‘Going to Hong Kong before everyone’: mainland China music fans raring to see shows in city such as Blackpink concert, upon border reopening
- Demand driving up prices, with scalpers on Chinese flea market app hawking tickets for more than double original price
- Three years of pandemic shutdown in country has meant enthusiasts on mainland have been starved of large shows and events
Music fans in mainland China are raring to visit Hong Kong for concerts and festivals upon the reopening of the border, with some willing to pay sky-high prices for tickets after being deprived of large events in the past three years amid tight Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.
South Korean girl group Blackpink, who will be performing three shows in the city this month, has drawn eager fans from the mainland for their concert, causing resellers to inflate ticket prices to as high as 22,000 yuan (HK$25,000).
On Alibaba’s digital flea market Xianyu, a search for “Hong Kong Blackpink concert” yielded more than 50 results, with resellers quoting prices twice the original cost. Many urged fans to snag tickets before prices rose further.
“No need for quarantine after borders reopen on January 8, if you don’t buy now the prices will only shoot up … I am down to the last two tickets,” wrote one seller. One HK$799 category ticket was going for 2,000 yuan.
Another scalper on Xianyu was asking for 22,000 yuan for a seat on the 13th row from the stage. The VIP ticket, originally sold at HK$2,999, includes access to the group’s pre-show rehearsal and other benefits.
Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki on Sunday said the Hong Kong government would strive to restore quarantine-free, cross-border travel with the mainland from January 8. Central authorities will also resume issuing tourist and business visas for Chinese nationals to enter Hong Kong. However, authorities have not laid out details of the border reopening.