Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park ‘new stage’ for mega-events economy

Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park was off to a glittering, glamorous start on Saturday evening with a star-studded opening ceremony as the city’s leader hailed the project as a bridgehead for a mega-event economy and a state-of-the-art venue for sports, entertainment, tourism and exhibition extravaganzas.

“Tonight is a grand occasion, the opening of Kai Tak Sports Park – the largest sports, entertainment and mega-event complex in Hong Kong’s history, spanning over 28 hectares,” Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said to 33,600 attendees as he launched the two-hour show following Chinese-style drum and dance performances at 6.30pm.

“Formerly our Kai Tak Airport, this extensive piece of land opened Hong Kong to the world.”

Lee called on local and overseas singers to look at holding shows at Kai Tak Stadium as a measure of their success. They would see the “most enthusiastic and international crowds” there, he pledged.

“Today, we are witnesses to a state-of-the-art new stage for Hong Kong,” he said. “The magnificent, multipurpose Kai Tak Sports Park is a grand stage offering the most enjoyable experience for sports and recreation, entertainment and a whole lot more.”

On his social media, Lee said the HK$30 billion (US$3.9 billion) park was also set to foster the city’s international reputation as “a capital of mega-events”.