1,800 PERFORMERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING 64 LOCAL GROUPS, SET TO PARTICIPATE IN FIRST POST-PANDEMIC MACAO INT’L PARADE ON 24 MARCH

The annual Macao International Parade was last held in 2019 and it is now set to return on 24 March after a four-year hiatus, involving around 1,800 performers from more than 80 groups from across the globe – 64 of them from Macau.

Participating groups from other countries and regions include those coming from Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Togo, France, Spain, Norway, United Kingdom, Italy, Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

Themed “Love, Peace and Cultural Integration”, this year’s event – the 10th edition, is also held in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Macau SAR’s establishment, according to a press conference held at the Macao Cultural Centre (CCM) in Nape earlier this week.

Jointly organised by Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and the city’s six integrated resort companies, and supported by various other local government departments, including Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM), this year’s Macao International Parade will be the first one held in March. It was previously held in December.

IC President Leong Wai Man said in today’s press conference that the event was moved to March in a bid to attract more tourists to the city during this month. “There’s already a lot of events in December … There are less large-scale events in March, so we hope it can further attract tourists in March,” she said through a simultaneous interpreter.

Leong also pointed out that the weather in March would be better for all the performers as they need to walk a long way from the Ruins of St. Paul’s to the square in front of the Macau Tower, where the event will conclude.

“We made the change to hold it in March, and we’d like to see if it’s effective or not,” she added.

To give the public a first glimpse of this year’s parade, some performing groups are scheduled to show up across Macau’s integrated resorts and neighbourhoods from 17-22 March, while a street art carnival will be staged at Largo de S. Domingos and Praça de Jorge Álvares on 23 March.

In addition, further promotional activities like a photography contest and interactive games will be launched in a bid to invite more public participation in this year’s parade, which will be aired live by TDM. For more information about the parade visit its official website or Facebook page. (Gilbert Humphrey)