Each considered an era-defining icon in their own right, four of the world’s most recognisable cartoon characters will be assembling, Avengers-style, against Hong Kong’s iconic skyline from October 25 to November 1.
Organised by Hong Kong-based creative agency AllRightsReserved, the Water Parade at Victoria Harbour brings together colossal, floating, inflatable sculptures of timeless Japanese robot cat Doraemon, Sesame Street’s Elmo as reimagined by American pop artist KAWS, the McDonald’s rotund purple mascot Grimace, and Labubu, the home-grown, ugly-cute imp that’s captured hearts worldwide.
Bobbing along at up to 20 metres in length, the four characters will turn Victoria Harbour into their personal paddle pool at the first public unveiling on October 25, where Grimace, Elmo, Labubu and Doraemon will be anchored just offshore at Tamar Park. On November 1, the group will sail along both sides of the harbour, cruising between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon in a colourful flotilla.
Running alongside is the Water Parade Market, an eight-day celebration of pop culture. Pop-up shops, food and drink stalls, exclusive collectibles, photo spots, a capsule toy zone and interactive games will line the Central and Western District Promenade. Here, joining in the fun will be characters and themes from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, Stranger Things and Squid Game.
“Bringing these world-class characters together required overcoming multiple technical challenges,” says AllRightsReserved founder Lam Shu-kam. “This includes inflatable sculptures design, structural safety and marine transportation, as well as the complexities of cross-border licensing and coordination.”