https://www.scmp.com/rss/318011/feed Hong Kong has a vibrant music scene, with dozens of local acts playing everything from pop and rock to metal and electronica, and attracts A-list international bands and emerging stars. Read news and previews of the hottest upcoming gigs and interviews with some of the biggest names in music. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Paul Thompson grew up in the UK during the “two-tone” wave, a musical movement born in the late 1970s that saw the fusion of English punk and Jamaican genres such as ska – the fast-paced, brass-heavy music often said to be the precursor to the slower, more bass-heavy reggae. Thompson developed a fascination for reggae and ska music, which followed him into adulthood. Now, the bassist for the 10-piece ska band The Red Stripes is organising the 10th edition of the Hong Kong International Reggae... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3352557/hong-kong-reggae-and-ska-festival-organiser-bringing-voice-freedom-10-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3352557/hong-kong-reggae-and-ska-festival-organiser-bringing-voice-freedom-10-years?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 09:15:05 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Universal fears are the major recurring theme in Scottish art rock band Franz Ferdinand’s 2025 album The Human Fear. But there is nothing fearful about the group’s musical approach as the members get deeply personal and bravely vulnerable. “‘Hooked’ starts off with the line, ‘I got the fear, got the human fear, that’s all right’,” says Alex Kapranos, the band’s lead vocalist, lead guitarist and primary songwriter, of the track that was inspired by his own experience with parenthood in 2023. “The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3334158/why-franz-ferdinands-alex-kapranos-loves-hong-kong-gigs-plus-insight-latest-album?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3334158/why-franz-ferdinands-alex-kapranos-loves-hong-kong-gigs-plus-insight-latest-album?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung Hong Kong’s sheer density means that the traditional music festival experience, where fans camp overnight near the performance stages, is nigh on impossible to find. The CT Music Fest is betting on an antidote. For its third edition, the event – organised entirely by local Hong Kong musicians – is swapping its previous venues (a 300-person Star Ferry and a giant Central club) for something radically different: a three-day, two-night camp-out. Running from November 21 to 23, the festival is... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3332776/hong-kongs-ct-music-fest-goes-camping-cheung-chau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3332776/hong-kongs-ct-music-fest-goes-camping-cheung-chau?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 09:00:12 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Mixing Cantopop into DJ sets comes naturally to Hong Kong drummer Stephane Wong. Going by the moniker Steffunn when spinning disco tunes, the 40-something learned to play the drums at age eight and has been DJing for two decades. But that instinct comes mostly from Wong playing the drums for many 2000s Cantopop hits – on stage and in the studio – and working with industry behemoths like Joey Yung Cho-yee, Grasshopper and Eason Chan Yick-shun. “Cantopop from that era seems to be more... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3332572/how-cantopop-drummer-helping-revive-hong-kong-music-his-nostalgic-dj-sets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3332572/how-cantopop-drummer-helping-revive-hong-kong-music-his-nostalgic-dj-sets?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 04:15:10 +0000 Kylie Knott Kylie Knott A Filipino-food feast is spread across a chunky wooden table. There is shrimp adobo, a whole milkfish cooked in a banana leaf and stuffed with tomatoes, onions and garlic, and a hearty beef caldereta – a rich stew – along with plates of grilled vegetables: aubergine, bitter melon and okra. “You have to try the fermented rice wrapped in a mustard leaf – it is so tasty,” Allan Pineda Lindo says as he pulls up a chair. Pineda is Apl.de.ap, a founding member of Black Eyed Peas, the American hip-hop... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3331711/black-eyed-peas-apldeap-helping-farmers-philippines-returns-him-his-roots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3331711/black-eyed-peas-apldeap-helping-farmers-philippines-returns-him-his-roots?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 08:15:10 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Hong Kong’s newest concert venue, which opened on Tuesday, is 70 per cent booked until the end of the year, with the operator saying the 1,500-standing capacity space fills a demand gap for facilities of such a size in the city. Operator Live Nation added that concert venue Tides, located in the ship-shaped shopping centre The Whampoa in Hung Hom, had yet to receive noise complaints following its soft opening. “The venue is at least 70 to 80 per cent booked up now. Very pleased with the booking... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3329021/hong-kongs-new-concert-venue-garners-70-bookings-until-year-end-upon-opening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3329021/hong-kongs-new-concert-venue-garners-70-bookings-until-year-end-upon-opening?