Letters | Do Hongkongers matter in mega-event plans? Coldplay ticket woes suggest not

Readers discuss the frustration of missing out on a coming mega event, how the US domestic economic agenda could ease US-China tensions and growing demand for bilingual skills

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A poster advertising Coldplay’s concert dates in Hong Kong are seen at a bus stop in Admiralty district on October 7. Photo: Elson Li

Published: 11:30am, 21 Oct 2024

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If the coming Coldplay concerts at the new Kai Tak stadium are intended to herald the arrival of true mega events in Hong Kong, the ticketing fiasco that many residents endured left us feeling more frustrated than celebratory.

This could have been an opportunity for the government to do something special to boost sentiment in and for the city, like Singapore did by securing Taylor Swift. The authorities could have subsidised the concert to make tickets more affordable for the public or ensured a certain number of tickets went to Hong Kong residents, thereby making the mega event at the new stadium more of a celebration. It would have been an acknowledgement to the people of Hong Kong that “we know the past few years have been challenging, but Hong Kong is back.”

Instead, for those of us who spent hours unsuccessfully trying to secure tickets, the experience left us feeling disappointed and duped by “the system”, in this case the bots and resellers who seem to have secured most of the tickets.

It would be interesting to know what percentage of the tickets were sold to residents, tourists and resellers. While I appreciate that mega events are intended to draw money-spending tourists to Hong Kong, they should also serve to spark a renewed sense of energy and optimism in Hongkongers given the challenges we have faced and the malaise that has set in for many.

If the Coldplay concerts are an indicator of the ticket-buying process for future events at the Kai Tak stadium, I’m concerned they will not enhance public sentiment as intended. To get their hands on tickets, some Hong Kong fans were even prepared to pay for hotel packages. We shouldn’t have to do this for our own events.