Editor’s note: China Daily is launching a new series to examine how some of the latest development projects in Hong Kong enhance the urban landscape, drive economic growth, foster community engagement, and solidify the city’s status as a global metropolis. The inaugural report puts the city’s landmark multipurpose sports park under the lens.
Kai Tak Sports Park, Hong Kong’s largest-ever sports facility, is set to address the city’s lack of topflight venues.
The new HK$31.9 billion ($4.1 billion) mega stadium complex will allow the city to host world-class sporting and entertainment events while fostering local sports culture, officials and experts say.
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The 28-hectare park, featuring a state-of-the-art 50,000-seat stadium, is expected to become a major draw for international events and audiences. Its opening on March 1 will kick off with a lineup of high-profile events, including the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament and a concert by world-renowned band Coldplay. In November, the venue will host competitions in the 15th National Games — the first Games jointly hosted by Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong province.
Built on reclaimed land on the site of the former Kai Tak Airport, the park’s centerpiece, Kai Tak Stadium, boasts a retractable roof, a versatile pitch, and a striking facade made of 27,000 color-changing aluminum panels. Complementing the stadium are the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, designed for athletics and community activities, and the indoor Kai Tak Arena, which can accommodate up to 10,000 spectators.
Hong Kong has long faced challenges in hosting large-scale events due to limited venue capacity. Existing facilities, such as the Hong Kong Coliseum (12,500 capacity), AsiaWorld-Arena (14,000), and Hong Kong Stadium (40,000) have long been fully booked and require entertainers to apply up to a year ahead, thus lack appeal for global superstars and major sporting events. This has hindered the city’s ability to attract top-tier events and develop local sports talent, observers say.
Lobo Louie Hung-tak, associate head of the Education University of Hong Kong’s health and physical education department, and a member of the Sports Commission of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, emphasized the park’s transformative potential.
“As an important sports facility, the park is fundamental to the development of sports and cultural activities in Hong Kong,” he said.
Its diverse venues cater to a wide range of needs, from elite competitions to community fitness programs, while the retractable roof ensures events can proceed regardless of weather conditions, thus reducing scheduling risks, Louie explained.
Experts have said that the park’s opening is expected to provide a significant boost to Hong Kong’s sports and entertainment sectors.
Louie emphasized that, moving forward, the Major Sports Events Committee — operating under the Sports Commission — must intensify its efforts to identify suitable sports and cultural events for the main venue. This could include coordinating with governing bodies and relevant organizations of major team sports to arrange competitions and other high-profile events.
By hosting prominent events like the Hong Kong Sevens and the Coldplay concert, the park will not only attract international attention but also create opportunities for local athletes to compete on home soil, enhancing their performance and strengthening the city’s sports culture.
The Hong Kong Sports Institute, which trains elite athletes for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, highlighted the park’s role in enabling more top-drawer competitions locally.
“Competing in familiar environments with the support of local fans will inspire our athletes and give the public more opportunities to enjoy elite competitions,” the institute said in a statement provided to China Daily.
Beyond sports, the park is central to Hong Kong’s ambition to become a global entertainment hub.
In recent years, local pop fans have vented their frustrations that the city has lost out to regional competitors like Singapore, Tokyo, and Seoul in attracting world-renowned artists due to inadequate facilities.
For instance, Taylor Swift bypassed Hong Kong during the Asian leg of her Eras Tour, which began in Glendale, Arizona, in March 2023, and concluded in Vancouver, British Columbia, in December 2024.
Instead, she opted for Tokyo and Singapore. When questioned about this in 2023, then-secretary for culture, sports and tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung cited fully booked venues, emphasizing the need for more large-scale event spaces in Hong Kong.
Analysts emphasize that large, weather-proof venues like the Kai Tak Stadium are critical for superstar concerts as they offset high production costs and ensure seamless performances.
For instance, globally favored arenas like Los Angeles’ 70,000-seat SoFi Stadium and Tokyo’s 68,000-seat Japan National Stadium exemplify the scale required for such events.
In contrast, Hong Kong’s current offerings face stark limitations.
Lawmaker Kenneth Fok Kai-kong told China Daily that most local concert-ready facilities hold fewer than 20,000 seats, with organizers forced to book time slots up to a year in advance amid overwhelming demand.
“The lack of adequate venues stifles our ability to compete in the mega-event economy,” he said.
Fok urged authorities to move beyond the outdated notion that concerts rely solely on market forces. Instead, he called for proactive efforts to reach out to global superstars and invite them to perform in Hong Kong.
“By doing so, the city can compete more effectively in the global battle for mega-events,” he added.
Coldplay’s upcoming concert at Kai Tak Stadium — their first in Hong Kong since 2009 — is seen as a testament to the park’s potential to attract top-tier acts.
Jacky Yang, a fourth-year college student in Hong Kong who recently secured a HK$1,699 ticket to the Coldplay concert, expressed excitement about the new venue.
“I’ve traveled overseas multiple times for concerts, including Taylor Swift’s performance in Singapore last March with some 63,000 fans around me,” said the 22-year-old majoring in global China studies.
“Having a world-class venue in Hong Kong means we no longer have to venture far for such spectacular events,” he said.
The economic benefits of hosting large-scale events are significant.
According to the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Hong Kong hosted an annual average of 350 large-scale concerts in 2023 and 2024, attracting a total of 4.2 million attendees, including 1.5 million inbound visitors. These events generated about HK$3.7 billion in visitor spending, which equaled HK$2.2 billion in economic value added.
In response to a lawmaker’s inquiries in January, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui highlighted the fiscal rewards of hosting global superstars.
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She said concerts featuring nonlocal performers and support teams have generated close to HK$100 million in direct spending and significant rent revenue during the past two years.
“With the completion of Kai Tak Sports Park, Hong Kong will be well-positioned to host more such events, solidifying its status as a prime location for major pop events,” Law said.
