Did hipsters kill Lan Kwai Fong’s oldest nightclub? Hong Kong party district to bid farewell to Club 97
Former top nightspot’s popularity declined over the decades due to changing tastes, with poor bar sales across the industry also a factor
Lan Kwai Fong is preparing to say goodbye to its oldest nightclub, with the entertainment district’s founder saying it had fallen victim to the area’s changing clubbing trends.
The nightclub, formerly a popular venue with celebrities including superstar Madonna, British singer/songwriter James Blunt and Cantopop legend Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, has been overshadowed by more innovative nightspots, according to Allan Zeman, the Hong Kong entrepreneur who founded Lan Kwai Fong.
Speaking to the South China Morning Post, the 67-year-old German businessman said the club no longer had “the same buzz” as it did not appeal to the VIP clientele that it once did. He said: “All the stars used to hang out there. Over the years, it changed ... But 30 or 40 years is a long time. It served its purpose and now it’s time for something new. It did not have the same buzz. It lost its lustre.”
Sheila Chan, director of marketing and communications for the Epicurean Group, which owns the club and its sister bar, the Victorian-themed cocktail joint Post 97, said it had decided to close due to “strategic business decisions in view of the current economy and real estate market”.