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 14:23:22 +0000 Annemarie Evans Annemarie Evans I WAS BORN IN Hong Kong in 1962. My dad was Filipino, my mum Chinese and, if I’m not mistaken, they were introduced by the wife of (legendary Cantopop composer) Joseph Koo. That would have been about late 1960. My father was Bading Tuason, music director of the Hongkong Hilton. My father’s side was very musical. A couple of my uncles also played instruments. They played in the Philippines but would earn only a small amount of money. So, they had to go abroad, to Japan and the United States... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3327320/andrew-tuason-his-hong-kong-music-career-alongside-cantopops-biggest-stars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3327320/andrew-tuason-his-hong-kong-music-career-alongside-cantopops-biggest-stars?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 05:15:07 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam The three members of Beat Friday do not look like your typical DJs when they take to the decks. Dressed in suits and ties, or even braces and gold-rimmed glasses, the group have curated their image to remind party-goers of the golden age of Cantopop. From the 1980s to the 2000s, the music genre was one of the most unifying cultural forces in Asia, and Hong Kong was an entertainment powerhouse that dominated cinema and music in the region. Fast forward to the present day, and Asia and the world... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3326377/hong-kong-cantopop-djs-rekindling-citys-love-genre-one-party-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3326377/hong-kong-cantopop-djs-rekindling-citys-love-genre-one-party-time?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 09:20:11 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak For “alternative K-pop” collective Balming Tiger, “having fun” is what matters most. That is why the group is returning to Hong Kong – its members fondly recall how the enthusiastic crowd pelted them with “shoes and slippers” during their first performance in the city at the 2023 Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival. “The energy that Hong Kong people brought to the festival was something else. They were hyped and going crazy,” says frontman and rapper Omega Sapien. “Usually, we get that when... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3315188/south-korean-alternative-k-pop-collective-balming-tiger-hong-kong-and-having-fun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3315188/south-korean-alternative-k-pop-collective-balming-tiger-hong-kong-and-having-fun?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Jun 2025 07:15:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Tired of staying out all night at the weekend and being hungover on Monday morning, two clubbers and music industry professionals in their late 20s have turned to the new global “coffee rave” trend – which turns cafes into dance clubs – to infuse some light into Hong Kong’s nightlife. Their “Social Club Series” consists of pop-up parties that are themed around a distinctive music genre and have a specific dress code. They are always held during the day and at a different venue only disclosed to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3314906/pop-afternoon-parties-hong-kong-proving-hit-health-conscious-clubbers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3314906/pop-afternoon-parties-hong-kong-proving-hit-health-conscious-clubbers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jun 2025 09:15:07 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui Back in 2014, between the first and second seasons of the HBO comedy series Silicon Valley in which he had a supporting role, Jimmy O. Yang spent his days moonlighting as an Uber driver. The Hong Kong-born Hollywood hopeful used a pay cheque for his role in the series as Jian-Yang – he received the Screen Actors Guild minimum of US$900 a day – to buy a used Toyota Prius hybrid, which he would drive around Los Angeles to earn the money to pay his rent. “You never know, especially as an actor,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3313736/why-jimmy-o-yang-feels-blackpink-and-his-rise-uber-driver-king-comedy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3313736/why-jimmy-o-yang-feels-blackpink-and-his-rise-uber-driver-king-comedy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jun 2025 23:15:07 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu The three-day ComplexCon event in Hong Kong has recorded a 16 per cent increase in attendees from last year, drawing 35,000 visitors and generating an on-site business turnover of HK$87.5 million (US$11.3 million), according to the organiser. The pop culture festival, held at AsiaWorld-Expo from March 21 to 23, had a record-breaking 22,911 turnout on its final day, during which K-pop girl group NJZ, formerly NewJeans, was slated to perform. During the performance, NJZ announced a hiatus from... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3304078/complexcon-hong-kong-wraps-3-day-event-35000-turnout-rakes-hk875-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3304078/complexcon-hong-kong-wraps-3-day-event-35000-turnout-rakes-hk875-million?