• “Galaxy Entertainment Group Macau City Cultural Carnival” was held at Lai Chi Vun Shipyards on 24 and 25 May.
• The two-day carnival attracted nearly 1,000 orienteering athletes from around the world and numerous residents and tourists.

To celebrate Macau’s recognition as the “Culture City of East Asia 2025”, the “Galaxy Entertainment Group Macau City Cultural Carnival” was held at the Lai Chi Vun Shipyards – an area revitalized by Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) – for two consecutive days on 24 and 25 May. The event attracted nearly 1,000 orienteering athletes from around the world and numerous residents and tourists.

The event is title-sponsored by GEG, organized by the Macau International Grand Event Promotion Association, co-organized by Chuangtong System Marketing Co, Ltd and supported by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Sports Bureau of the Macao SAR Government.

The two-day carnival, with “City Orienteering” as its main axis, combined a cultural market, community exploration and an orienteering race, aiming to guide participants to explore the historical and cultural heritage of Coloane, promote the vitality of the local community economy and link up with local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to participate, demonstrating the unique charm of “Culture+ Community+ Sports”.

One of the highlights of the event was the “World Orienteering PWT International Invitational Competition and Guangdong Historical Road Orienteering Competition (Macau, China)”, which was held in Macau for the first time. The competition officially started on the morning of the opening day and attracting athletes from all over the world.

On the day of the launch ceremony, many guests and representatives from different sectors of the mainland and Macau were present, including the President of the Sports Bureau Luís Gomes, Head of the Department for Promoting Cultural and Creative Industries of the Cultural Affairs Bureau Ho Hong Pan, Director of Corporate Affairs of GEG Buddy Lam, as well as representatives of orienteering organizations and famous athletes from both China and abroad.

Lo Tak Chong, President of the Macau International Grand Events Promotion Association, said, “I would like to thank GEG for its title sponsorship of the event and its strong support for the promotion of culture, sports and tourism in Macau. The event not only allows citizens, tourists and participants from all around the world to experience Macau’s community culture, but also introduces Macau’s first international orienteering event, which further enhances Macau’s international reputation. At the same time, the organization of the event promotes the in-depth integration of the culture, sports and tourism industries in the Greater Bay Area of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau, creating a multi-win situation.”

Raising awareness of the Lai Chi Vun Shipyards
Buddy Lam, Director of Corporate Affairs of GEG, said, “GEG is delighted to title-sponsor this carnival, which integrates cultural, community and sports elements in celebration of Macau as the ‘Culture City of East Asia 2025’. We believe the event will help drive foot traffic to local businesses, support local SMEs’ participation in the cultural market and foster the development of community business districts through various initiatives.”

World Orienteering PWT: First run in Macau
As one of the key events of the carnival, the “World Orienteering PWT International Invitational Competition and Guangdong Historical Road Orienteering Competition (Macau, China)” is a competition with international influence, attracting outstanding athletes from all over the world to participate, including World Orienteering Championships Champion, Belgian athlete Yannick Michiels, as well as China’s athletes, gold medalist of the first mass sports event of the 15th National Games, Li Zhuo Ye, and other international athletes.

There were different categories, including professional, adult, children’s groups and parent-child experiential, covering participants of all ages and skill levels. A total of about 1,000 places were available for the tournament and registration filled up quickly with an overwhelming response. In addition, GEG invited participants of the Macau Special Olympics, accompanied by members of the “Galaxy Entertainment Group Presents – We are Macau Athletes” programs and the GEG Staff Social Club, to take part in the experiential activities, further demonstrating the connection between sports and the community.

Jaroslav Kacmarcik, PWT Event Representative and member of the Global Development Commission of the International Orienteering Federation, delivered a video message, saying, “We thank GEG for their strong support. Macau is a unique city with a harmonious blend of Chinese and Western cultures, which is very suitable for hosting international competitions. Bringing a professional competition to a city full of history and culture is a collaboration with far-reaching significance.”

Diversified activities promote community cultural and economic development
During the event, a cultural market comprising stalls from local SMEs was set up at the Lai Chi Vun Shipyards, showcasing Macau’s specialty products, including handmade handicrafts, gourmet food and creative merchandise, which attracted a large number of citizens and tourists to participate. The Cultural Bazaar also featured game booths and live entertainment performances, bringing a rich cultural experience to the participants.

The carnival encouraged participants to explore the Lai Chi Vun Shipyards and neighboring communities in Coloane by collecting stamps. Participants could pick up a “Community Exploration Stamp Map” and collect stamps from designated cultural spots, such as Lai Chi Vun Shipyards, Coloane Old Street and Tam Kung Temple (Macau) and redeem the stamps for gifts to further energize the community.

The orienteering competition started at the Lai Chi Vun Shipyards, while an extension activity “Minigame Orienteering Maze” was set up at the East Square of Galaxy Macau for the public and visitors to experience the fun of orienteering. A special PWT competitor performance contest was also organized to showcase the skills of professional athletes, attracting a large number of spectators.

The deep integration of “culture + community + sports”
The event was not only a cultural and sports feast, but also an important platform to promote economic and cultural exchanges in the community, demonstrating the unlimited potential of Macau as the “Culture City of East Asia 2025” and further promote the integration of culture, sports and tourism in the Greater Bay Area of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau.

Hong Kong’s yoga master Coffee Lam, fitness blogger Emi Wong, artist Jack Wu and a number of famous singers were invited to join the event, adding more highlights and attracting a large number of people and tourists to participate.

“Galaxy Entertainment Macau City Cultural Carnival” brought together cultural, sports and community tourism elements, not only providing participants with an extraordinary experience but highlighting Macau’s profound cultural heritage and international charm. As Macau becomes the “Culture City of East Asia 2025”, the success of the carnival not only injected new momentum into Macau’s sports development but laid a solid foundation for the upcoming 15th National Games.