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Waterbomb splashes into Oz on festival’s world tour

K-pop festival Waterbomb will stage an Australian edition for the first time as it relaunches its international expansion.

The touring series plans to stop in Sydney later this year, picking up on the Waterbomb World Tour that faltered in 2024. Dates and performers will be announced in the coming months.

Waterbomb’s expansion comes after organisers failed to deliver its rapid global expansion last year, after it announced editions in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan, the UAE, Singapore, the US, the Philippines and Indonesia.

The only new editions to go ahead were Hong Kong, the UAE, and Singapore, while the event continued its tour of multiple South Korean and Japanese cities.

The Los Angeles edition was postponed due to “operational challenges” with less than three weeks to go to the event, while the Indonesian debut in Jakarta was delayed in October. Extreme weather and flooding forced the cancellation of the Taipei and Ho Chi Minh events. No new dates have been announced for these editions.

“We’ll return stronger and better prepared to deliver the Waterbomb experience you’ve been waiting for,” said organisers at the time of US cancellation.

In contrast, another Australian festival will not return his year

Four stops are already confirmed for 2025, with plans to return to China, and South Korea, where the Seoul edition has been held annually since the event launched in 2015. The festival will debut in Manila, Philippines and Bali, Indonesia next month, after pushing both countries’ inaugural editions late last year.

Artists due to perform in Manila include Kangdaniel, Dynamic Duo, Sulreggae, Chanyeol, Bambam, Viviz, and other K-pop, hip-hop and dance stars.

Though lineups vary by city, past performers have included Blackpink, aespa, TWICE’s Nayeon, American rapper Jay Park, and SHINEE’s Taemin, and South Korean singers Hwasa, Chung Ha, Bibi, Simon Dominic, and Jessi.

In contrast, the Australian festival Hello Sunshine will not be held this year. The family-friendly event was set to return to Melbourne for its third year and debut on the Gold Coast this March.

Organisers cited low ticket sales and rising production costs as reasons for the cancellation.

Stone Temple Pilots, Smash Mouth, Wolfmother, Kasey Chambers, Rogue Traders, and Drapht were on tap to headline the event.

The cancellation is the latest to hit the Australian festival sector. Last November, the debut edition of You & Me Festival was cancelled for similar reasons. They join several Oz festivals cancelled in the past year, including Splendour in the Grass, Groovin the Moo, and Return to Rio.

 


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Trial begins over Hong Kong LED screen collapse

Three project managers have gone on trial over the collapse of a giant LED screen, which fell on two dancers during a concert in Hong Kong over two years ago.

One dancer was critically injured in the incident at a show by boy band Mirror at Hong Kong Coliseum in July 2022, with a second dancer also hospitalised.

Two employees of main contractor Engineering Impact (EI) and another from its Infinity Project Management arm are on trial in the district court accused of deliberately under-reporting the weight of stage equipment in an attempt to speed up the government approval process.

According to the South China Morning Post, a subsequent investigation revealed the total weight of six overhanging screens used for the performance to be 9,852.5lbs – more than double the 3,600lbs claimed by the trio, who are jointly charged with conspiracy to defraud and an alternative charge of fraud.

The court also heard that eight public address speakers reported as 1,600lbs were found to weigh a total of 12,240lbs – more than seven times more.

The remainder of the tour was cancelled in the wake of the incident

Senior public prosecutor Kelvin Tang Ming-chung said the contractor would have been paid 10% less than it received had a re-design of the roof equipment been ordered, thus causing a delay to the concert.

A former manager of the Coliseum told the court the government department responsible for the venue’s operation had not issued guidelines on standards for suspension wires, but added that EI was responsible for ensuring the equipment fulfilled legal requirements.

The Standard reports that a project manager from the supplier of the 4x4m LED screen told the court it had been tilted a day before it fell, but no one recommended removing it or stopping its use.

Cantopop band Mirror formed in 2018 and were four nights into a 12-concert tour, the remainder of which was cancelled by promoter Music Nation in the wake of the incident.

The trial, which began earlier this month and is expected to last 18 days, continues.

 


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‘Hong Kong has always been a city in transition’

Clockenflap co-founder and head of music Justin Sweeting says the Hong Kong promoter has had its strongest year yet in terms of headline shows as it prepares for the return of its flagship festival next month.

The Magnetic Asia MD, who organises regular touring concerts in the region under the Clockenflap Presents banner, credits regional Asian talent with leading the charge, but notes to IQ there has been a cooling of the market from its post-Covid boom period.