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Mar 2025 06:38:56 +0000 K-pop girl group NJZ has said it will take a break from performing in public “for a little while”, announcing the decision to shocked fans at the end of the band’s headline performance at pop culture festival ComplexCon in Hong Kong. The group made the announcement on Sunday, two days after a South Korean court ruled in favour of the group’s former agency Ador, which had requested a provisional injunction against the five-member band, stipulating it must not pursue further independent activities... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3303534/thousands-gather-complexcon-hong-kongs-final-day-fans-await-headliner-njz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3303534/thousands-gather-complexcon-hong-kongs-final-day-fans-await-headliner-njz?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Mar 2025 12:42:29 +0000 Aaina Bhargava Aaina Bhargava At a live DJ event one Friday night in January, roughly 600 people at Soho House Hong Kong in Sheung Wan grooved to electronic dance music (EDM) interwoven with a distinctly South Asian sound. Periodically, Bollywood anthems such as Patakha Guddi and Chaiyaa Chaiyaa, and Maghron La from season 15 of TV music show Coke Studio Pakistan, emerged over the house beats. The crowd’s approval shone as they enthusiastically sang along to the recognisable hits. This fresh sound was courtesy of Armaan... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3298644/playing-coachella-2025-edm-duo-indo-warehouse-spotlight-south-asian-culture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3298644/playing-coachella-2025-edm-duo-indo-warehouse-spotlight-south-asian-culture?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Feb 2025 23:15:10 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong Ticket vendor Cityline has denied any system irregularities involving online sales for the highly anticipated performance of K-pop girl group NJZ, formerly NewJeans, at ComplexCon Hong Kong next month, after fans complained that a glitch had changed the dates on their passes. The Consumer Council said it had received nine complaints related to the purchasing of ComplexCon tickets, involving a total of HK$39,479 (US$5,070), as of 5pm on Tuesday. The pop culture festival’s organiser also said... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3298231/vendor-denies-ticket-sale-glitch-njzs-show-complexcon-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3298231/vendor-denies-ticket-sale-glitch-njzs-show-complexcon-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Feb 2025 08:50:23 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li ComplexCon Hong Kong in March will feature the inaugural performance of K-pop girl group NewJeans under the new name NJZ, the pop culture festival’s organiser has said. The group, which has 4.4 million followers on Instagram, was reportedly restricted from using its former name upon terminating its contract with the agency Ador. “Get ready for an exciting journey with NJZ in 2025! Stay tuned! Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein’s new group name is NJZ,” the group’s social media post on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3297766/complexcon-hong-kong-march-feature-k-pop-girl-group-njz-formerly-newjeans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3297766/complexcon-hong-kong-march-feature-k-pop-girl-group-njz-formerly-newjeans?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Feb 2025 07:03:34 +0000 Cat Nelson Cat Nelson Hot off announcing the musical line-up for its 2025 Hong Kong festival, ComplexCon has added South Korean K-pop group NJZ to its Complex Live! roster of acts. Haven’t heard of them? You’re not alone. While the band is one of K-pop’s biggest acts, up until yesterday they’ve been known as NewJeans. The name change for the five-member group, which debuted in 2022, comes after an ongoing legal battle that began in November last year. The band revealed its new name today, confirming that its first... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/article/3297747/njz-formerly-newjeans-are-coming-complexcon-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/article/3297747/njz-formerly-newjeans-are-coming-complexcon-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Feb 2025 05:22:02 +0000 Marf Yau from Hong Kong girl group Collar will be a guest support act for British rock band Coldplay’s shows in the soon-to-open Kai Tak stadium. Event promoter Live Nation announced on Wednesday that Yau would join the shows at the 50,000-seat main stadium, which is set to open in March next year as part of Kai Tak Sports Park. The city’s well-known Rugby Sevens sports competition in March and the British group’s concerts in April will mark the stadium’s debut as a major event venue. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3290382/collars-marf-yau-perform-coldplays-hong-kong-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3290382/collars-marf-yau-perform-coldplays-hong-kong-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Dec 2024 14:15:47 +0000 K-pop star Rain put in a brief but much-anticipated appearance at the opening of the Longines Hong Kong International Races at the Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong on December 8. The 42-year-old singer and actor, whose real name is Jung Ji-hoon, has appeared in a string of Korean dramas including Full House (2004) and this year’s Red Swan. He took to the stage at the event’s opening ceremony and delivered a series of his hits, including “It’s Raining”, “La Song” and “Hip Song”. His fans loved... