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When To Go

Macau International Fireworks Display 

According to the Macau Tourist Information Bureau, Macau weather is highly changeable and hard to predict. As a general guide: October to November and April to May are probably the best times for tourism in Macau, when the days are sunny and warm, and the humidity is low. The winter (January to March) is cold but sunny. In April, the humidity starts to build up, and from May to September the climate is hot and humid, with rain and occasional tropical storms (typhoons). Other than avoiding the hot and stormy summer months, it is, perhaps, easier to plan the timing of your visit around some of the more popular and festive Macau celebrations.


Chinese in Macau celebrate the New Year Holidays annually, usually in February. The streets are decked out with flowers and lanterns, and there is a festive aura of celebration.  Children are given good luck pockets - lai si - usually containing a little money, and grandparents are honored by their sons and daughters. Of course, everyone eats a great deal, which in Macau China, means adventurous feasting!

In March, the creative genius of Macau culture is on display via the Macau Arts Festival. Presented annually by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, this festival attracts and showcases the best Macau art, music concerts, dance, painting exhibitions, Chinese opera, and theater performances.

Macau China has a number of religious festivals in May that are interesting, some of which have broad appeal to international tourists. One of these is the Feast of the Drunken Dragon, organized by the fishermen associations to honor the divine dragon that mythically saved the people from plague. Festivities start in the morning in the Kuan Tai Temple near S. Domingos Market (near Senado Square). There, men perform a drunken dance with wooden heads and dragon tails. Then, they go on, in the direction of the Inner Harbor, visiting some shops and piers on the waterfront. At each stop they drink wine until they are not able to go on. All the participants and observers end the day with a great dinner.  

Another colorful May Macau tourism festival is the Tam Kong Festival, celebrating the birthday of the God Tam Kong. This child god is said to control the weather and help the sick. Among the fishing community, he is second in popularity only to A-Ma. There is Chinese opera, a procession through the streets and lively lion dances, while traditional offerings are made and firecrackers burnt near Coloane Island's Tam Kong Temple. Macau culture being diverse, May is also the time that Macau hosts its annual Macau Open Golf Tournament. Tourism in Macau really does offer something for everyone.

A quintessential annual Macau tourism event is the Macau International Dragon Boat Racing every year in June, and the accompanying festival known as Tun Ng Festival.  The dragon boat races attract many international and local teams, taking place on Sai Van Lake.  The Festival coincides with the two-week annual Macau Lotus Flower Festival, in mid-June.

Macau China used to rely heavily on the firecracker industry, with fireworks being one of Macao’s three main handicrafts. So it is natural that this town of pizzazz and casinos would host the annual Macau International Fireworks Display Contest.  Every Saturday in September, awed visitors flock to the waterfront near the Macau Tower, to watch over 90 international fireworks display creators compete. Many plan their Macau vacations to coincide with the contest, since it adds an exotic romantic element, lighting up the beautiful city architecture.

Romance is also in the air every fall for the Macau International Music Festival, held this year from October 7-November 6, 2005. The program includes opera, symphony, chamber music, pop and modern music, and celebrates the fusion inherent in Macau culture.

Sporting events are on the rise in Macau China, and this year - from Oct. 29-Nov, 5, 2005 - the city hosts the 4th East Asian Games, unveiling its brand new stadium for the occasion. Later, from November 17-20, sports fans will enjoy the annual Macau Grand Prix, featuring a city circuit that is an emerging proving ground for Formula 1 drivers. There is always something interesting happening in Macao!