ST Picks Coldplay new arena breathe life into HK s dream to be major concert hub

HONG KONG – Hong Kong appears to be off to a solid start in its bid to become a top concert destination in Asia, with British rock band Coldplay as the first major international act to perform at the city’s new mega stadium on April 8.

But the jury is still out on whether Hong Kong can rival other established concert venues in the region, such as Australia, Japan and Singapore.

“But if you never try, you’ll never know just what you’re worth,” Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin sang in Fix You, one of the band’s most popular hits, on the first night of the show at Kai Tak Sports Park.

Coldplay is playing four nights in Hong Kong, from April 8 to 12, as part of its Music of the Spheres World Tour. It is the band’s first concert in the city since 2009.

Several fans from abroad said they found the concert experience in Hong Kong comparable with the band’s other performances at top venues elsewhere.

“The concert was great, as good as the ones I’ve caught elsewhere,” an upbeat American Coldplay fan, Mr Shawn Perrin, told The Straits Times outside the stadium after the show.

Mr Perrin was in Hong Kong for three days for the event, his fourth Coldplay concert after attending others in Los Angeles, San Diego and Helsinki.

“It was easy getting here via Uber from our hotel in Wan Chai,” he said, adding that there were many signs directing human traffic and no road congestion despite the crowd.

Another Coldplay fan, David, an insurance professional who wanted to be known only by his first name for privacy reasons, said his “high-quality” experience in Hong Kong rivalled the show he attended in Singapore.

The band has performed four times in Singapore – in January