The 2026 Macau International Parade will be held on Sunday, March 29, featuring a total of 1,600 performers from nearly 50 local troupes and over 10 from around the world, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) announced during a press conference yesterday.
As in previous years, this year’s parade will set off from the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ruins of St. Paul’s and conclude in Praça do Lago Sai Van (Sai Van Lake Square).
This year, the parade is organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau in conjunction with five of the city’s six gaming operators – Wynn, SJM, Sands China, MGM, and Galaxy.
As previously, the organisation of the parade is also supported by various other public entities as well as Air Macau and the Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations (known as Kai Fong in Cantonese).
Yesterday’s press conference, chaired by IC Vice President Cheang Kai Meng, was held at the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM) in Nape.
The press conference was also attended by officials from the various public entities as well as senior representatives from the five gaming operators, Air Macau, and Kai Fong.
Last year’s parade was organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau in conjunction with all of the city’s six gaming operators, i.e., the five involved in this year’s parade plus Melco, when the parade’s cost was shared by the six gaming operators, without the bureau having to pay for the parade.
This year, according to yesterday’s press conference, the parade’s budget will be shared by the five gaming operators and the Cultural Affairs Bureau, with the bureau slated to pay 3.8 million patacas.
According to yesterday’s press conference, the parade will set off from the Ruins of St. Paul’s at 3 p.m. before arriving at Sai Van Lake Square at 6:30 p.m., passing through Largo de S. Domingos, Largo do Senado (the city’s main square), and along Avenida Panorâmica do Lago Nam Van.
Launched in 2011, the parade has become a signature festive event of Macau, drawing participation of residents and visitors from around the world, the bureau said yesterday, adding that it aims to strengthen international cultural and artistic exchange through the parade, leveraging Macau’s role as an exchange and cooperation base with Chinese culture as its mainstream and co-existence of different cultures.
Cheang also underlined during the press conference that his bureau is committed to improving its planning and organisation of this year’s parade based on the achievements made in the parade’s previous editions, aiming to enable this cultural fest to be “more intimately” connected with the people and “more influential”.
Through the participation of “outstanding” troupes from over 10 countries and regions, together with “elite” local troupes, Cheang said, the parade aims to present a fusion of Macau’s historical heritage, cultural characteristics, and international perspective, allowing the spectators to experience an immersive atmosphere where “scenery and art merge while the ancient and modern coexist”.
Cheang also acknowledged that the total number of performers slated for this year’s parade, 1,600, will be “slightly” less than the 1,800 last year.
Flanked by other officials and representatives, Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) Vice President Cheang Kai Meng (front, centre) poses for a group photo holding a placard on the sidelines of yesterday’s press conference at the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM) in Nape. – Photo: IC
