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Hong Kong’s biggest music festival Clockenflap cancelled after protests escalate

  • Clockenflap festival set to host Halsey, Babymetal and Mumford and Sons becomes latest to be scrapped ‘due to the escalation of the crisis this week’
  • Ticket-holders will receive full refunds, organiser Magnetic Asia confirms

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Japanese rock group Babymetal will not be performing in Hong Kong next weekend after organisers pull plug on Clockenflap festival
Adam Wright

Hong Kong’s biggest annual music and arts festival has been cancelled after the escalation of the anti-government protests that have shaken the city for almost six months, organisers announced on Friday.

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Clockenflap was due to be held at the Central Harbourfront Event Space from November 22 to 24 and organisers had been pushing ahead despite the cancellation of numerous other large-scale events, including Friday’s annual Oxfam Trailwalker race, the Rolling Loud hip-hop festival (October 19 to 20) and the Wine & Dine Festival (October 31 to November 3).

However, after a week that saw Hong Kong rocked by daily protests across most of the city’s districts, festival organiser Magnetic Asia finally pulled the plug on Friday night.

Organisers pulled the plug on the event seven days ahead of the opening night. Photo: James Wendlinger
Organisers pulled the plug on the event seven days ahead of the opening night. Photo: James Wendlinger

“Due to the escalation of the crisis this week, and therefore the uncertainty this creates for the coming weeks, Clockenflap 2019 will be cancelled,” the organisers said in a statement. “Until this week we were fully committed to delivering the festival. Unfortunately, the situation has now made this impossible.”

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American singer-songwriter Halsey, controversial US rapper Lil Pump, British band Mumford & Sons and cute Japanese headbangers Babymetal were all set to play the festival.

“While it pains every one of us at Magnetic Asia to cancel Clockenflap 2019, we still believe in bringing people together in positive ways, and will continue to unite people through the power of music and arts,” the statement added.

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