The Shekou Theatre Festival, initiated and organized by China Merchants Culture Industry, is centered on the theme of "site-specific and incubation." Since its launch in 2022, the festival has been held four times and has established itself as the Greater Bay Area Theatre Incubation Platform, supporting emerging creators and attracting a largely young audience.

The festival merges theatrical creation with social space, using performance to uncover the social meanings and relationships embedded in urban environments. It brings performances into a wide range of settings—streets, markets, industrial ruins, commercial complexes, art venues, and natural landscapes—without constructing new buildings. Instead, it reactivates overlooked spaces through an artistic lens.

The festival has demonstrated artistic innovation and urban vitality, gaining over a million views on social media. While open to the public, it also invites curators from international arts festivals and professional media to experience Shenzhen's cultural appeal and creative energy.

Unlike many other arts festivals that primarily feature invited performances, the Shekou Theatre Festival is centered around the theme of "site-specific," with a primary emphasis on the incubation.

After submitting their proposals, creators go through a selection process, followed by nurturing, professional mentorship, and ongoing support. This gives rise to unique works, each with its own voice. These works are then presented to the public at the Shekou Theatre Festival, where performances and exchanges with audiences provide feedback that helps them grow and mature. Some of the works incubated at the festival have since received invitations from institutions such as the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Macau Fringe Festival, and the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre's Play Reading Theatre, bringing them to even broader stages.