Since the HKSAR government hopes to attract tourists and boost consumption through major events and concerts, some concert organizers predict that more concerts will be held in Hong Kong in 2026.
The Coldplay's concert held in Kai Tak Sports Park, Photo source: Kai Tak Sports Park
They stated that many nonlocal well-known singers and groups have been attracted and shown great interest in performing in Hong Kong after Coldplay had successfully held concerts at the Kai Tak Stadium. It is expected that the number of concerts held in Hong Kong next year will increase compared with the statistics of 2025. In the eyes of some scholars, if other related cultural activities can be carried out to complement the concerts, the effect of attracting tourists to stay in Hong Kong would be better.
The concert of Nicholas Tse, Photo source: Kai Tak Sports Park
Since its opening in March, Kai Tak Sports Park has held over 30 concerts by the end of November. Besides the performances held in Kai Tak, a number of concerts and music performances have also been held at different venues in Hong Kong, attracting both local audiences and fans from the Mainland to visit Hong Kong. According to the related consumption statistics of a K-pop Boy Group concert in Hong Kong, some fans from the Mainland even shared hotel rooms for accommodation and visited some scenic spots in Hong Kong during their schedule of attending the concert, making the total consumption amount reach about 4,000 HKD.
On the evening of March 20, the renowned Hong Kong lyricist Chow Yiu Fai's 2025/26 Lyrics Writing Class Concert and Sharing Session was held at the Agile Sports Hall of the Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU). As the first lyrics writing class taught by Chow Yiu Fai at HKMU, the 19 students explored the theme "How Much Time Do We Have Left?" to create 19 heartwarming original Cantonese songs. Drawing from interviews with people around them, they transformed touching real-life stories into poignant lyrics.
The concert was built on the motif of "sand", a symbol of time's fleeting nature—like quicksand slipping away. Over the semester-long lyrics writing course, each student conducted an in-depth interview with a person, transforming their life stories into original lyrics reflecting on the meaning of time.
The performance of the students at the concert, Photo by Bastille Post
Photo by Bastille Post
The performance was divided into three parts: "The Promise of Sand", "The Land of Gathering Sand", and "The One Who Holds the Sand". The 19 original lyrics written by Chow Yiu Fai's students were presented in various formats—some performed by the lyricists themselves, some sung by their classmates or friends, and in some instances, the interviewees themselves took the stage. The lyrics drew from real-life experiences of individuals across different ages, backgrounds, and identities, capturing stories such as the nostalgia of soon-to-be emigrants for their friendships in the city, cherished moments between children and family members, and the business perseverance of alleyway stores in modern times, etc. Each heartfelt performance of the lyrics reflected the students' keen observation of daily life and their nuanced understanding of time and emotion.
Each heartfelt performance of the lyrics reflected the students' keen observation of daily life and their nuanced understanding of time and emotion. Photo by Bastille Post
Photo by Bastille Post
The real-life inspirations behind the 19 songs also attended the concert and shared their feelings about the students' songwriting. The interviewee for the song "Sister Giu"—the grandmother of lyricist King Lok—expressed her deep emotion at King Lok's lyrics to capture the unforgettable moments between him and her in daily life, as well as her joy at hearing King Lok perform the song himself at the concert.
The interviewee for the song "Sister Giu"—the grandmother of lyricist King Lok—expressed her deep emotion at King Lok's lyrics to capture the unforgettable moments between him and her in daily life, as well as her joy at hearing King Lok perform the song himself at the concert. Photo by Bastille Post
King Lok performed the lyrics written by himself. Photo by Bastille Post
In addition to the students' performances, singers On Chan and Cloud Wan also joined as special guests, performing lyric works by Chow Yiu Fai on the theme of "time" and adding luster to the concert.
On Chan, Photo by Bastille Post
Cloud Wan, Photo by Bastille Post
Regarding the entire concert, the instructor of the lyrics writing class, Chow Yiu Fai, expressed his delight at being able to continue the tradition of running a lyrics writing class after transferring to teach at HKMU, allowing more students interested in music and lyrics writing to experience the joy of creation. He also thanked the 19 interviewees who were willing to share their valuable life stories with the students. He expressed his hope that even after the lyric writing class comes to an end, the students can continue to cherish their passion for creation, observe the world attentively, write more touching stories from their lives, and use music to bring warmth to others.
The group photo of Chow Yiu Fai (second row, eighth from left) with the lyrics writing class students and guest performers at the concert. Photo by Bastille Post
