In the history of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong City Hall will be remembered as the first multi-purpose cultural centre built to enhance the quality of life of the Hong Kong community.  Opened in March 1962, the Hong Kong City Hall has played host to over 10,000 outstanding local and overseas arts groups.  The Hong Kong City Hall maintains an important link in the international arts scene that contributes to the convergence of the Eastern and Western cultures.

Apart from providing opportunities for the audiences to appreciate performances of various art forms, the Hong Kong City Hall has also contributed to the nurturing of local cultural and artistic talents.  The Hong Kong City Hall can be regarded as the cradle of Hong Kong's culture and arts in the sense that it is where local arts groups have grown and flowered to a flourishing profusion.

Recognised by the general public as one of Hong Kong’s most prominent centre of culture and arts, the Hong Kong City Hall embodies a history of important cultural events and is synonymous with the development of culture in Hong Kong.  Milestone events, such as the early Hong Kong Festival, the First Hong Kong Arts Festival in 1973, the First Asian Arts Festival in 1976, the First International Film Festival in 1977, and the First International Arts Carnival in 1982, all have their inaugurations at the Hong Kong City Hall.  This has testified to the eminence of the Hong Kong City Hall in the international arts scene.  Its significant role in promoting cultural exchanges undoubtedly merits the pride of Hong Kong people.

The Hong Kong City Hall occupies an area of 11,000 square metres.  It is comprised of two separate blocks with a connecting memorial garden in the centre.  The low block houses a concert hall, a theatre, an exhibition hall, a gift shop, a Chinese restaurant, a Western restaurant and café.  The slim 12-storey high block contains an exhibition gallery, a recital hall, two committee rooms, a public library and a marriage registry.  The Hong Kong City Hall's facilities are available for hire by the public for organizing cultural and other functions or for use by the Department in presenting cultural programmes.

In celebration of its 40th anniversary in 2002, the Hong Kong City Hall has specially organized a series of celebration programmes for the public throughout the year.  Various renovation works have also been carried out on this prestigious venue to fortify its unique place as the seat of culture and the arts for the Hong Kong community to enjoy in the many years to follow.

Concert Hall
The Concert Hall in the Low Block of the Hong Kong City Hall, though constructed in the 60s, was meticulously researched in terms of materials used and acoustic design to achieve the best soundproof result. Having a seating capacity of 1 434, the Concert Hall has excellent acoustics. With a choir stall which can accommodate up to 60 standing singers, the stage is suitable for performances of symphony, chamber, recital, jazz, opera and chorus. Since it is designed to be a multi-purpose facility, the well-equipped stage is also ideal for other performing art forms, such as dance, drama and Chinese opera.

Usage rate of the Concert Hall is very high and  has reached 99% in the year 2005/06. Famous local and overseas orchestras, instrumentalists and vocalists who had performed in the Concert Hall included New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Bee Gees, Yo-Yo Ma, Issac Stern, Emanuel Ax, Vienna Boys' Choir, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Marcel Marceau, Stuttgart Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet and People's Liberation Army Comrade Dance Troupe.

Theatre
The 463-seat Theatre is ideal for stage productions of a smaller scale. Its unique design enables an easy interflow between performers and the audience. The Theatre is also equipped with a cinema screen and projection facilities that are readily available for film screening. It has an established reputation for staging plays and for film festivals.

Usage of the Theatre is very high and the average usage rate for the year 2003/04 has reached 91%. Many international and local events and performing groups had been presented in the Theatre including Hong Kong International Film Festival, International Arts Carnival, City Contemporary Dance Company, Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, The 2nd Chinese Drama Festival, Zuni Icosahedron, Het Filiaal (Netherlands), Beijing Modern Dance Company Showcase, Le Clan Des Songes (France) and Peking Opera Troupe of Beijing.