Fill 'er up

Jamie Liu

Hong Kong Sevens have sold 115,500 tickets, setting the stage for a record-size crowd when the rugby tournament makes its debut at the Kai Tak Sports Park in just two weeks. Sales are expected to increase further.

Hong Kong China Rugby said it is on track to sell the most tickets in the event's history, as the 2025 edition will be held for the first time in the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium, which has thousands of seats more than the previous venue, Hong Kong Stadium.

This year's competition from March 28 to 30 has sold nearly 38,500 three-day passes, for a cumulative total of 115,500 individual tickets, which surpassed last year's figures.

Organizers also confirmed a full-house status of their corporate hospitality suites, which sold out months ago. They said moving to the Kai Tak venue also allowed them to increase the number of temporary corporate boxes from 98 to 138, with 99 percent sold.

Bryan Rennie, executive director of Hong Kong China Rugby, said: "It is a great honor for the Sevens to be the first international sporting event to be held in the new Kai Tak Stadium.

"We are excited to be bringing a show and a crowd worthy of this once-in-a-lifetime moment."

The three-day tournament is set to deliver 72 matches to be played by 30 world-class teams, alongside world-class live music acts.

In addition to the matches, there will be in-stadium performances from English indie rock band Kaiser Chiefs, English DJ Pete Tong and Italian pop singer Gala.

Over 20 DJs will play over the weekend in the event's new Fan Village, a 7,800-square foot attraction billed as a premium and relaxing open-air multi-use space providing activities to ticket holders.

Organizers said the retractable roof of the stadium will be closed for the opening ceremony on March 28 for a modern twist - as traditional Lion Dances meet laser light shows, transforming Kai Tak into the world's largest club.

The roof will be open on March 29 and 30, and the tournament will present a pyrotechnics display on the final night of the games.

Tickets are available via the official website at hksevens.com. An adult three-day ticket is priced at HK$1,950, while children's tickets for those aged 12 and under are available on a first-come, first-served basis at HK$950.

In separate developments, sources said the government has not received any licensing applications for the Bar Culture Festival, even though the organizer has lamented that bureaucratic delays may cause the event to be canceled.

Chin Chun-wing, chairman of the Hong Kong Bar and Club Association, earlier told media about plans for the festival to be held during the Sevens, but that it might face cancellation due to administrative procedures.

However, sources said authorities have not received any applications for a license.

Chin later confirmed that the association has not filed a formal application.

He explained that discussions about a crucial arrangement of the fair had only started on Monday, leaving insufficient time to proceed with the application.

He stressed that he was not assigning blame, and was hoping that the bar industry could seize the business opportunity presented by the sporting event.

jamie.liu@singtaonewscorp.com

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