The annual music marathon Wild Day Out is celebrating its sixth anniversary with a new venue and a ghoulish makeover to make the most of Hongkongers' growing enthusiasm for Halloween. 'People now are more excited about Halloween than Christmas. I can't wait to see the chemistry when rock'n'roll meets the spooky side. That's why we moved the show from its usual time slot in January to October,' says Flora Kwong Man-wai, director of event organiser Wow Music. Since Wild Day Out was forced from its original venue at the Tamar site in 2006, it had been held at the West Kowloon Pop TV Arena, but moves this year to Sha Tin racecourse, which can accommodate 85,000 fans. Kwong says the new venue is creating a lot of excitement. 'We're able to put on a larger-scale concert this year because of the amazing venue,' she says. Performers say the new venue will encourage the audience to become more involved. 'The view is beautiful and perfect for an outdoor concert. In other indoor venues, the audiences are more constrained, and only sit there and watch,' says Canto-pop rocker Louis Cheung Kai-chung, who will be making his third appearance at the show. The racecourse will be transformed into a haunted house for the event with abundant ghoulish decorations and stars dressed up in Halloween costumes. The show features a diverse lineup of performers including Taiwanese pop idol Show Luo Zhi-xiang and Mavis Fan Hsiao-shuan, Taiwan-based Singaporean Tanya Chua Chian Ya, South Korean boy band TMAX, and local rockers Paul Wong Koon-chung as well as Cheung. It will feature longer performances, with each singer's allotted time increased from 20 to 45 minutes. Artists will be divided by genre - funky dance beats, rock, folk, and acoustic - and perform in four mini concerts. Cheung has prepared songs from his latest EP, B.C., and other previous albums, that are 'hot, groovy and raw'. Folk singer Chua will perform mostly acoustic versions of her own songs and covers of Bob Dylan tunes. The more than 20 acts include some local indie bands, such as inLove and Sugar Club. 'It's a great chance for us to learn from veteran singers. I've never seen them perform at such close quarters,' says Candy Wong, who fronts Sugar Club. The artists say outdoor events such as this are key to a healthier music scene. 'Live shows can arouse audiences' passion for music because they can feel the power of the music in a way that the albums can't reproduce,' says Cheung. Chua agrees. 'It's live, so anything can happen. That spontaneity can't be recreated in a studio. Singing live is about being in the moment. The energy between singer and audience is unbeatable. I feel there's somebody to sing to.' Chua, who's also making her third appearance at Wild Day Out, says the warm reception she gets from the Hong Kong crowd keeps her coming back for more. 'They've been spoiled for choice. They're used to live performances and have high expectations. They're warm and can get real crazy. It's also a great chance for me to prove my musicianship,' she says. With the new venue, organisers are hoping Wild Day Out will finally take its rightful place as one of Hong Kong's signature outdoor concerts. 'It's all about getting wild with the music for a total of nine hours with these passionate artists ... simple as that,' Kwong says. Wild Day Out Grand Show, Oct 31, 1pm-10pm, Sha Tin Racecourse, HK$170-HK$380. For more details, go to wowmusic.hk