Hong Kong Soho bars May 2026 arrives loaded — a margarita masterclass at The Pontiac, a Greek DJ making his city debut at Cassio Social Club, a matchmaking night on the terrace, a paint-and-cocktail session at Dead Poets, and a high-profile guest shift from Shanghai’s Sober Company rolling into Friday After Class.
Soho has long anchored Hong Kong’s bar scene as a world-class destination, and the neighborhood shows no sign of easing up in 2026. Four of its most active venues — The Pontiac, Cassio Social Club, Dead Poets, and Friday After Class — have coordinated a calendar of activations through May that puts offline connection, craft, and community squarely at the center of the city’s nightlife conversation.
The Pontiac Academy Goes Dive-Bar Deep
After ten years in the industry and a well-earned reputation on the World’s 50 Best Bars circuit, The Pontiac is channeling its experience into education — dive-bar style.
On May 9th, Jen Queen of The Pontiac and rising star Nicole Slater host a two-hour, free-flow margarita session running from 4 PM to 7 PM. Guests get behind the bar to build two distinct styles — think Tommy’s margaritas, picantes, and beyond — before the evening ends with a fully loaded, build-your-own nacho station stacked with house-made condiments and dips.
Tickets are $388 per person. Bookings are strongly encouraged; walk-ins will be taken as capacity allows.
DJ Echonomist Makes His Hong Kong Debut at Cassio
Cassio Social Club raises the room on May 16th when Greek DJ and producer DJ Echonomist makes his first Hong Kong appearance. The Athens-born artist built his reputation through his breakthrough Panic Attack EP on the Afterlife label, and has since played Zamna in Tulum, Fabric in London, and Burning Man — a circuit that speaks for itself.
Advance tickets are available online at 300 HKD, including one drink. Door price is 350 HKD, also with one drink. Table inquiries go through the venue directly. Walk-ins are welcome as capacity allows.
Besties Approved Launches Its Matchmaking Series
Also at Cassio Social Club, a new social concept is making its debut this May. Besties Approved is a matchmaking event built on a simple premise: your best friend is your best advocate. The format puts the city’s best wingpeople on stage to pitch their single friends — part speed-dating energy, part competitive advocacy, with a martini trolley and a live burger grill running on the terrace to keep the night loose.
Tickets are $200 per person or $350 for two, each including one drink. This is the first event in what’s set to become a summer series, with future venues to be announced. Tickets are required; no walk-ins.
Sip & Paint at Dead Poets
Dead Poets has always worn its literary-rebel identity on its sleeve, with a cocktail menu — the Liquid Gallery — that toasts history’s greatest misfits and masters of craft. On May 24th, the bar takes that concept off the glass and onto the canvas.
Sip & Paint at Dead Poets is not a pristine studio session or a therapeutic afternoon. This is paint-by-numbers for the restless and the thirsty — Van Gogh’s madness and Warhol’s factory, served in a glass and painted on board. Each kit includes all materials with zero prep or cleanup required, plus two cocktails from the Liquid Gallery menu. Hand-eye coordination is welcome but entirely optional.
Bookings are required for this one — no walk-ins.
Deema
WinnieSober Company Brings Shanghai to Peel Street
The standout guest shift of the month lands on May 13th, when Friday After Class on Peel Street welcomes the team from Sober Company in Shanghai. Led by the acclaimed Shingo Gokan, Sober Company is a multi-concept venue that ranked No. 5 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2021 and No. 92 in 2024 — a trajectory that reflects how the bar has grown into one of Asia’s most distinctive drinking destinations.
Representing Sober Company on the night are Senior Bartenders Deema and Winnie — a Cointreau China champion and a world runner-up, respectively. They bring their full bag of technique to Friday After Class from 8 PM onwards. No bookings required; just show up.
Why This Month Matters
Taken together, these five activations represent something broader than a busy calendar. They reflect a Soho that is investing in experience over transaction — original formats, international talent, and programming that gives regulars a reason to keep coming back. From the dive-bar warmth of The Pontiac’s masterclass to the world-circuit credentials of DJ Echonomist and the Asia’s 50 Best pedigree of Sober Company, May 2026 is a reminder that Hong Kong’s bar scene still sets the pace for the region.