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3289980/popular-k-pop-star-rain-dazzles-hong-kong-international-races-electric-performance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3289980/popular-k-pop-star-rain-dazzles-hong-kong-international-races-electric-performance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Dec 2024 08:15:07 +0000 From misogynistic young men and misbehaving teenagers to a heavy police presence and overseas performers mixing up Hong Kong with other East Asian cultures, Clockenflap 2024 caused quite a stir over the weekend, and not in a good way. “Embarrassment” is the first word that comes to mind for this writer, who has nothing but conflicted love for the city. Sure, it is not the first time people have complained about the antics of the crowd, but what took place during the city’s annual flagship music... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3289307/clockenflap-2024-hong-kong-festival-music-also-misogyny-misbehaviour-misnaming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3289307/clockenflap-2024-hong-kong-festival-music-also-misogyny-misbehaviour-misnaming?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Dec 2024 09:45:18 +0000 Karen Cheung Karen Cheung “In some ways, I think I’m an artist who has to be seen live to be understood,” Annie Clark, aka St Vincent, says during our interview. It is impossible to be bored at a St Vincent performance – Clark is dead serious about putting on a memorable show. She’s often moving through a series of choreographed sequences in whimsical, big-production looks, but she is also mesmerising when she reverts to the form of heart-on-sleeve singer-songwriter at more intimate gigs. Here are five of the artist’s... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3288113/time-st-vincent-played-nirvana-and-4-other-stand-out-performances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3288113/time-st-vincent-played-nirvana-and-4-other-stand-out-performances?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Nov 2024 23:15:07 +0000 Hong Kong has always loved Suede – perhaps a bit too much. During the band’s third visit to the city in 1999, thousands of fans had packed the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, and were in such a fevered state that 100 people fainted and four were injured whilst forcing their way into the venue. At least, that is, if you believe local tabloid The Sun’s report about the event, which has since been fondly reposted on the Suede Hong Kong Fans Community on Facebook. In one... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3288126/alt-rock-veterans-suede-still-love-hong-kong-and-hate-britpop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3288126/alt-rock-veterans-suede-still-love-hong-kong-and-hate-britpop?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Nov 2024 22:00:11 +0000 The United States might have Lollapalooza, but here in Hong Kong, we have our own tongue-twisting music festival, too. Clockenflap, arguably the biggest event on the city’s social calendar, has come a long way since 2008, when the inaugural outing entertained 1,500 people over a single day at Cyberport. Next weekend, with braggadocio earned after entertaining upwards of 87,000 people last year, the music festival is back at Central Harbourfront, offering headliners such as former White Stripe... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3287742/what-expect-clockenflap-2024-hong-kongs-music-and-arts-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3287742/what-expect-clockenflap-2024-hong-kongs-music-and-arts-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Nov 2024 09:46:07 +0000 It isn’t hard to decode the title of Wellsaid’s new album, Regretopia, which like much great art blurs the boundaries between the personal and political. “Everyone is living in a land of regret – it’s universal,” says Rocky Sum Lok-kei, frontman of the home-grown alt-rock group, “especially in Hong Kong. We’re always thinking about lost opportunities, what could have been – not just personal decisions, but the state of things.” There’s a tinge of irony, perhaps, that while the 31-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3282885/alt-rock-band-wellsaid-new-album-regretopia-hong-kongs-music-community-and-going-viral-tiktok?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3282885/alt-rock-band-wellsaid-new-album-regretopia-hong-kongs-music-community-and-going-viral-tiktok?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2024 23:15:07 +0000 Hong Kong’s Clockenflap Music & Arts Festival organisers have announced its full 2024 line-up, including the much-awaited news of its Saturday night headline act. It is Central Cee, who will join Friday night’s headliner Air and Sunday night’s Jack White for the biggest music event in Hong Kong, which runs from November 29 until December 1. Real name Oakley Neil Caesar-Su, Central Cee is a 26-year-old rapper born in London to a Guyanese father with Chinese ancestry. Nicknamed Cench, he has used... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3282945/hong-kong-clockenflap-festival-2024-full-line-unveiled-including-headliner-central-cee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3282945/hong-kong-clockenflap-festival-2024-full-line-unveiled-including-headliner-central-cee?