Coldplay will perform at Hong Kong’s soon-to-open mega stadium early next year: sources. Photo: Getty ImagesBritish rock band Coldplay will perform at Hong Kong’s new 50,000-seat Kai Tak Sports Park in early 2025, marking the stadium’s debut as a major event venue, the Post has learned.
Two separate sources told the SCMP on Tuesday that ticket sales would launch around the start of 2025.
The concert series is one of the first major events lined up for the stadium, which is part of a HK$30 billion (US$3.8 billion) project expected to open during the first quarter of 2025.
“Coldplay’s concerts will be among the mega events by global performers held in Kai Tak because of its 50,000-seat facility,” the first source said.
The wider site includes the main stadium, an indoor sports centre and a public sports ground, among other facilities. The stadium can operate at a maximum capacity of 65,000 people.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Sunday highlighted the importance of the stadium as the city’s largest and newest destination for sports, dining and shopping, and entertainment.
He instructed authorities to be well-prepared for its opening in the first quarter of next year, with the launch to feature local pop stars and athletes.
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He also tasked authorities with coming up with solutions to ensure crowds could smoothly enter and exit the facility during big events.
“Crowd disperse and management is a key part of the preparation for the mega events, which a cross-departmental task force is working on with transport stakeholders such as the MTR Corporation,” the second source said.
Coldplay’s last show in Hong Kong was in 2009 at the AsiaWorld-Expo in Chek Lap Kok.
Last year, Hong Kong was left in the dust as major acts, including Coldplay and American singer Taylor Swift, skipped the city when they announced the Asian legs of their tours.
Coldplay also held shows in Manila and Bangkok, while reports later emerged that Singapore had struck a six-figure deal with Swift for exclusive Southeast Asian performance rights, drawing ire from neighbouring countries such as Thailand.
Singaporean authorities believe the combined 12 shows by Swift and Coldplay at its 55,000-capacity National Stadium generated up to S$450 million (HK$2.7 billion) in tourism receipts, with half the audience believed to be incoming visitors.
Industry insiders earlier expressed hope that the mega stadium in Kai Tak could help boost Hong Kong’s mega events economy, with many saying big acts were skipping the city because of a lack of large-capacity venues.
The stadium is also a confirmed venue for multiple events under the 2025 National Games, which Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau will jointly host in November of next year.