“That peak has dipped now and we do see a general correction happening in recent times. So we’re very conscious, and as ever, highly selective about what we take on,” he says. “Hong Kong has always been a city in transition, and recent demographic shifts along with the general economic outlook and rising cost of living does for sure have knock on effects on our business.”

Sweeting lists shows by the likes of Slowdive, Ado, Girl In Red, Zutomayo, Parcels, Travis Japan, Explosions In The Sky, Yussef Dayes, Domi and JD Beck as 2024 highlights. However, the sector suffered a blow with the closure of the KITEC (Kowloon Bay International Trade & Exhibition Centre) earlier this year. The complex housed the 3,600-cap Music Zone, which hosted acts such as Tom Odell and Laufey.

“The major challenge of late has been venue availability, with a key venue hub – KITEC – closing down and leaving a void of spaces across various scales, which has yet to be filled. But there are new venues coming next year, along with the Kai Tak Sports Park, which will include stadium and arena options, all of which will provide much needed options and should put HK back on the map again for artists of various profiles.”

Kai Tak Sports Park, which will be operated by ASM Global, will be a new landmark for large-scale sports and entertainment in Hong Kong, featuring the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium with a retractable roof, the 10,000-cap Kai Tak Arena and the  5,000-cap Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground.

Coldplay will play three sold-out nights at the stadium – their first shows in Hong Kong since 2009 – next April as part of the Asia leg of their 2025 Music of the Spheres World Tour.

“We have a slew of fantastic headline shows coming in the next few months”

Live Nation acquired a majority stake in Clockenflap and its flagship music and arts festival last year.

Founded in 2008, the three-day, 30,000-cap event is one of Asia’s best-known festival brands. Its 2024 edition is set for Hong Kong’s Central Harbourfront from 29 November to 1 December, headlined by Jack White – who will be making his debut performance in Hong Kong – Air and Central Cee.

Also on the bill are the likes of St Vincent, Jamie xx, Suede, Glass Animals, Banks, Wisp, Serrini, Carl Wong And The Hats On Band ft Jer Lau, The Black Skirts, Misi Ke, Hiperson, Ena Mori and Turtle Island, Mother Mother, Porter Robinson, Fat Dog, A-Trak, Sim0ne, Partiboi69 and Dave Clarke.

“We’ve just announced our full lineup so it’s full steam ahead,” says Sweeting. “We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone through our gates come 29 November for another three days of solid gold goodness under the city’s neon skyline.”

Outside of the festival, Sweeting says the firm has “much more in the pipeline”.

“We have a slew of fantastic headline shows coming in the next few months: Yoasobi, Hyukoh & Sunset Rollercoaster, Cigarettes After Sex, Milet, Aurora, Mogwai and a collaboration between Ichiko Aoba and the HK Philharmonic, to name but a few.”

 


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Coldplay Music of the Spheres tour sales pass 10m

Coldplay have added new territories to their record-shattering Music Of The Spheres World Tour after ticket sales for the epic trek sailed past 10 million.

Launched in March 2022, the tour was recently confirmed by Billboard Boxscore to have grossed more than $1 billion – matching the feat of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

The 10 new performances in 2025 will include the British band’s first full-length headline touring performance in India since their 2016 performance at Global Citizen Festival. In addition, the quartet will play their first shows in Hong Kong since 2009, Abu Dhabi, UAE since 2016 and Seoul, South Korea since 2017, as they continue to fulfil their vow to reach every corner of the globe.

Coldplay, who are represented by Wasserman Music’s Marty Diamond and Larry Webman in North America and WME’s Josh Javor for the rest of the world, have confirmed they will release a limited number of Infinity Tickets, which are released for every Coldplay show and cost the local currency equivalent of €20 per ticket.

Tickets must be bought in pairs and are restricted to a maximum of two per purchaser. Locations are revealed when fans pick up their tickets in person at the box office on the day of the show.

“Coldplay are the perfect example of a UK band who came through the grassroots circuit on their way to worldwide stadium-filling success”

Earlier this week, Coldplay confirmed six new shows at London’s Wembley Stadium (22-23, 26-27 & 30-31 August) and two at Hull’s Craven Park Stadium (18-19 August) – the only European cities where they will perform next year. The band have pledged that 10% of proceeds from the 2025 UK dates will be donated to grassroots venues organisation, the Music Venue Trust (MVT).

Kicking off in March 2022, the Music of the Spheres Tour has now sold more than 10 million tickets across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, making it the most highly attended tour by a group of all time.

