Coronavirus forces Hong Kong indie club Hidden Agenda to close down

One of Hong Kong’s few independent venues for live indie music, Hidden Agenda: This Town Needs has closed down after cancellations by performers

TTN moved location several times because of problems getting a licence as a live music venue and was also beset by problems with visas for visiting bands

Reading Time:3 minutes

Hidden Agenda: This Town Needs, one of the few independent venues for live indie music in the city, has closed. Local bands like Seesaw (pictured) will now have to look for alternative venues. Photo: Kenneth Tang

Published: 1:00pm, 3 Mar 2020Updated: 9:38pm, 4 Mar 2020

Hundreds of Hongkongers sporting face masks pulsated under strobe lights at a renowned indie club for the final time last week as cancellations by performers because of the coronavirus have forced the venue to close.

The music house known as Hidden Agenda: This Town Needs (TTN) opened its doors in 2009 and quickly attracted a loyal crowd of young locals to one of few independent venues for live indie music in the city. More recently, the club in the Yau Tong industrial area in Kowloon drew supporters of anti-government protests that have rocked the city. They would often chant common protest slogans between song breaks at TTN.

But in recent weeks, international bands and artists such as H.J. Freaks, Nervosa and Crown The Empire cancelled performances along with many others because of travel restrictions following the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, co-founder Joshua Chan said.

“I think we put the safety of the artists and audience as our first priority,” Chan said.

Fans wearing protective masks react while enjoying a band’s performance at Hidden Agenda: This Town Needs (TNN). Photo: Reuters

TTN has made almost no income over the past two months but has still had to pay HK$320,000 (US$41,000) in monthly rent and other expenses for the space, Hui Cheng-wo, the other co-founder, said.