01 Oct 2015
IN THE HEADLINES
- Opening of Studio City Macau to premiere short film starring Hollywood legends
- Grand Prix Update: Macau to host the first FIA GT World Cup
- Macau x Lego® Exhibition – Macau in miniature!
- New “Step Out, Experience Macau's Communities” Bus Highlight Tour
- Hotel openings: 3 exciting additions by the end of 2015, plus Macau's first “aparthotel”
- Featured events: Oktoberfest and Madonna are coming to town
- When in Macau, don't miss…
DESTINATION NEWS IN BRIEF
Opening of Studio City Macau to premiere “The Audition” short film starring Hollywood legends
Hollywood legends Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Brad Pitt and Martin Scorsese are the stars of “The Audition”, a short film which will have its world premiere at the Hollywood-themed studio-concept resort's grand opening on 27th October. Set around a Studio City storyline, “The Audition” is Macau's first Hollywood produced short-movie and represents the very first time all these iconic Hollywood stars have all worked together. “The Audition” was produced by acclaimed Hollywood producer Brett Ratner, director of movie blockbusters including ''X-Men: The Last Stand”, “Hercules” and “Rush Hour”. A 30-second teaser trailer can be seen here.
Grand Prix Update: Macau to host the first FIA GT World Cup amongst dazzling event line-up
The 62nd Macau Grand Prix returns next month (19th-22nd November) featuring the most impressive line-up in its six-decade history. The 62nd edition of the event includes the following four prestigious, international headline races: the “Suncity Group Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix – FIA F3 Intercontinental Cup”, firmly established as the finest talent showcase for future F1 stars; the “SJM Macau GT Cup – FIA GT World Cup”, the world's first FIA cup for the burgeoning racing category; the “Suncity Group Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – 49th Edition”, widely regarded as one of the greatest motorcycle street races; and the “Suncity Group Macau Guia Race 2.0T”, an end-of-season showstopper for international touring cars and one of the Grand Prix's most popular fixtures. Preparations are already well underway, with the names of the participating drivers to be announced in the upcoming weeks.
Macau x Lego® Exhibition – Macau in miniature!
Until 28th December 2015, visitors will be able to see Macau's main landmarks in miniature made of hundreds of Lego® bricks thanks to the 'Macau x Lego® Exhibition'. World Heritage-listed sites including Senado Square, the Ruins of St. Paul's and Rua da Felicidade will be displayed in the lobby of the central Ritz Building (next to Senado Square), while others such as the Macau Tower and the starting point of the Macau Grand Prix Guia Circuit will be exhibited at the Macau Science Center.
MGTO adds more free Wi-Fi hotspots to reach 200 by the end of the year
Already known as one of the best 'connected' cities in the world, Macau is increasing its number of 'WiFi Go' hotspots to 200 by the end of year – creating 36 new additional connection points. Macau's 'Wireless Broadband System' allows visitors to stay connected from almost anywhere in Macau, including museums, sports centres, parks and tourist offices – for free!
New “Step Out, Experience Macau's Communities” Bus Highlight Tour
Following the “Step Out, Experience Macau's Communities” walking tours, MGTO has now launched a new Bus Highlight Tour that connects key points across the eight self-guided routes, encouraging visitors to discover Macau's lesser-known districts. This new service is ideal for those who wish to learn about Macau's diverse neighbourhoods at their own pace, as visitors can easily hop on and hop off the buses and go for a stroll around their places of interest. All vehicles have an English-speaking guide and free Wi-Fi on board.
HOTEL & SHOPPING UPDATE
Three new hotel openings by the end of the year
Macau has seen four major hotel openings so far this year: Harbourview Hotel; Asia's largest JW Marriott Hotel Macau; the all-suite The Ritz-Carlton, Macau; and the family-friendly Broadway Macau. However, there are three more exciting openings scheduled before the end of 2015:
- Studio City Macau: Scheduled to open on 27th October, this Hollywood-themed resort will offer world-class entertainment and the 'Studio City Hotel' with 1,600 elegant rooms. The complex will feature a figure-of-eight “Golden Reel” (the highest Ferris wheel in Asia at 130 metres); “The House of Magic”, Macau's first magic extravaganza; and “Pacha Macau” which will bring Ibiza's nightlife to Macau, amongst other facilities. www.studiocity-macau.com
- Crowne Plaza Macau: Due to open in the fourth quarter of 2015, Crowne Plaza Macau will be located in the north end of the Macau peninsula – the oldest part of Macau. It will feature 208 modern guestrooms, five meeting rooms ranging from 30 to 780 square metres, an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium and the all-day-dining Café Azure. www.crownplaza.com
- St. Regis Macau: Planned to open on 17th December, this will be the fourth hotel within the Sands Cotai Central integrated resort. With 400 lavish rooms and suites, St. Regis Macau will be the first hotel in Macau to offer its signature St. Regis Butler Service, available to all guests 24 hours a day. St. Regis Macau is already accepting bookings ahead of its grand opening. www.stregis.com/macao
First “aparthotel” in Macau now open
Located less than a five-minute drive from the Macau Ferry Terminal and a skip away from many local attractions, Ascott Macau is the first “aparthotel” to open in Macau. Inspired by Portuguese influences and design, the property features 110 elegantly and stylishly furnished guestrooms and suites (from 30 to 75 square metres), which cater to the needs of global travellers, whilst guests can enjoy amenities such as swimming pool, sauna room, gymnasium and a poolside bar.
