The Macau International Parade recently launched an open call for local troupes to participate in the annual event – and Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Deland Leong Wai Man has said that the call for the participation has already closed, expecting that there will be 50 to 60 local troupes, along with some non-local performance groups, taking part in the day-long parade.
Organised by the bureau, the “2025 Macao International Parade” has been slated for Sunday March 23, once again setting off from the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ruins of St Paul’s and concluding in Praça do Lago Sai Van. This year’s parade will feature opening and closing performances by internationally-renowned artistic teams.
“There are more than 80 to 90 applications, and we will select 50 to 60 local troupes in accordance with the previous assessment criteria,” Leong said on Sunday, adding she hoped that more local schools and groups would contribute to the parade.
According to a previous statement by the bureau, as a “Culture City of East Asia” in 2025, Macau will not only reinforce the spirit of “Love, Peace, and Cultural Integration” through this year’s parade but will also further embrace the principle of “Coexistence, Innovation, and Harmony” as part of the East Asian Cultural Capital initiative.
Govt’s revitalisation programme
The government-initiated revitalisation programme for six local historic quarters – comprising the Barra area in cooperation with MGM, the temporary pedestrianisation of Rua da Felicidade with Wynn, the revitalisation projects of Pier 23 and 25 in the Inner Harbour district as well as the area surrounding Mount Fortress with Melco, Taipa’s Iec Long Firecracker Factory and the Macau peninsula’s Pátio da Eterna Felicidade and Rua das Estalagens with Sands, Coloane’s Lai Chi Vun Shipyards with Galaxy and the Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro area with SJM – has been implemented for nearly two years. There are voices in the community calling for the government to extend the revitalisation scope to other old quarters, such as San Kio and Praia do Manduco. In this regard, speaking to the media on Sunday, Leong reaffirmed that the coverage of the six districts would stay unchanged for the time being.
However, Leong was quick to add that through the power of culture and arts, her bureau would join hands with various public entities to launch cooperative projects in local neighbourhoods and the city’s old quarters, aiming to enhance livelihood spaces and support the community economy.
According to Leong, her bureau is currently sorting out the relevant revitalisation work in the six districts, while gathering public feedback on “slowly” shifting from short-term activities to medium- and long-term development, with a view to benefiting different local arts groups, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as the residents.
Outdoor performance venue
Meanwhile, when asked about the progress of the bureau’s plan to organise concerts in the city’s newly-established outdoor performance venue in Cotai next month and in May, Leong said that the bureau has already received applications for May or even beyond: “However, we need to plan according to the expected audience size … we may not be able to incorporate all of them into our planning, the relevant work is in progress’, adding that further announcements will be made in due course.
The bureau had earlier announced at a press conference that the audience capacity for the concert in mid to late March will be limited to 20,000.
A non-local troupe performs during last year’s Macau International Parade at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ruins of St Paul’s landmark. – Photo: Yuki Lei