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Oct 2024 09:39:39 +0000 After debuting in May with a lineup of entirely Hong Kong-based DJs, Midori is returning for its second edition of the year to wrap up the summer festival season. To be held from October 11 to 13, the three-day music festival will again take place at an undisclosed secluded rural location complete with campsite to underscore its overall eco message. “[Our] core aim is to highlight the beautiful natural landscape of Hong Kong,” says Nathan Cornish, founder of Y2K, the event organiser. “We love... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3281370/midori-electronic-music-and-culture-festival-returns-another-secret-hong-kong-location?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3281370/midori-electronic-music-and-culture-festival-returns-another-secret-hong-kong-location?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Oct 2024 10:15:12 +0000 Jack White, Jamie xx, St. Vincent, Air and Glass Animals are among the acts headlining this year’s Clockenflap festival in Hong Kong. The music festival, which took place last year across two three-day events after a four-year hiatus, returns to its regular winter slot and will take place from November 29 until December 1 at Central Harbourfront on Hong Kong Island. US rock musician Jack White, one half of former indie rock duo The White Stripes, will make his Hong Kong debut as Clockenflap’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3278851/clockenflap-hong-kongs-biggest-music-festival-announces-headline-acts-2024?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3278851/clockenflap-hong-kongs-biggest-music-festival-announces-headline-acts-2024?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Sep 2024 06:41:59 +0000 Crash Adams have 2.6 million followers on Instagram, 6.3 million followers on TikTok and 10.5 million subscribers on YouTube. But who are they? If you are on any of the above social media platforms, then you have almost most certainly heard the pop duo sing – they are the guys who ask strangers “If you don’t like this song, we will [fill in the blank] …” before blasting out one of their tunes, or ask them to freestyle or rap to their songs. The duo are back in Hong Kong this weekend – so what... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3275602/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-august-23-25-shows-food?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3275602/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-august-23-25-shows-food?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Aug 2024 08:15:09 +0000 They may have scored hundreds of millions of views on YouTube Shorts and TikTok, but short-form content creation is only a means to an end for Crash Adams. Social media fame aside, the Toronto-born, Los Angeles-based pop duo just want to lift up the world with their lighthearted tunes and positive personalities. After their Hong Kong debut at the AIA Carnival’s “Live at the Big Top” event in January, the pair are back – to open the YouTube Music Night at Harbour City’s Ocean Terminal Deck on... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3275137/crash-adams-their-hit-songs-and-youtube-and-tiktok-fame-ahead-hong-kong-return?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3275137/crash-adams-their-hit-songs-and-youtube-and-tiktok-fame-ahead-hong-kong-return?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Aug 2024 10:15:09 +0000 The Gates of Hell may be wide open right now – read our explainer on the Hungry Ghost Festival if you have no idea what we are on about – but that should not stop you from venturing out, even at night. Here are our recommendations for this weekend. 1. Love Psychedelico – Live in Hong Kong 2024 With a huge following in Hong Kong, Japanese rock duo Love Psychedelico are returning to the city for a one-night-only concert ahead of their upcoming Japanese tour. Kumi and Naoki met at university and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3274718/5-best-things-do-weekend-august-16-18-hong-kong-music-movies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3274718/5-best-things-do-weekend-august-16-18-hong-kong-music-movies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Aug 2024 07:15:09 +0000 It is a little out of the way, but a new concert venue in the New Territories may be just what the Hong Kong music scene needs now that Kitec (the Kowloon Bay International Trade & Exhibition Centre) is no more. Located inside Go Park Sai Sha in Ma On Shan, AXA Dreamland is a 24,000-square-foot (2,230-square-metre) entertainment arena that can accommodate up to 1,500 people and has 850 fixed seats. The closest MTR station is Wu Kai Sha. Developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), the new space... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3273815/new-hong-kong-music-venue-axa-dreamland-could-be-platform-rising-stars-kitec-gone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3273815/new-hong-kong-music-venue-axa-dreamland-could-be-platform-rising-stars-kitec-gone?