Returning carnival targets 1m visitors for the holidays

Eunice Lam

The AIA Carnival returned to Central Harbourfront yesterday after a four-year hiatus and will be open until February 25 or after the Lunar New Year holidays.

Tickets for adults range from HK$140 to HK$160, depending on the date of entry. Each includes 10 tokens for games and rides, with extra tokens costing HK$10 each.

Most game booths cost two to five tokens and for rides it is six tokens. The carnival features 29 rides.

AIA Hong Kong and Macau chief executive Alger Fung Wai-cheong said: "Hong Kong has been through four years of hard times and it is finally back to the office.

"Ticket sales have been amazing. It has never been this strong," said Randy Bloom, chief executive of organizer Great China Entertainment Group.

The carnival is estimated to attract over a million visitors during the holidays. "Mainland [visitors], they've come back to enjoy everything that Hong Kong has to offer. We expect there will be many guests from Hong Kong, mainland and around the world," he said.

The carnival also features British-based Gandeys Circus, performing up to four 65-minute shows daily for a total of 160 shows, including 62 daytime, 98 evening, and 72 weekend shows.

The Circus Big Top will transform into a live music stage on January 17 to 24, featuring local and global talent, including local rock band Dear Jane and Los Angeles-based pop duo Crash Adams, Bloom said. Tickets to that will go on public sale tomorrow.

Long queues were seen at the entrance yesterday. A mother surnamed Chan said she brought her family after her daughter won free tickets.

"We got 80 free tokens. There is a lot of games [but I don't think] we can play them all today," Chan said. She added her family did not set a budget, but said it took her around 30 minutes waiting to get on a ride.

Another woman, Chan, in her 20s, said lining up to enter took her an hour. When asked about her budget, she and her friend said they would "try their best not to spend any money."

A food stall owner named Chu was not worried about business. "We would just like to bring happiness to the city as people here have been hungry for events for so long," Chu said.

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com