In Pictures: Hongkongers bid farewell to historic Sunbeam Theatre after over half-century in operation

Hong Kong Free Press

Hongkongers thronged to North Point’s historic Sunbeam Theatre on Monday as the cultural landmark shut its doors after operating in the city for 52 years.

Curtain falls on Sunbeam Theatre in North Point on March 3, 2025 after it operated in Hong Kong for 52 years. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. — Curtain falls on the historic Sunbeam Theatre in North Point, Hong Kong, on March 3, 2025, after 52 years in operation. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

The building on King’s Road was surrounded by hundreds of people on Monday evening as the theatre hosted its final show about late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, written by feng shui master and Cantonese opera playwright Li Kui-ming, who had run the theatre for more than a decade.

Some people also bought tickets to watch the last screenings at Sun Digital, a modern cinema in the building that was added in 2012 when Li rented and renovated the venue amid rumours of closure.

Opened in 1972, the 1,033-seat theatre was famed for its traditional Chinese art performances, especially Cantonese opera shows.

The theatre hit international headlines in 2019 when it staged a Cantonese opera satirising the Donald Trump presidency.

The theatre had faced operational challenges in the past and was rumoured to be shutting down in 2012. Li stepped in days before the venue was set to close and agreed to pay a monthly rent of HK$1 million to keep the theatre running, according to Sunbeam’s website.

On Monday evening, police officers were deployed to manage the crowd at the road junction connecting King’s Road and Shu Kuk Street. Many people gathered outside the theatre and stood across the street to capture Sunbeam’s final moments and its two signature red neon signs.

Among the crowd was 17-year-old Nick, who told HKFP that he wanted to say good-bye to Sunbeam because it “represented an important part of Hong Kong culture.” Although he did not visit the theatre often, the secondary school student said it was an “icon” for North Point residents and the broader population in the city.

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Nick, who declined to give his full name because of privacy concerns, went on to say that Hong Kong lost quite a number of historic venues over the past few years, and he wanted to preserve memories of these places by photographing their final moments.

“Whatever is left, I’m in the state of mind that I want to take photos of whatever is possible and capture those memories,” Nick said.

Lai, a theatregoer who only wanted to be identified by her family name, said that Sunbeam had been a convenient venue for audiences, particularly elderly viewers, to travel to and enjoy Cantonese opera performances.

Lai – a fan of Li – expressed concerns that the playwright may not be able to showcase his works as freely as he did in the past, as it could take months for him to secure a public or private venue for his shows.

“It is a pity, because the theatre had operated for so many years. We may have fewer chances to see Li’s work,” she said in Cantonese.

Meanwhile, Wong, a theatre attendant who only gave her surname, told HKFP that it felt “unnatural” for her to bid farewell to the theatre where she had worked since 2012.

Wong, who was responsible for cleaning the dressing room and checking tickets, said she would miss the main stage the most because there was a performance “every night.”

“Of course, I will miss it. I have walked to this place for so many years. It would be weird when I don’t work here anymore,” she said in Cantonese.

In February, the Island Evangelical Community Church (Island ECC) announced that it had purchased the King’s Road property for HK$750 million. Senior pastor Brett Hilliard said at the time that the church planned on redeveloping the six floors surrounding the theatre.

The space would include retail, limited housing, and would be dedicated to “ongoing ministry 24/7,” Hilliard said.

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