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Aug 2024 04:14:51 +0000 It has been a bumpy ride for Hong Kong’s live-music scene over the past few years, with the anti-government protests and Covid-19 pandemic creating challenges. But if anyone is looking for a positive sign of the state of the scene now, the annual H2 Festival at The Wanch live-music venue, in Wan Chai, is blasting one out loud and clear. This year’s event, for which entry is free, saw a huge increase in the number of artists applying to play compared to last year, prompting organisers to extend... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3267459/hong-kong-live-music-event-h2-festival-back-bigger-ever-100-bands-over-10-nights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3267459/hong-kong-live-music-event-h2-festival-back-bigger-ever-100-bands-over-10-nights?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Jun 2024 09:15:09 +0000 Pop music fans in Hong Kong have been dealt quite a few major blows this year. Big international acts like Rod Stewart, Taylor Swift, Coldplay and The 1975 all chose to skip the city as they tour the world. Most of those tours will instead visit Hong Kong’s neighbours, such as Japan, Singapore and Thailand. Meanwhile, critics have cited Hong Kong’s lack of a “suitable arena” and even Covid-19 restrictions (during the planning stages of these tours) as reasons it is being overlooked globally. But... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3262740/olivia-rodrigo-aespa-and-conan-gray-5-international-acts-coming-hong-kong-summer-2024?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3262740/olivia-rodrigo-aespa-and-conan-gray-5-international-acts-coming-hong-kong-summer-2024?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 May 2024 10:15:10 +0000 It has been 10 years since Malaysian comedian Dr Jason Leong swapped his stethoscope for the stage. “I’ve never regretted it once,” he says. “I think I was unhappy as a doctor, not because of the nature of the job but because of the bureaucracy and the politics. Plus, the wages were low and the workload very heavy. “When I reflect on my life now, I think, ‘wow, this is amazing’. You get to make people laugh, even for just one night. I go home happy, they go home happy – it’s a magical... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3261830/doctor-turned-comedian-jason-leong-quitting-medicine-fear-being-cancelled-and-where-he-gets-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3261830/doctor-turned-comedian-jason-leong-quitting-medicine-fear-being-cancelled-and-where-he-gets-his?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 May 2024 10:15:23 +0000 Jack Johnson is a rubbish rock star. For one, he’s too blooming happy, with not a whiff of the tortured artist about him. Nor an ounce of ego, either – dismiss his feel-good, acoustic pop ditties as soft rock, barbecue ballads, whatever, and he just doesn’t care. There’s zero drama too: he tours with his wife and kids – not his fifth wife, not some centrefold model, but the woman he’s been with since he was 18. No hell-raising, heartbreak or tabloid romances to be found at his door. “I don’t... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3253379/jack-johnson-fame-fidelity-and-not-being-too-good-looking-banana-pancakes-singer-and-surfer-still?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3253379/jack-johnson-fame-fidelity-and-not-being-too-good-looking-banana-pancakes-singer-and-surfer-still?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Feb 2024 01:00:18 +0000 With a lack of funding, resources and venues, independent music in Hong Kong has long faced its challenges. But now, urged on by the concept of an “unknown tomorrow”, a group of local rock musicians and promoters are collaborating to make something out of their collective talent. Un.tomorrow is a new music collective and independent label currently preparing for its debut event, on March 9 and 10, which will showcase 10 acts at an art school in Kowloon. On the first day, Arches, Code, Perish of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3252794/hong-kongs-indie-scene-be-uplifted-two-day-music-event-untomorrow-first-assembly-showcasing-10-local?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3252794/hong-kongs-indie-scene-be-uplifted-two-day-music-event-untomorrow-first-assembly-showcasing-10-local?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Feb 2024 09:45:10 +0000 Demand for tickets to a performance by cellist Yo-Yo Ma in Hong Kong next month has become so intense they are selling for HK$17,000 (US$2,170) each on the secondary market, the Post has learned. But less well-off fans still have a chance to hear the virtuoso play at another concert when tickets go on sale later this week. Ma, who last performed publicly in the city in 2016, is set to play with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra on November 8 at the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, with Jaap... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3237990/bay-area-billionaires-want-tickets-interest-yo-yo-ma-concert-hong-kong-pushes-resale-prices-hk17000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3237990/bay-area-billionaires-want-tickets-interest-yo-yo-ma-concert-hong-kong-pushes-resale-prices-hk17000?