Arts fest latestto be canceled

The Hong Kong Arts Festival, which was set to launch this week, has become the latest event to be canceled.

Almost 1,800 international and local artists were expected to take part in more than 120 theater, dance, opera and musical performances between February 13 and March 14.

But the organizer yesterday announced that all programs, including a large-scale dancing and arts program in Tai Kwun "CenterHKartsFestival@TaiKwun," have been canceled.

All PLUS events, including salons with artists, backstage tours, workshops and educational activities, were canceled except for several film showcases.

The decision comes following a decision on February 3 to cancel seven performances following the closure of public venues.

Festival chairman Victor Cha Mou-zing said: "We hope the current epidemic will be brought under control soon and are confident the city will recover its vibrancy."

"In the meantime, the HKAF team is working with participating artists and venues to explore the possibility of rescheduling some of the productions in the near future," said executive director Tisa Ho Kar-kuan.

Organizers asked patrons to consider donating partial or full tickets costs to support the festival, with refund details on HKAF's website.

The festival's budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year is estimated at HK$148 million, with 18 percent coming from government baseline funding and additional public funding limited to a five-year time span.