Hong Kong’s largest annual LGBTQ carnival has been cancelled for the second year in a row after failing to secure a venue and the relevant event licences, according to its organiser.
Pink Dot HK announced on Monday that it was forced to cancel this year’s festival after property manager Link Reit pulled its offer to rent two venues to the advocacy group.
The event was scheduled to be held at Stanley Plaza and Murray House on June 14, after Link Reit earlier pledged its support and facilitation and entered into multiple rounds of discussions with Pink Dot HK.
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However, about a month before the event, the company informed the LGBTQ organisation that it would not be able to rent the venues after all, citing “licensing issues”.
“With just one month to go until the scheduled event date, we have been diligently following procedures to apply for the necessary licences but have not yet received approval from the relevant authorities,” Pink Dot HK said in a social media statement.
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“We have had to make the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Pink Dot HK outdoor carnival,” it added, citing the “tight timeline” and “uncertainties”, including the involvement of numerous partner organisations.