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Oct 2023 04:24:28 +0000 Let’s face it, the last hurrah for guitar music was now more than 20 years ago. Already decimated by hip-hop in the 90s, that thing they call rock ’n’ roll enjoyed one final fumble with the cultural zeitgeist, the garage rock revival of the early 00s – yep, almost five decades after Elvis’ hips first set the world a-shakin’. “Seven Nation Army” might have proved the DIY movement’s most pervasive musical reminder – 20 years old this March – but the media-hyped “new rock revolution” was... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3226908/why-strokes-were-last-truly-cool-rock-band-planet-inside-quintessential-nyc-indie-hipsters-lasting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3226908/why-strokes-were-last-truly-cool-rock-band-planet-inside-quintessential-nyc-indie-hipsters-lasting?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Jul 2023 22:00:17 +0000 Heavy metal and Japanese pop might seem an unusual pairing. But Babymetal have successfully blended the two genres, with listeners around the world lapping up their “kawaii (cute) metal” energy. Now fans in Hong Kong will get to see them perform in the city for the first time with a show at AsiaWorld-Expo on May 31, part of the group’s first tour across Asia and Australia, after a two-year hiatus from live performances. Comprising three core singers aged 20 to 25, supported with instrumentation... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3220855/who-are-babymetal-ahead-hong-kong-concert-what-you-need-know-about-japanese-music-sensation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3220855/who-are-babymetal-ahead-hong-kong-concert-what-you-need-know-about-japanese-music-sensation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 May 2023 08:15:14 +0000 Courtney Act was easily one of the biggest breakout stars from reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race, placing runner-up in the sixth season in 2014, and has been moving from strength to strength ever since. Act first stepped into the limelight in 2003 when she competed in the first season of Australian Idol, making her the first openly LGBTQ contestant to compete in a reality TV show. Act identifies as she/her in drag and is gender fluid otherwise, and still uses his birth name, Shane Jenek, when not... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3214573/i-felt-shame-many-years-drag-queen-courtney-act-ahead-hong-kong-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3214573/i-felt-shame-many-years-drag-queen-courtney-act-ahead-hong-kong-show?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Mar 2023 09:15:18 +0000 From 2017 to 2020, This Town Needs (TTN) was a popular and much-respected live music venue for metal and alternative rock fans in Hong Kong. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit and, just like many small Hong Kong businesses, the industrial space in Yau Tong was forced to close down. “It had always been difficult to find a venue that truly accommodated our need of putting on high-quality, well-rounded shows,” says TTN co-founder Steveo Hui. “Money, of course, was a real issue as well.” “There were... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3211351/former-hong-kong-indie-music-venue-ttn-back-giving-local-rock-and-metal-fans-live-shows-they-want?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3211351/former-hong-kong-indie-music-venue-ttn-back-giving-local-rock-and-metal-fans-live-shows-they-want?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Feb 2023 09:15:08 +0000 When they started performing in Hong Kong more than eight years ago, R&B singer Wesley Jamison and rapper Christopher Onoja quickly became tired of being booked in places where they didn’t belong. “Before the 2019 protests, the hip hop scene was really small,” Jamison says. “When we started, the only people that would book us would put us between a set of reggae and drum ’n’ bass. There was no space for us to perform and exist.” Being black artists and part of the non-Cantonese-speaking... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3207818/were-trying-connect-black-hip-hop-artists-hong-kong-reach-out-home-grown-acts-through-their-events?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3207818/were-trying-connect-black-hip-hop-artists-hong-kong-reach-out-home-grown-acts-through-their-events?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jan 2023 23:15:07 +0000 March 2020 was the beginning of a difficult year for Brendon Chan, when the Hong Kong-based airline employee was put on indefinite hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic and flight bans. “Everything stopped in 2020 for me,” he says. A guitarist since he was 14, Chan played on and off with different bands in Hong Kong before 2020. An avid musician, it wasn’t the lack of passion that stopped him, rather, it was just – life. But the forced time off during the pandemic inspired him to write... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3205634/how-hong-kong-indie-bands-got-creative-during-pandemic-and-are-now-back-and-raring-play?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3205634/how-hong-kong-indie-bands-got-creative-during-pandemic-and-are-now-back-and-raring-play?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jan 2023 08:15:12 +0000 Squeezed into a cramped Hong Kong noodle restaurant and perched on drink crates, a jazz band live-streamed its performance to bring out the grounded grass-roots spirit of jazz and reach a wider audience amid the coronavirus pandemic. Bringing jazz music to the 300 sq ft Yuen Hing Lung Noodles in Sai Wan was the idea of Justin Siu Wai-jung, a 44-year-old jazz bassist from Hong Kong, and a regular at the eatery for its original fish ball noodle soup. The band played a collection of its original... