Clockenflap December 2023 line-up: Pulp, Yoasobi and Joji headline, plus Idles, Caroline Polachek, Prep and lots more
- The December 2023 edition of Hong Kong’s premier music festival veers more towards contemporary and alternative acts than the March 2023 version
- Also in the line-up: D4vd, Wednesday Campanella, Leah Dou Jingtong, Running Youth, Squid, Yard Act, Andy Shauf, Envy, Deekline & Ed Solo, and more
Britpop legends Pulp, J-pop duo Yoasobi and Australian-Japanese soul musician Joji will headline the December 2023 edition of Clockenflap, Hong Kong’s landmark music festival, alongside other international big names such as Idles, Caroline Polachek and Prep.
After serving some good old March madness to Hong Kong earlier this year, the Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival has just announced most of its line-up for December 1 to 3 at the Central Harbourfront event space.
Internationally well-known pop artists will include US singer-songwriters Caroline Polachek, of “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings”, and 18-year-old D4vd.
J-pop group Wednesday Campanella, who previously played in Hong Kong in 2017, will mark their comeback with new lead singer Utaha.
Rock enthusiasts can expect roaring sets from new and established bands from around the world, as well as a rotation of reputable British bands such as the post-punk powerhouse Idles from Bristol, the experimental Squid from Brighton, and indie rockers Yard Act from Yorkshire.
Rock fans can also see Japanese hardcore legends Envy, Canadian folk rock singer-songwriter Andy Shauf, US post-rock band Caspian and the all-female Otoboke Beaver of Japanese punk.
Similarly, mainland China’s underground music scene will be represented with Hebei’s alt-rock Omnipotent Youth Society, Dalian’s instrumental rockers Wang Wen, Beijing-based The Fly, and indie punk darlings Gong Gong Gong.
For electronic connoisseurs, English DJ and producer Darren Emerson will make his Clockenflap debut, while Australian electro-house spinners Peking Duk return to the festival, having played in 2018 at the last “normal” Clockenflap.
There will also be UK bass-heavy players Deekline & Ed Solo, Berlin-based Cinthie and Hong Kong’s very own classical violinist turned DJ, Xiaolin.
Local indie acts include hip-hop collective Yack Studio, who will make their debut live performance, while Science Noodles, from Hong Kong and Taiwan, will bring their old-school lo-fi tunes.
There are more names to be announced, and other activities and entertainment are still under wraps.
Tickets started selling online today at 3pm, priced at HK$1,990 (US$255) for the three-day weekend and HK$1,280 for single-day admissions. Tickets are required but discounted for children under age 18, while children under three years old can attend the festival for free with no preregistration.
While the March festival featured more classic acts such as Wu-Tang Clan, Arctic Monkeys and The Cardigans to break Clockenflap’s silence, the December iteration seems to highlight more contemporary and slightly alternative acts, which are equally exciting.
