Hong Kong held more than 110 mega-events in the first half of 2024 as part of government efforts to bolster the local economy, with some activities struggling to get off the ground and a few even attracting controversy.
From football fiascos, drone show failures to multimillion-dollar balloons, the Post looks back on some of Hong Kong’s mega-event misses over the past year.
1. Taylor cannot come to the phone right now
As global superstar Taylor Swift made her way around the world for her Eras Tour, Hong Kong could only look on as nearby Singapore welcomed tens of thousands of Swifties to the city state in March for six sold-out shows.
Some estimates suggested that the resulting surge in tourists coming to Singapore could increase its gross domestic product in the first quarter by 0.2 per cent.
Global news outlets at the time also reported that Swift’s concert promoter and the Singaporean government were believed to have signed an exclusive deal, quoting Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who said he was informed of a proposed arrangement worth up to US$3 million.
Over in Hong Kong, lawmakers grilled authorities on their efforts to attract top pop stars to the city, with then tourism minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung saying it was ultimately up to the market regarding which stars came to the city.