‘MICAF Fun Day – Arts Carnival’ Concludes Successfully

Co-organised by Sands China
Part of 1st Macao International Children’s Arts Festival, attracts 63,000 visits

（Macao, Oct. 29, 2024）–The first Macao International Children’s Arts Festival was successfully held July-August, ending with the MICAF Fun Day – Arts Carnival, which provided two consecutive weekends of family fun at Macao Cultural Centre Plaza Aug. 23-25 and Aug. 30-Sept. 1, attracting 63,000 visits. 

Under the guidance of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, and with Sands China Ltd. as one of the co-organisers, the Macao International Children’s Arts Festival is part of Sands China’s community revitalisation efforts. As the finale programme of the festival, MICAF Fun Day – Arts Carnival featured exciting attractions like large art decorations at Macao Cultural Centre Plaza, a fun art park, food, cultural and creative bazaars, a game zone, an outdoor splash and bubbles area, outdoor cinemas, stage and street performances including Hong Kong pop stars, wind orchestra performances, street dances, clowns, magic shows, and acrobatics.

Dr. Wilfred Wong, executive vice chairman of Sands China Ltd., said: “Sands China was very pleased to co-organise the first Macao International Children’s Arts Festival with the Cultural Affairs Bureau. Through diverse and interactive programmes and activities, the innovative festival exposed children to art at an early age, helping cultivate their artistic literacy and stimulating their creativity and imagination. And in cooperation with the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the MICAF Fun Day – Art Carnival delivered a limited-time summer hotspot for parents and children, giving them an opportunity to spend quality parent-child time together with a variety of fun and artistic activities. We hope that by supporting the various arts and cultural activities in Macao’s revitalisation areas, we can further enrich the leisure and tourism experience at Macao Cultural Centre Plaza and nearby areas, in support of the integrated development of culture and tourism in Macao.”

As part of the MICAF Fun Day – Arts Carnival, Sands China sponsored two wind orchestra performances by the Macao Band Directors Association’s Macau Youth Symphonic Band on Aug. 24 and 31, where they performed music from the soundtracks of animated films by Disney and Studio Ghibli. With melodious and moving music, the performance took the audience on a journey into the magical world of fantasy stories such as “Frozen” and “Spirited Away.” After the main performances, some of the young musicians then performed solos on horn, xylophone, saxophone, flute, trumpet, and Chalumeau, giving them a chance to strengthen and encourage their musical development through performing on stage in front of a live audience. The special performances were part of Sands China’s commitment to supporting local culture and arts, fostering the development of the local youth music and arts communities, and enriching the cultural experience of parents and children, reaching residents and tourists alike.

In order to further engage the community, Sands China brought together around 30 Sands Cares Ambassadors and members of Macao Catholic Family Advisory Council to enjoy an afternoon of activities at MICAF Fun Day – Arts Carnival on Aug. 24, including the Macau Youth Symphonic Band performance, an interactive backstage tour of the Macao Cultural Centre, and parent-child art workshops. Additionally, around 30 Sands Cares Ambassadors and parent-child members from Sheng Kung Hui Macau Social Services Coordination Office got together July 26 to enjoy an award-winning multimedia puppet show of the Macao International Children’s Arts Festival, titled Tic Tac: The Hero of Time. After the show, the group had a fun time exploring MICAF’s large outdoor art installations at Macao Cultural Centre Plaza.

Co-organising the first Macao International Children’s Arts Festival is part of Sands China’s community revitalisation efforts. The Macao SAR government appointed revitalisation tasks to integrated tourism and leisure enterprises in September 2023 and Sands China has since launched a wide range of revitalisation initiatives, including Macao’s first interactive A.I. photobooth, a large-scale marching band performance, string performances, large-scale themed installations, parent-child workshops, and the Entrepreneurship Recruitment Programme for Rua Das Estalagens. In addition to cooperating with the Macao SAR government to promote the revitalisation projects of the former Iec Long Firecracker Factory, Taipa Houses, Pátio da Eterna Felicidade and Rua das Estalagens, Sands China also periodically organises various activities at Macao Cultural Centre Plaza, striving to create a new destination for fun for outdoor activities.