Published: 1:18pm, 6 Sep 2025Updated: 6:59pm, 6 Sep 2025
More than 100 angry customers are planning to take legal action against a trouble-plagued hot-air balloon festival in Hong Kong while customs has launched an investigation into whether the organiser has broken the law by failing to deliver services.
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Visitors to the AIA International Hot Air Balloon Fest Hong Kong at the Central harbourfront faced disappointment for a third day on Saturday, as high temperatures forced organisers to deflate displays again in the morning.
The HK$30 million four-day event, which runs until Sunday, first drew fire after the organiser failed to get a licence for tethered balloon rides it had advertised, with affected customers and the consumer watchdog urging it to offer refunds.
The festival, which includes nightly music shows, took another hit on Saturday as singer Endy Chow Kwok-yin was forced to pull out after suffering from food poisoning.
In a social media post, Chow apologised to his fans who had bought tickets and said that he would cover their transport and hotel expenses.
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An approaching storm also added to the organiser’s troubles, with the Observatory set to issue the No 3 typhoon signal before 3am on Sunday.