The group are partnering with DHL on the tour to support their mission to cut tour emissions by 50%. Over the summer, the band delivered an update on their sustainability initiatives, revealing that, on a show-by-show comparison, the current tour has so far produced 59% less CO2e emissions than their previous stadium tour in 2016/17, exceeding their original target. More than nine million trees have already been planted around the world, with a further million to be planted before the end of the year.

Back in June, meanwhile, it was announced that Coldplay would be part of an advisory committee for their study of the live music industry’s carbon footprint.

Their newly announced Asia, India and UAE tour dates are as follows:

January 2025

11: Abu Dhabi, UAE – Zayed Sports City Stadium

18: Mumbai, India – DY Patil Sports Stadium

19: Mumbai, India – DY Patil Sports Stadium

April 2025

09: Hong Kong – Kai Tak Stadium

11: Hong Kong – Kai Tak Stadium

12: Hong Kong – Kai Tak Stadium

16: Seoul – Goyang Stadium

18: Seoul – Goyang Stadium

19: Seoul – Goyang Stadium

22: Seoul – Goyang Stadium

 


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Justice to headline new Hong Kong festival

Cultural festival Hypefest will make its Hong Kong debut in November with a headline performance by Grammy Award-winning electronic duo Justice.

The festival was launched in Brooklyn, New York, in 2018 by the global culture and lifestyle platform Hypebeast, and has since expanded to mainland China.

Now, organisers are shipping the brand to Hong Kong for a two-day outdoor festival at the Central Harbourfront on 9 and 10 November.

The 30,000-capacity event will mark Justice’s first performance in the city since 2015. The duo will be supported by American singer-songwriter d4vd, local band N.Y.P.D, South Korean singer-songwriter Dean and Thai rapper Milli among others.

“We’re excited to bring Hypefest to Hong Kong, the city where our headquarters are based”

Hypefest Hong Kong is funded by local authorities as part of wider efforts to bolster the economy, boost tourism and promote the city as a regional arts hub.

The government has set aside HK$15 million (€1.7m) for the event as part of its Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund.

Kevin Ma, founder and CEO of festival organiser Hypebeast, says: “We’re excited to bring Hypefest to Hong Kong, the city where our headquarters are based. As a significant international hub for arts and culture, we want to create an unforgettable experience for our local community.”

Hypebeast says the festival aims to boost tourism, cement Hong Kong’s status as a premier travel destination and serve as a platform for cultural exchange and community engagement, which could bring “long-term benefits for Hong Kong’s economy and global appeal”.

Standard one-day tickets will cost HK$680 (€78) and HK$988 (€114) for the weekend, while two-day early-bird tickets are available for HK$788 (€91).

The inaugural Hypefest in Brooklyn was free of charge and featured rapper Trippie Redd and rock band No Vacancy.

The second and third editions were held in mainland China, with last year’s event taking place in Qinhuangdao and drawing 15,000 visitors. Another iteration was held in Hangzhou earlier this year and attracted 30,000 revellers.


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K-pop festival Waterbomb splashes into new markets

Touring K-pop festival series Waterbomb Festival is expanding to several global markets this year, with new editions set for the US, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan, the UAE, Singapore, and China.

Set to kick off this May in Xiamen, China, the international series will take water-soaked stars to Hong Kong in June before touring South Korea and Japan in July and more cities across both, plus Singapore, in August. A Bangkok edition has been set for September, with stints in Los Angeles, Ho Chi Minh City, Taipei, and Dubai to be announced.

First held in 2015 in Seoul, South Korea, the festival series first expanded to new markets in 2023 with two editions in Japan and one in Bangkok. This year, the series will visit nine cities in South Korea, four in Japan, and one in Thailand, along with the new editions.

The event was launched by Hong Kong-based streaming platform Viu and Singapore-based Evergreen Group Holdings, with local promoters helping bring it to new territories.

The K-pop genre continues to soar to new hights and into new markets

As the name suggests, Waterbomb intertwines various water activities alongside local and international lineups of K-pop, hip-hop, and EDM performers. Though lineups vary by city, performers include K-pop supergroup TWICE’s Nayeon, American rapper Jay Park, and SHINEE’s Taemin, and South Korean singers Hwasa, Chung Ha, and Bibi, among a variety of others. Former performers include Blackpink, aespa, Simon Dominic, and Jessi.

