Obstructed views, bad sound at Hong Kong’s new Kai Tak stadium irk Coldplay, Nicholas Tse fans
Developed and built on the site of Hong Kong’s former international airport, Kai Tak Sports Park took six years to build and was said to have cost HK$30 billion (US$3.9 billion).
British rock band Coldplay and Cantopop star Nicholas Tse recently held concerts at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Stadium. (Photo: X/Coldplay, Instagram/Nicholas Tse)
SINGAPORE: What do fans of British rock band Coldplay and Hong Kong Cantopop star Nicholas Tse have in common?
They have all shared less than satisfactory experiences attending recent shows at Hong Kong’s newly-opened Kai Tak Sports Park, complaining about obstructed seats and stage views as well as technical sound issues.
In a statement on Thursday (Apr 24), Hong Kong’s Consumer Council said it received 17 complaints from audience members attending Tse’s concert tour, which kicked off this week.
One disgruntled concert-goer, who paid around HK$6,000 (US$773) for four tickets, said his stage view was badly obstructed.
Kai Tak’s official ticketing system should have at least indicated some warnings, the buyer said, adding he had only realised this after showing up to the venue.
Others voiced frustration about technical sound issues during Tse’s shows.
Writing on Meta-owned Threads, a fan named Don said that he “could not hear what Tse was singing”. “It was like listening to someone singing from the adjacent room at a karaoke studio,” he said. “I haven’t watched such a terrible concert in a long time.”
Another Threads user justmelted wrote: “My seat was a suite on the third floor and I could not hear him 90 per cent of the time. I was really disappointed.”
“I don’t know if he’s just soft spoken or the sound is simply rubbish.”
Developed and built on the site of Hong Kong’s former international airport, Kai Tak Sports Park took six years to build and was said to have cost HK$30 billion (US$3.9 billion).
The 28-hectare mega facility with a capacity of around 50,000, opened on Mar 1 and also hosts a shopping mall with more than 200 retail and dining outlets.
The new stadium is a long-awaited addition to Hong Kong’s events and entertainment scene amid the pandemic-hit economy - and profit expectations are high, with famous Mandopop acts including Singaporean singer JJ Lin, Taiwanese rock band Mayday and veteran Mandopop star Jay Chou, all slated to hold shows in the coming months.
It also recently hosted rugby fans from around the world during the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament, many who complained that queues for food were long and catering and service failed to keep up with demand.
The latest round of complaints comes after more than 230 cases were filed by irate Coldplay fans, who had attended shows earlier in April.
Speaking to the Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) public broadcaster, Gilly Wong Fung-han, the Consumer Council chief executive, said Coldplay fans had largely complained about obstructed views, which they only discovered closer to performance dates.
Wong also raised complaints from concert-goers who said they were unable to see members of the band and performers on stage.
OFFICIAL RESPONSE
Hong Kong lawmakers have responded to the backlash by placing pressure on concert organisers as well as ticketing agents.
Writing on Facebook, politician Adrian Ho suggested “a detailed seating chart” for future events, which should clearly indicate each seat and section as well as its proximity to the stage and potential directions it faces.
“In the future, I believe the organisers will review ticketing arrangements after public discussion,” Ho said.
Lawmaker Doreen Kong Yuk-foon said the focus of the dispute should be on consumers and whether they were aware of obstructions when purchasing tickets.
Buyers who discovered obstructed seats at the venue had the right to lodge complaints and would “have a higher chance” of building a case, she added.
Responding to the backlash, Kai Tak Sports Park confirmed it had uploaded a detailed seating plan of the stadium on its website on Thursday.
Hong Kong ticketing agent Cityline said it received 104 inquiries as of Wednesday, relating to the purchase of restricted-view seats, according to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
The company said it had reviewed all purchase records and found that complainants were aware and had selected seats in categories marked as obstructed views.
But at least one person has reported a favourable experience.
Rosanna Law Shuk-Pui, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism who attended Tse’s concert on Thursday night, shared photos on her official Facebook page.
Law wrote that the concert was “amazing” and disputed some of the complaints about obstructed seating.
“The comments from the audience on site were ‘50,000 people and no blind spots!'. I don’t think it’s quite right but it’s not far off!”
