Clockenflap festival charging up to HK$590 this year
City's biggest alternative-music event will cost up to HK$590, with government taking a cut; we lost a lot of money last year, organiser says
Organisers of a two-day music festival next month have won approval from West Kowloon Cultural District officials to charge for the formerly free event after it sweetened the deal by giving the government a cut of the ticket sales, it emerged yesterday.
The Clockenflap festival - which hopes to draw 25,000 music fans over the December 1 and 2 weekend - is the city's biggest alternative music and arts festival. Last year entry - at the same venue - was free, but this year one-day passes cost HK$390 and weekend passes are HK$590. Students pay HK$290 and children under 12 are free.
The ticket price was set by the organisers without government input, despite the event happening on government land and the granting of a substantial discount on the venue's rent. It is understood the rent the organisers paid was just under HK$1 million.
"We have a commercial rate, but this is an arts and culture event, so we gave them a good discount on the rent," said Louis Yu, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority executive director of performing arts.
He could not remember how big the discount was or the discounted rate, but emphasised that the government had not provided any cash.
The government will receive less than 20 per cent of the price of each ticket.
"This kind of event is not cheap, so it's justified for them to charge, but in terms of how much, it is up to them," Yu said.