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Winnie Wong

Wynna Wong

Major Hong Kong cinema chain Golden Harvest restored online ticket sales for four of its outlets on Friday evening after an earlier suspension sparked fears that more closures in the city were imminent.
A check of the chain’s website on Friday afternoon found that tickets were not being sold for The Sky at Olympian City, GH MegaBox in Kowloon Bay, StagE in Tuen Mun and GH Galaxy at Galaxy Plaza in Shau Kei Wan from January 11.
For three other branches, in Tsim Sha Tsui, Whampoa and Tai Po, the website showed ticketing information for the coming three days at least.
By Friday evening, however, tickets became available for Saturday onwards at the four outlets again.
According to its website, the company operates eight cinemas, with one in Nam Cheong’s V Walk shopping centre marked as “temporarily closed” after shutting on December 26 last year.
The Post has contacted Golden Harvest for comment.
At least nine cinemas ceased operations in 2024, including two operated by Golden Harvest in Kai Tak and Nam Cheong.
The others included Cine-Art House in Kowloon City, MCL Cinema at South Horizons, Cinema City at Langham Place and The Metroplex at Kowloon Bay International Trade and Exhibition Centre.
Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association chairman Crucindo Hung Cho-sing said the sector had continued to struggle following the pandemic.
“We had a very difficult three years during the pandemic, and everyone thought we had finally got over our hardships when it ended,” he said.
“Who would’ve thought we would run into a global film slump right afterwards?”
Hung said that despite record-breaking box office numbers for certain films in recent years, business was “greatly unbalanced”, as there were only a few stand-out productions while the rest performed poorly.
Gary Ng Cheuk-yan, a senior economist with Natixis Corporate and Investment Bank, said the storm for cinemas came from a mix of global and domestic factors.
“In Hong Kong, audiences have become more selective in deciding whether they want to spend time in cinemas as streaming platforms and outbound tourism crowd out their time,” he said.
“Some residents may also be more conservative on leisure spending.”

The Hong Kong Theatres Association and Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association earlier reported that box office earnings from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day reached about HK$20.9 million (US$2.68 million), rebounding from a 20-year low in 2023.
The 2024 figure marked a 7 per cent increase from HK$19.6 million over the same period the previous year, but industry groups observed that it was 36 per cent less than the HK$32.8 million earned in 2022.
On Friday evening, about 10 people were seen waiting outside the Golden Harvest branch at Olympian City, with some taking pictures of it.
A media worker in his 30s who only gave his name as Stanley said he was hoping to spend remaining bonus points at the cinema.
“It is a pity for sure [if it closes], especially for this cinema,” he said, adding its facilities were better than others in the area.
The film enthusiast said he watched about 300 movies each year in what he called “retaliatory consumption” after he was blocked from entering cinemas for failing to fulfil vaccination requirements imposed by the government during the pandemic.
“People only cherish something after losing it,” he said.
Stanley said fewer people were going to see films now, and the audience at some showings during weekdays consisted of just a handful of people.
“The pandemic has changed people’s habits, with many saying there’s no need to go to the cinema as they can watch movies at home on streaming platforms,” he said.


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Tickets were not available for The Sky at Olympian City (pictured), GH MegaBox in Kowloon Bay, StagE in Tuen Mun and GH Galaxy in Shau Kei Wan earlier. Photo: Dickson Lee

StageE cinema in Tuen Mun. Photo: Golden Harvest

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Hong Kong cinema chain Golden Harvest has announced the temporary closure of its Nam Cheong branch. Photo: May Tse

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MCL’s branch in Plaza Hollywood, Diamond Hill, closed its curtain for the final time on Thursday night, leaving just 15 outlets operating under the company. Photo:  Sam Tsang

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Tickets on sale for film showings for Saturday onwards after website earlier had none available, sparking fears of more closures


Tickets on sale for film showings for Saturday onwards after website earlier had none available, sparking fears of more closures.


Hong Kong cinema