The K-pop genre continues to soar to new heights and into new markets, with behemoth HYBE reporting its concert revenue skyrocketed by 40% in 2023, reaching KRW 359.1 billion (€253m) in the year. Last autumn, fellow agency SM Entertainment announced its Q3 revenue surged 40% year-on-year, partly attributed to their star’s expansive world tours.

KCON, the world’s biggest K-pop and culture convention, also expanded to a fifth region this year, adding Hong Kong to its 2024 lineup of Japan, Los Angeles, Saudia Arabia, and to-be-announced Europe.

The 2024 schedule is as follows:

May
18-18: Xiamen, China

June
1-2: Hong Kong

July
5-7: Seoul, South Korea
13: Jeju, South Korea
13: Fukuoka, Japan
20: Daegu, South Korea
27: Busan, South Korea
27-28: Tokyo, Japan

August
3: Incheon, South Korea
10: Daejeon, South Korea
10: Osaka, Japan
17: Sokcho, South Korea
17: Nagoya, Japan
24: Suwon, South Korea
24-25: Singapore, Singapore
31: Gwangju, South Korea

September
TBA: Bangkok

TBA
Los Angeles, United States
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Taipei, Taiwan
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

 


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Fines levied over Hong Kong video screen collapse

Three companies have been fined in connection with the incident in which a giant video screen fell on two dancers during a concert in Hong Kong.

One dancer was critically injured in the incident, which took place during a show by Cantopop boy band Mirror at Hong Kong Coliseum on 28 July 2022. A second dancer was also hospitalised but not seriously injured.

An investigation also found that another dancer suffered injuries to his chest, knee and neck after falling up to three metres during a rehearsal for the first concert on 25 July after an elevating platform failed to ascend to the stage.

The South China Morning Post reports that contractor Hip Hing Loong Stage Engineering Company (HHLSEC) was fined HK$420,000 (€49.350) by a magistrate at Kowloon City Court last week after admitting six counts of failing to ensure the safety of their employees, failing to ensure that devices were safe and failing to notify authorities of accidents.

Two other firms, main contractor Engineering Impact and the Studiodanz Company, were fined $220,000 and $132,000, respectively, last November.

In mitigation for HHLSEC, Kelvin Lai Kin-wah told the court the accident was “extremely unfortunate” and the company, which had worked on thousands of events, expressed “extreme remorse”.

However, acting principal magistrate David Ko Wai-hung said Hip Hing Loong was critical of the firm’s practice of only carrying out visual inspections of suspended stage installations, stressing that it  had an “unshirkable responsibility” to ensure the system could bear the weight of the LED screen.

“As stage designs become more innovative and complicated, the greater the need for professionals to supervise and manage the equipment”

“I would call this an industry loophole,” he said. “Just because it has not happened before, does not mean it will not happen in the future. As stage designs become more innovative and complicated, the greater the need for professionals to supervise and manage the equipment, instead of just relying on experience.”

In its official report released last year, a government task force concluded a wire rope tied to the LED panel snapped due to “metal fatigue”.

It stated: “The causes include (1) inferior conditions of the rope, with the breaking strength of the wire rope being lower than the lowest breaking strength of a normal one; (2) the actual weight of the LED panel being much heavier than what was reported; (3) a problematic winch installation system making the rope guard difficult to rotate, causing damage to the rope surface and inducing extra load on the rope, leading to plastic deformation; and (4) poor workmanship on the assembly and installation of the LED panel suspension system.”

Engineering Impact pleaded guilty last year to four offences, including failing to ensure that devices were safe, failing to notify the occupational safety officer of a serious accident within 24 hours and failing to give notice of an accident. Studiodanz admitted five offences, including failing to ensure the health and safety of employees, failing to give notice of accidents to employees and failing to provide them insurance coverage.

The performance by Mirror was part of a planned 12-concert run by the 12-member group. The remaining shows in the series were cancelled.

Mirror, who formed in 2018, launched their Feel The Passion Tour last week, starting off 16 shows at Hong Kong’s AsiaWorld Arena between 15 January and 3 February. They will then visit the UK in March for shows at The O2 in London and Manchester’s AO Arena, with dates to follow in Macau, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Toronto.

 


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World’s biggest K-pop fest expands to fifth region

KCON, the Korean pop music and culture convention operated by Korea’s largest media conglomerate CJ ENM, will hold five editions in 2024.

This year, the world’s biggest K-pop festival will visit Hong Kong for the first time, before heading to Japan, the US, Europe and Saudi Arabia.

