31st October 2026 – (Hong Kong) Lan Kwai Fong and the surrounding streets in Central were thronged with people well before nightfall on Halloween, with images shared on social media from late afternoon showing pavements and approaches packed with residents and tourists. Large numbers of police officers were stationed across the district and began stretching orange tape along kerbs to keep pedestrians off the carriageway, while traffic diversions and temporary closures were introduced as crowd-control measures intensified from around 5.00pm.
Officers implemented a phased plan of road closures that expanded as numbers swelled. The first phase, from 2.00pm on 31st October to 5.00am on 1st November, covered D’Aguilar Street between Wyndham Street and Wellington Street, Lan Kwai Fong itself, Wing Wah Lane, Wo On Lane, Wellington Street between Wyndham Street and D’Aguilar Street, and On Lan Street. A second phase, from 7.00pm to 5.00am, added Queen’s Road Central between Pedder Street and Pottinger Street, Duddell Street, Ice House Street between Lower Albert Road and Queen’s Road Central, the westbound section of Lower Albert Road between Garden Road and Upper Albert Road, D’Aguilar Street between Wellington Street and Queen’s Road Central, Wellington Street between D’Aguilar Street and Cochrane Street, Stanley Street between D’Aguilar Street and Cochrane Street, Cochrane Street between Wellington Street and Stanley Street, Wyndham Street between Gage Street and Queen’s Road Central, and Pottinger Street. A third phase, from 8.00pm to 5.00am, extended restrictions to Jubilee Street, sections of Pottinger Street and Queen Victoria Street between Connaught Road Central and Des Voeux Road Central, the stretch of Wyndham Street between Arbuthnot Road and Gage Street, the slip road from Cotton Tree Drive southbound to Queen’s Road Central westbound, the slip road from Garden Road to Queen’s Road Central westbound, and Albany Road northbound.
To assist with police crowd control measures, the D1 entrance and exit at MTR Central Station is temporarily closed. Passengers are advised to use alternative entrances and exits.
The festive surge followed similarly busy scenes over the weekend and on 30th October, with many revellers arriving early in costume to secure spots at bars and restaurants. Citywide, authorities and operators prepared for heavier late‑night passenger flows as multiple events coincided, including the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival 2026 and a concert by The Weeknd at Kai Tak Sports Park, alongside a rare party‑related closure of part of Portland Street in Mong Kok. Public transport largely operated to regular schedules, with additional crowd management and traffic measures deployed to handle the anticipated peaks into the small hours.
Hong Kong’s inaugural “Halloween Month” has delivered a windfall for the hospitality trade, with Lan Kwai Fong bar and restaurant operators forecasting Saturday takings to climb by more than 50 per cent on last year as the Tourism Board’s first campaign draws to a close; the weekend timing of Halloween and a marked increase in visitors from Greater Bay Area mainland cities boosted footfall, and Anthea Cheung So-may, director of the Lan Kwai Fong Association, said the festivities had been warmly received and that people were delighted to see the celebration return in force.
