A lawmaker has challenged the government’s claim of “100 per cent usage” at the Hong Kong Coliseum and demanded greater transparency on venue approval policies, adding “multiple” pop stars’ applications to perform there had been repeatedly rejected.
The war of words between Lawmaker Adrian Ho King-hong and the new secretary for culture, sports and tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui intensified on Tuesday, as the former lamented the “pathetically few” number of shows at the premier concert venue in Hung Hom this year and none during the coming Lunar New Year period.
Law on Monday said the Coliseum was one of the most popular concert venues in the city, with “full dress rehearsals” often taking place, including for singer Andy Lau Tak-wah’s concert tour which begins on Tuesday night.
But in a Facebook post on Tuesday morning, Ho rebutted: “Multiple pop stars have told me personally their applications to perform at the Coliseum in the past years have been turned down a few times to more than 10 in a row with no explanations. It feels bafflingly unfair.”
Ho questioned whether there were guidelines or approval mechanisms for concert applications and urged that such information be made public for transparency, especially as Hong Kong sought to promote tourism as a key driver of its economic growth.
“The authorities are not responding to the demand, which is essentially surrendering … soft power to cities in the Greater Bay Area which have reaped enormous economic benefits,” he added.