www2.the-ascott.com/en/china/macau/ascott_macau.html
New shopping outlets at The Boulevard at Studio City
The opening of Studio City Macau will bring The Boulevard at Studio City – a retail space of 35,000 square metres full of fashion labels and international luxury brands, including Macau's first Balmain and Belstaff shops, Tom Ford's largest store in Asia and other renowned brands such as Gucci, Hugo Boss and Emporio Armani. While shopping, visitors will be entertained with 'virtual' musicians while walking down the themed streets and squares simulating iconic places including New York's Times Square and Hollywood's Beverly Hills.
www.studiocity-macau.com/en/shops
Important Note: Dates and some details are based on latest information supplied by third parties, which has been updated as of October 2015. As the Macau Government Tourist Office cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information, which may be subject to change, we recommend that you verify the latest details with the companies concerned prior to use.
FEATURED EVENTS
Oktoberfest
15th – 25th October 2015
Germany's famous Oktoberfest is coming to MGM Macau for its seventh year in a row. The hotel's The Vista II will be home to a huge tent with classic long wooden tables and benches that will capture the essence of the Bavarian festivities. Authentic German beer and food, live entertainment and a party atmosphere are all on the menu. Tickets are on sale now.
www.mgmmacau.com/mgm-oktoberfest
Madonna Rebel Heart Tour
20th and 21st February 2016
Madonna is bringing her 'Rebel Heart Tour' to Macau's Studio City in February 2016 as part of a thrilling line-up of international concerts. The tour of the 'Queen of Pop' supports her 13th studio album 'Rebel Heart', which featured star-studded cameos by Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj and Kanye West. Hollywood-themed Studio City is due to open with a spectacular launch on 27th October this year. Photo by Kevin Mazur, Getty Images.
WHEN IN MACAU, DON'T MISS…
15th Macau City Fringe Festival
1st – 15th November
Taking place in different venues across Macau, this event is characterised by quirky performances by both local and international artists. The Macau City Fringe Festival features a diverse and culturally-rich programme including exhibitions, workshops, dance and music performances and theatre functions. The whimsical festival comes to an end after two weeks with a lively parade.
15th Macau Food Festival
13th – 29th November
Celebrating its 15th edition this year, the Macau Food Festival is one of Macau's most popular events. During 17 consecutive days, the festival celebrates food from around the world, including delicious Asian, European and Macanese flavours – one of the world's first fusion cuisines – with exciting entertainment and fun for everyone at Sai Van Lake Square. In addition to tasty international and local food, visitors can also enjoy a variety of live musical performances, games, competitions and fireworks displays.
62nd Macau Grand Prix
19th – 22nd November
Celebrating 62 years this year, the Macau Grand Prix is one of Macau's most anticipated annual events and a favourite of motor sports fans. The world-class event, hosted by Macau since 1953, represents the climax of the Formula 3 calendar, with famous past winners including Ayrton Senna and David Coulthard. During the four official days of the Grand Prix, the city buzzes with excitement as the best motorcycle, WTCC and Formula 3 racers compete on the Guia Circuit, one of the most challenging street circuits in the world.
www.macau.grandprix.gov.mo/cgpm/
Macau Shopping Festival
3rd – 31st December (Exact dates TBC)
Kicking off in December, Macau Shopping Festival – the largest shopping event of its kind in Macau – returns to town, bringing boundless shopping fun. Hundreds of participating shops and stores around the city will offer exclusive shopping experiences and attractive discounts, with an array of new activities, such as “lucky draw upon arrival' and “Macau Grand Sale”, to be held during the month-long festival.
www.macaushoppingfestival.org/en
Keep up to date with all the latest news and information about Macau on Facebook www.facebook.com/MacauUK, Twitter www.twitter.com/MacauUK or visit www.macautourism.gov.mo.
-ENDS-
For further media information and images contact:
Tom Panagos or Enrique Martin
Macau Government Tourist Office – UK & Ireland Representatives
E: tom@humewhitehead.co.uk / enrique@humewhitehead.co.uk
T: +44 (0) 845 498 9980 / 9984
About Macau:
Located just 40 miles from Hong Kong on China's South coast, Macau continues to surprise and thrill visitors with an ever-evolving hotel, restaurant, shopping and entertainment scene, whilst retaining its unique Portuguese influences inherent in its culture, architecture, events and fusion cuisine. Chosen as one of the top 10 regions for travel in 2015 in Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2015, Macau packs a lot into its 11 square miles with an abundance of historical buildings, beaches, gardens, museums, spas, shopping malls, dazzling shows and activities ranging from golf to bungee jumping. A Special Administrative Region of China since 1999, Macau blends the best of the past with new and is fast becoming one of the most Asia's most intriguing destinations.
About the Macau Government Tourist Office:
The Macau Government Tourist Office is the tourism development arm of the government of the Macau SAR (Special Administrative Region) dedicated to promoting Macau as a preferred destination and co-ordinating related activities and services within the local tourism industry. www.macautourism.gov.mo
