Verbier Festival Shenzhen debuts, plus other Greater Bay Area happenings in January 2026
China’s Greater Bay Area is hosting a number of arts happenings in early 2026. Here is a selection of must-attend events
Classical music fans in Hong Kong may well be making frequent trips to Shenzhen from January 30 as the first overseas edition of the Verbier Festival kicks off, and there is plenty more happening in the Greater Bay Area to welcome in 2026. Here are our picks:
1. Verbier Festival in Shenzhen
The annual summer festival in Switzerland has found a winter home in China, and the star-studded line-up of the inaugural Verbier Festival in Shenzhen does not disappoint.
The 10-day event starts on January 30 at the Shenzhen Concert Hall and the Longgang International Arts Centre, and will see legendary pianist Martha Argerich returning to the Chinese city for a series of unmissable concerts that include a performance of Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor in a programme also featuring the cellist Gautier Capucon, a four-hand programme with Russian pianist Mikhail Pletnev and as part of a trio with cellist Mischa Maisky and violinist Janine Jansen.
Other superstars on the list include Lang Lang, Joshua Bell, Minsoo Sohn, Bruce Liu and the Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, who will give a solo recital accompanied by the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra. The Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra will be there, conducted by music director Gabor Takacs-Nagy in a number of programmes. There are also masterclasses and other events to fulfil the Swiss festival’s core education mandate.
Dates: January 30 to February 8
Venues: Shenzhen Concert Hall and the Longgang International Arts Centre