As in previous years, The AIA Carnival will take place over the period of time when the people of Hong Kong and its visitors joyfully farewell the year that has been, and welcome in the year that lies ahead. The AIA Carnival opens on 14th December 2018 and will run through until 17th of February 2019, and will celebrate Christmas, New Year's Eve, Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day.

The ever-popular skill games return over one million new plush toys to win, featuring characters from Baby Groot Game, Jurassic World, Shopkins, Minion Football, Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Wars and many more.

Food and beverage will be taken to a whole new level with the help of Hong Kong celebrity chef Christian Yang, known as 'the Culinary Magician', who will be introducing a special range of Carnival-themed "Carnival Eats".  The entire Carnival site will be brought to life with giant, lighted selfie installations and a variety of free entertainment will take place on the Community Stage including DJs, small orchestras, youth performances, dance showcases, hip hop and more.

As title sponsor, AIA introduces lots of surprises and exciting experiences to the Carnival each year. To celebrate AIA Group's centenary in 2019, a six-metre high "AIA 100 ‧ Water Curtain" is specially built, where visitors can choose their greetings and have it projected on the huge water curtain message board, illuminated by dynamic and vibrant lighting effects. A video will be taken to capture the precious moment so that visitors can share and celebrate with family and friends. Visitors can also take photos with a gigantic three-metre-tall birthday cake decorated with birthday wishes written in the local languages of the 18 markets where AIA operates.

Mr. Knattapisit Krutkrongchai, Chief Marketing Officer of AIA Hong Kong & Macau, said, "The AIA Carnival has become a highly-anticipated annual festive celebration and a not-to-be-missed family attraction for the people of Hong Kong. We are delighted to be the title sponsor of The AIA Carnival for the fifth consecutive year. Through this sponsorship, we are able to share joyful moments with people in our community, creating lifelong memories with and for them. 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the AIA Group, and we have incorporated many centenary-themed decorations in this year's Carnival. While enjoying a heart-warming festive season at The AIA Carnival, we hope visitors can also experience AIA's companionship and care, as well as its unwavering commitment to helping them live healthier, longer, better lives."

Mr. Alex Gibbs, Chief Marketing Officer for The Great European Carnival Limited, commented: "Each year we strive to create new and exciting experiences for our guests, and as this is our 5th Carnival we have really gone above and beyond to try and exceed expectations. Last year The AIA Carnival hit a 97% approval rate -- unheard of in this business - and we are delighted and proud to be delivering this annual entertainment spectacle for the people of Hong Kong and its visitors".

The Great European Carnival Ltd wishes to thank our presenting partner AIA and supporting sponsors Asia Miles, ParkNshop, Renaissance Harbourview Hotel, Stella Artois, The Club, and Watsons Water for their ongoing support in making this the magical event it is.

The Great Circus of Europe tickets:

Rear (Block A, H)                              HKD150Standard (Block B, G)                       HKD200Premium (Block C, D, E, F)              HKD250VIP Ringside Tickets                         HKD400(The Great Circus of Europe tickets are subject to HKD10 service charge)

Mr. Knattapisit Krutkrongchai, Chief Marketing Officer of AIA Hong Kong & Macau

AIA Hong Kong and AIA Macau are subsidiaries of AIA Group Limited. AIA Group Limited established its operations in Hong Kong in 1931. To date, we have over 15,000 AIA financial planners1, as well as an extensive network of brokerage and bancassurance partners. We serve over 3 million customers2, offering them a wide selection of professional services and products ranging from individual life, group life, accident, medical and health, mandatory provident fund, personal lines insurance to investment-linked products with numerous investment options. We are also dedicated to providing superb product solutions to meet the financial needs of high net worth customers.

1 as at 30 June 20182 as at 31 March 2018

AIA Group Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively "AIA" or the "Group") comprise the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. It has a presence in 18 markets in Asia-Pacific -- wholly-owned branches and subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, New Zealand, Macau, Brunei, Cambodia, a 97 per cent subsidiary in Sri Lanka, a 49 per cent joint venture in India and a representative office in Myanmar.

The business that is now AIA was first established in Shanghai almost a century ago in 1919. It is a market leader in the Asia-Pacific region (ex-Japan) based on life insurance premiums and holds leading positions across the majority of its markets. It had total assets of US$221 billion as of 30 June 2018.

AIA meets the long-term savings and protection needs of individuals by offering a range of products and services including life insurance, accident and health insurance and savings plans. The Group also provides employee benefits, credit life and pension services to corporate clients. Through an extensive network of agents, partners and employees across Asia-Pacific, AIA serves the holders of 32 million individual policies and over 16 million participating members of group insurance schemes.

AIA Group Limited is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under the stock code "1299" with American Depositary Receipts (Level 1) traded on the over-the-counter market (ticker symbol:  "AAGIY").