The International Congress of Maritime Museums (ICMM) is delighted to announce that Hong Kong Maritime Museum and China Maritime Museum in Shanghai have been selected to jointly host the 2030 ICMM Congress.
The announcement was made during the 22nd ICMM Biennial Congress in Sydney, Australia, with the 2030 Congress set to take place in mid-October 2030.
Representatives of ICMM, Hong Kong Maritime Museum and China Maritime Museum came together in Sydney to mark the announcement and sign a Memorandum of Understanding, formally beginning the journey towards Congress 2030.
The selection of Hong Kong and Shanghai as joint hosts will provide ICMM members with an exciting opportunity to experience two major maritime cities and explore their rich histories, collections and contemporary connections with the sea.
It will also bring the international maritime museum community together in a region with a dynamic and rapidly developing maritime heritage sector, strengthening connections between museums in China, across the wider Asia-Pacific region and around the world.
Building on a strong partnership
Hong Kong Maritime Museum and China Maritime Museum have developed a close relationship in recent years and successfully collaborated on the inaugural Asia-Pacific Maritime Heritage Forum in 2025.
Congress 2030 will build on that partnership, creating new opportunities for dialogue, knowledge exchange and international cooperation while showcasing the maritime heritage of both Hong Kong and Shanghai to ICMM’s global membership.
For ICMM, the announcement reflects the organisation’s continuing commitment to bringing its biennial Congress to different parts of the world and creating opportunities for its international community to experience maritime heritage in diverse cultural and geographic settings.
The journey to 2030 begins
While 2030 may still seem some way into the future, today’s announcement gives ICMM members plenty of time to start looking ahead to what promises to be a very special Congress.
Further information about the programme, venues, dates and opportunities to participate will be announced as planning progresses.
For now, ICMM warmly congratulates Hong Kong Maritime Museum and China Maritime Museum on their successful bid and looks forward to working with both institutions over the coming years.
Hong Kong and Shanghai – we look forward to seeing you in 2030!