The Hong Kong edition will be held on 30-31 March at the AsiaWorld Expo, a 10,000-seater venue adjacent to the airport.

KCON will use the arena and conference facilities to create a multi-faceted event that features concerts and a full convention of exhibitor booths covering many aspects of Korean culture.

“Hong Kong ranks 6th in K-pop album sales and is emerging as a key location for K-pop stars to perform”

“Hong Kong ranks 6th in K-pop album sales and is emerging as a key location for K-pop stars to perform. [It is] a central hub for fans to experience KCON from more regions across Asia,” CJ ENM said.

KCON organisers say they plan to expand the scale of the K-pop festival in 2024 by reaching larger venues and building out stronger production.

The festival will take place in Japan on 10-12 May and in Los Angeles between 26–28 July, though locations haven’t been announced. Editions in Saudi Arabia and Europe will take place on unspecified dates in the second half of the year.

KCON began in US in 2012 and has since been held in Japan, United Arab Emirates, France, Mexico, Australia, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia. Over 12 years, it has amassed an attendance figure of around 1.65 million in 9 countries.

In 2023, it toured four regions: Thailand (March), Japan (May), Los Angeles (August), and Saudi Arabia (October).

 


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UV lights ’cause vision issues’ for ApeFest-goers

UV lights are believed to have been the cause of eye pain, vision issues and skin irritation experienced by attendees and staff at this month’s ApeFest in Hong Kong.

The first international edition of the annual NFT festival, held for members of the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) from 3-5 November, featured attractions such as a live DJ, merchandise and Bored Ape-branded experiences.

Host Yuga Labs began receiving reports of issues shortly after a Saturday night community event.

“These reports were – and continue to be – deeply concerning to us,” says BAYC on X. “We immediately reached out to impacted attendees to learn of their symptoms and to direct our investigation.

“Simultaneously, we commenced an investigation that included a thorough review of inventory records, material logs, and spec sheets (including paint and lighting), interviewing contractors who provided and built ApeFest installations, and conducting testing and on-site inspections.”

“UV-A emitting lights installed in one corner of the event was likely the cause of the reported issues”

The investigation, conducted in collaboration with ApeFest producer Jack Morton Worldwide, concluded “UV-A emitting lights installed in one corner of the event was likely the cause of the reported issues related to attendees’ eyes and skin.”

“We acknowledge that members of the community and general public have suggested a similar conclusion and we appreciate the patience of the community as we gathered evidence to support this determination,” it continues. “We continue to encourage anyone experiencing symptoms to seek medical attention and share these findings with their medical provider.”

More than 2,200 people from 60 countries attended the third annual festival, which was the first to be staged outside New York.

“Community is the heart of Yuga and the purpose of ApeFest is to bring the community together IRL,” adds the BAYC. “We are saddened that this incident has detracted from the experience of ApeFest attendees. Along with Jack Morton, we are committed to supporting the recovery of anyone affected.”

 


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Clockenflap unveils second 2023 edition

A second 2023 edition of Clockenflap, Hong Kong’s biggest international outdoor music and arts festival, is planned for December.

The 30,000-capacity festival returned to Central Harbourfront Event Space between 3–5 March with a line-up including Arctic Monkeys, Balming Tiger and Bombay Bicycle Club – and sold out for the first time in its 15-year history.

It was the first time the festival had taken place since 2018, with the final pre-coronavirus edition (2019) cancelled at the last minute due to pro-democracy protests. The 2020 and 2021 editions were both cancelled due to strict restrictions on large-scale outdoor events.

Making up for lost time, the organisers of the festival – which was acquired by Live Nation soon after the March event – have planned a second 2023 instalment.

“I’ve always wanted Clockenflap to be one of the very best city-based festival experiences in the world, and that won’t change”

Pulp, Joji and Yoasobi will headline the 1–3 December affair at the Central Harbourfront. Idles, Caroline Polachek, No Party For Cao Dong, D4vd, BBNO$, Alex G, Novo Amor, Yard Act, Atarashii Gakko!, Kamaal Williams and Otoboke Beaver are also due to perform.

Ticket prices for the second 2023 edition have risen almost 23% to HK$1,990 for a 3-day pass, following the buy-out by Live Nation.

Clockenflap co-founder and music director Justin Sweeting told IQ he believes the new partnership with Live Nation will help cement its worldwide reputation.

“I’ve always wanted Clockenflap to be one of the very best city-based festival experiences in the world, and that won’t change,” he said, the day after the acquisition. “We’ll always look to continuously improve as we evolve.”

 


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