Hong Kong’s John Lee orders ‘many drills’ at Kai Tak stadium ahead of Coldplay shows, opening

Hong Kong’s leader has ordered the government to hold “many drills” under different weather conditions at a new mega stadium starting in November, ahead of its opening and Coldplay’s concerts next year.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Tuesday at least 50 companies or organisations had expressed interest in arranging events at Kai Tak Sports Park, a mega project that features a 50,000-seat main stadium.

He added he had asked an interdepartmental task force to ensure the smooth and timely commissioning of the park, due to open in the first quarter of next year and set to host Coldplay’s first performances in Hong Kong since 2009 on April 9, 11 and 12.

“I have requested them to conduct many drills. These drills should not only focus on the number of people, but also different time slots and weather conditions,” he said before a weekly meeting of the government’s key decision-making Executive Council.

“The purpose of these drills is to ensure the operator knows what improvements to be made, especially on dispersing the crowd. If the event has 50,000 people or more, how can we ensure a smooth crowd dispersal?”