served basis, adding that each mobile phone number can only be used to register once.
However, the statement said that despite the diverse ticketing channels, the bureau hoped to further encourage residents to experience the convenience of e-payments and avoid crowds gathering. The statement also underlined that ticket purchases are limited to a maximum of six tickets per performance per person, while for the “Property Guide at Lou Kau Mansion” show is limited to a maximum of two tickets per person.
The statement also said that the bureau offers various types of discounts, such as early bird 30 percent off discounts are all available from this Sunday to next Sunday.
More information is available on www.icm.gov.mo/fam or on the “Macao Art Festival” Facebook page or through the bureau’s official WeChat account (IC_Art_Macao).
Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Mok Ian Ian addresses a press conference about the 31st Macau Art Festival yesterday at MGM Cotai. Photo: Prisca Tang
