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SCMP Editorial
Editorial
SCMP Editorial

Concert delay affects Hong Kong’s reputation as a mega-event host

While the organiser of the Sammi Cheng concert at Kai Tak Stadium rightly exercised caution, the episode raises questions about competence and coordination

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Sammi Cheng Sau-man arrives at the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony at the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui on April 16, 2023. Photo: Sam Tsang
SCMP Editorial
Editorials represent the views of the South China Morning Post on the issues of the day.
Kai Tak Stadium is justifiably Hong Kong’s flagship venue for top events, with world-class concerts and sports competitions packing the calendar following its opening in March last year. The good shows continue to enrich city life as well as Hong Kong’s credentials as a premier hub for mega-events. Yet there are occasional setbacks, the latest involving Cantopop diva Sammi Cheng Sau-man’s concerts. Due to “a critical component failure during the testing process and stage set-up”, the three-day spectacle from Friday to Sunday has been watered down to 1½-hour “free appreciation shows”. Ticket holders can either opt for a refund or retain their passes for future dates.

The show organiser has prudently opted for safety and postponed the concerts, yet enabled the show to go on in some form. But the hiccup has raised questions about preparedness, especially when staging concerts at the 50,000-seat stadium remains a relatively new experience for local entertainment and production agencies.

This is not the first time performances scheduled at Kai Tak have had issues. Taiwanese band Mayday axed the opening night of a concert series in March and replaced it with an extra show later in the week, sparking complaints from local and mainland fans. They were offered the option of attending a special 40-minute rehearsal session on the original date free of charge on top of the refund.

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