• The first “Luso-Chinese Music Arts Festival” was title sponsored by Galaxy Entertainment Group.
• The three-day festival featured a number of competitions celebrating Macau’s unique cultural mix.

The “Galaxy Entertainment Group Presents: Luso-Chinese Music Arts Festival Macau 2025 (FLCMAM 2025)”, co-presented by Macau Culture Exchange Between China and Portugal Friendly Association and Macau Music Art Space, was held from 30 May to 1 June. The event was title sponsored by Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) with the support of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and the Cultural Affairs Bureau (ICM).

The first FLCMAM combined Chinese music with music from Portuguese-speaking countries and was held across three days at venues including Galaxy International Convention Center (GICC), Ponto 1915 Art Centre and Lou Kau Mansion, with the aim of creating a cross-border music and cultural feast and showcasing Macau’s unique cultural charms.

The main objective of FLCMAM is to stimulate the fusion and innovation of Chinese and Western music through the three main axes of music – competition, cross-border performances and cultural heritage – and to cultivate new artistic forces in the Greater Bay Area and Portuguese-speaking countries with a view to showcasing Macau’s unique East-meets-West cultural fusion.

The opening ceremony of the festival was held at 8pm on Saturday 31 May at the GICC, together with the opening concert. Guests attending the event included Bai Bing, Deputy Director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Dra Patricia Quaresma, Representative of the Consul General and Deputy Consul for Education and Culture at the Consulate General of Portugal in Macao and Hong Kong; and Aurélio de Jesus Chiconela, Chargé d’affaires of the Consulate General of Mozambique in Macao. Also present was Chan Lei Lei, representative of the Cultural Affairs Bureau and Director of Macao Conservatory; and Annie Loi, Assistant Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility of Public Relations of GEG.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the President of the Macau Culture Exchange Between China and Portugal Friendly Association, Jorge Valente, said that the focus of the festival was on cross-border, integration and innovation. In order to honor the 90th anniversary of the Macanese Band and to promote the Macanese Portuguese culture, the Tuna Macanese Singing Championship has been created.

“The competition is the first of its kind to be held in Chinese, Portuguese and English,” he said. “Participants cover classic songs of the Macanese Orchestra and amateur music lovers are encouraged to take part in the competition, which showcases the uniqueness of Macau’s native Portuguese culture.”

As the title sponsor, GEG has consistently supported, organized and participated in various cultural and artistic events in Macau, with an aim to build the city into a “base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist.”

The FLCMAM has set up various competitions to promote the fusion and innovation of Eastern and Western classical music cultures, including the “Tuna Macanese Singing Championship” on 31 May, which aimed to pay tribute to the 90th anniversary of the Tuna Macanese and to promote the native Portuguese culture. The inaugural “Macau International Orchestral Instrument and Chamber Music Competition” and the “GBA China-Chic Music Tournament” on 1 June also attracted young musicians from all over the world.

In addition to the traditional Chinese music competition, the China-Chic Music Tournament broke through the traditional framework by introducing the “Best Crossover Adaptation Award”, encouraging participants to explore new possibilities in music by performing Chinese and foreign pop and classical music on traditional Chinese instruments such as the erhu and guzheng.

As one of the highlight events, the “Instruments Marathon at Macau Historic Site” was held from 31 May to 1 June at the century-old Lou Kau Mansion. This grand gathering integrating Eastern and Western musical cultures lasted for two days, totaling eight hours. Over 50 local performers took turns to perform on stage and there were also impromptu performances by citizens and tourists, showcasing the diverse charm of music and cultural integration, attracting more than 1,000 spectators.

The festival centered on Macau’s unique blend of Chinese and Western cultures, showcasing the city’s unique position in the global cultural arena while allowing all participants to experience the depth of Chinese and Portuguese cultures and the infinite possibilities of music.