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3143026/jazz-fish-balls-and-live-streaming-hong-kong-musicians-play?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3143026/jazz-fish-balls-and-live-streaming-hong-kong-musicians-play?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jul 2021 01:30:10 +0000 After being embroiled in a scandal related to her two children born through surrogacy, Chinese actress Zheng Shuang is now being investigated by the tax authorities for evading taxes after reportedly making 2.08 million yuan (US$323,500) a day for playing the lead role in a film. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg of China’s entertainment industry. As the impact of celebrities is today multiplied massively by social media, it is imperative for society to regulate the entertainment... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3134252/zheng-shuang-pay-scandal-shows-chinas-entertainment-industry-needs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3134252/zheng-shuang-pay-scandal-shows-chinas-entertainment-industry-needs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 May 2021 06:10:15 +0000 Tickets to the 2021 edition of Hong Kong’s biggest annual music festival went on sale on March 3. It’s a vote of confidence that the city will have the coronavirus pandemic under control by November. The 13th edition of the Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival is expected to take place on the Central Harbourfront Events Space, on Hong Kong Island, from November 26-28. The organisers are aiming to return after a three-year absence – Clockenflap was last held in 2018, with the 2019 and 2020... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3123995/advance-tickets-no-1-hong-kong-music-festival-sale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3123995/advance-tickets-no-1-hong-kong-music-festival-sale?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Mar 2021 04:55:09 +0000 In August last year, shortly before Hong Kong live music bar The Wanch closed its doors, Davie Colquhoun wrote an ode to the venue. The owners stuck it on the wall. It read: Strange days indeed / Strange times at hand / That forced the music to disband / No chance for reason or to reason why / And no chance to play goodbye. Those lines now have an additional poignancy. Davie Colquhoun, who was The Wanch’s most regular performer and the host of its acoustic jam sessions, died suddenly on New... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3116441/musicians-pay-tribute-hong-kongs-eric-clapton-guitarist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3116441/musicians-pay-tribute-hong-kongs-eric-clapton-guitarist?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Jan 2021 06:45:07 +0000 Christmas Day this year marks the fourth anniversary of the death of legendary singer songwriter George Michael. He was 53 years old when he died at his home in London, but his music and memories live on – especially for those who remember seeing the superstar in Hong Kong or China 35 years ago when he performed alongside Andrew Ridgeley as part of Wham! The duo became the first Western pop band to play in China and, as a result, one of the biggest bands in the world. But how did the concerts... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3115329/remembering-george-michael-four-years-after-his-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3115329/remembering-george-michael-four-years-after-his-death?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Dec 2020 03:04:00 +0000 Ocean Park has been an integral part of our city’s collective memory and an invaluable piece of Hong Kong’s tourism-driven economy. But with the recent double whammy of political instability and the Covid-19 pandemic, many say that the theme park is on its last legs. In May, Hong Kong’s lawmakers approved a HK$5.4 billion (US$697 million) bailout to salvage the park, which reported a record deficit of more than HK$557 million in the 2018-19 financial year. The bailout would keep the park solvent... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3105684/how-ocean-park-can-rebrand-itself-face-new-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3105684/how-ocean-park-can-rebrand-itself-face-new-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Oct 2020 00:15:12 +0000 I write in response to Mathias Woo’s October 10 article “How a pop culture revival can save Hong Kong’s frustrated youth”. Mr Woo is correct in his assessment of Hong Kong pop culture. Our city’s star has waned since the glory days when the likes of John Woo and Wong Kar-wai were in their pomp. Restoring Hong Kong’s creative industry to its former heights would provide a welcome fillip to the city’s economy and its increasingly battered international standing. However, I must take issue with his... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3105660/why-pop-culture-no-defence-against-youth-unrest-whether-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3105660/why-pop-culture-no-defence-against-youth-unrest-whether-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2020 22:15:18 +0000