Escalating unrest outrages fans as high-profile HK gigs, festivals canceled over safety fears

By Xu Keyue Source:Global Times Published: 2019/11/21 22:25:35

Eason Chan. Photo: IC



Escalating unrest in Hong Kong has further outraged Chinese netizens after several concerts and festivals scheduled in the city were canceled over safety concerns, including dates by local favorite Eason Chan and the Clockenflap annual music festival, which always attracts a raft of top international acts to the city.

Famous Hong Kong singer Eason Chan announced on Thursday on Chinese Twitter-like Sina Weibo and Facebook that a series of 25 concerts scheduled from December 9 to January 7 in Hong Kong, is canceled "in view of recent happenings" and because they "cannot predict and promise the safety of audience and the traffic conditions…," read the announcement.

The cancelation came two days after a gig by Taiwan pop singer Jay Chou in Hong Kong was postponed due to the similar reasons, which made a big splash on social media.

Chan's fans posted that they understand and support the decision and welcomed Chan to perform in the Chinese mainland as personal safety has been a big problem recently in Hong Kong, a city which has suffered months of anti-government protests which often escalated into violence and vandalism.

Fans even threatened on social media that they will form a group and come to Hong Kong to "give those rioters a lesson."

Many fans expressed their outrage toward the violent Hong Kong protesters who have destroyed their long-expected meeting with the idol and wasted their money.

"I spent HK$1,600 yuan [$204] buying a ticket which should cost HK$980 from scalpers and now I can only get a partial refund, which means I lost HK$620," a fan surnamed Li based in Hong Kong told the Global Times on Thursday.

Clockenflap, Hong Kong's biggest annual music and arts festival, which was due to be held at the Central Harbourfront Event Space from November 22 to 24 was also cancelled. "Due to the escalation of the crisis this week, and therefore the uncertainty this creates for the coming weeks, Clockenflap 2019 will be canceled," the organizer said on Facebook on November 15. 

Netizens noted the cancelation by the unrest in the city not only caused losses to both organizers and fans in terms of time, efforts and costs, but also makes them concerned about the city's future as an entertainment hub.

Observers said that as a melting pot of Eastern and Western cultures, Hong Kong is also considered a cultural center. However, the international metropolis has now descended into a culturally isolated island, said Tang Fei, a member of the Council of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies.

The city right now is not suitable to hold large-scale cultural activities, especially activities favored by young people, a small section of whom are not rational and go to extremes to threaten public security, said Li Xiaobing, an expert on Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan at Nankai University

Media reported that a concert by K-pop boy band GOT7 in Hong Kong, part of their world tour, which was scheduled for August 31 and September 1 was postponed.

2020 Hong Kong Formula E-Prix, a motorsport championship, was canceled in October over protest fears.




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