While the Hong Kong Festival welcomed everyone’s participation, its main emphasis was on young people. A School Committee was set up under Steering Committee that specially organized programmes for students and young people. Young people could participate in Hong Kong Festival in three ways: as performers, usually in concerts or variety shows arranged by schools or youth centres; as contestants, usually in district-based track and field events or ball games organized by schools; or as audience -- trendy events such as pop concerts and dance parties were likely to be most welcome by the young.

One event that was especially designed for young people was the “Young People World” programme in which participants expressed their views and imaginations about life and society through art.

The widely diverse activities and forms of participation, no doubt, would have appealed to young people with different interests. It is not surprising that to some critics, the purpose of the Hong Kong Festival was to channel the excess energy of the young.