Taiwanese band Mayday turned Kai Tak Stadium into a sea of lights and voices on Wednesday night (Mar 25), as they kicked off the Hong Kong leg of their “#5525+1 Back to That Day” 25th anniversary tour with an electrifying show that had fans on their feet from the very first note.
The night opened at 7.15pm with a cinematic visual of an aircraft soaring across the big screen, before the band burst onto the stage with “OAOA,” instantly igniting the crowd. What followed was a relentless run of fan favorites, including “Sun Wu Kong” and “Eternal Summer,” elevated by fireworks and sweeping laser beams as thousands sang in unison.
The concert followed a last-minute schedule change and revised arrangements for ticket holders. Originally set to begin a day earlier, the Hong Kong run was reshuffled, with the cancelled show replaced by an additional date on Mar 29. Fans who had held tickets for the scrapped night were invited to what was meant to be a 40-minute rehearsal — only for it to evolve into an impromptu one-hour mini concert, complete with eight classic tracks and an atmosphere of shared surprise and warmth.
On stage, Mayday leaned into that sense of closeness. The band moved across the venue on a mobile stage during performances of “Cheers” and “Loneliness Terminator,” waving and singing along with fans. Ashin paused to thank the audience, while his bandmates greeted the crowd in Cantonese and traded jokes, drawing laughter across the stadium.
They also shared lighter moments, talking about indulging in local favorites such as egg tarts and pineapple buns. Yet beneath the humor ran a thread of nostalgia. Performing in Hong Kong during their anniversary period, Ashin said, made the night feel especially significant.
“With you by our side, Mayday will never forget today,” he told the crowd, as cheers rippled through the venue.
As the night drew on, fans were invited to request songs, turning the concert into an interactive celebration.
The show continued to build with multiple encores, including “Elope to the Moon” and “The Song of Laughter and Forgetting.” A playful segment imagining the band in the year 2055 — complete with exaggerated “aged” versions of themselves — added a surreal, comedic twist.
Even after the scheduled finale, the band returned to the stage more than once, responding to chants from the audience with additional performances.
For years, Mayday’s “May gathering” has been a cherished tradition for Hong Kong fans, a symbolic annual reunion in May. This year marked the first time the band did not return in its usual month, as the Hong Kong shows were moved forward to March.
