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A surge in online traffic caused widespread disruptions as Cinema Day tickets went on sale at noon on Wednesday, leaving many moviegoers unable to log in to ticketing systems. Long queues were also seen outside several cinemas for the flat price HK$30 tickets.
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Major cinema chains MCL Cinemas and Broadway Circuit experienced temporary outages, with their websites displaying messages such as “Service Error” and “504 Gateway Timeout ERROR.”
When reporters managed to access the MCL Cinemas website, almost 10,000 users were found in the virtual queue, with waiting times exceeding half an hour.
Emperor Cinemas remained accessible online, but high-demand IMAX screenings, such as the evening 2D IMAX showing of Project Hail Mary at iSQUARE in Tsim Sha Tsui, were already sold out. Tickets for standard 2D screenings at other locations remained available.
Long lines also formed at cinema ticket offices citywide, as filmgoers waited to purchase tickets for their preferred screenings.
Cinema Day, organized by the Hong Kong Theatres Association and supported by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency through the Hong Kong Film Development Fund, is scheduled for Saturday. A total of 52 cinemas will participate, offering tickets at a flat rate of HK$30 for every screening, regardless of format or cinema type. Each customer may purchase up to four tickets per transaction.
