A RECORD $30 million surplus was reaped from renting the two major Urban Council venues for entertainment programmes this year.

The stadia - the Hongkong Coliseum and the Queen Elizabeth Stadium - were popular venues for concerts, variety shows and all kinds of programmes.

Usage rate of the Coliseum has increased from 85 per cent to 91 per cent over the year, while that of the Queen Elizabeth Stadium rose from 53.3 per cent to 60 per cent.

It is expected that the two stadia will remain self-sufficient with a further rise in revenue next year from an increase in usage rate and advertising income generated from the Coliseum's electronic display ''Megavision''.