Bad news for Carly Rae Jepsen fans in Hong Kong who were eagerly waiting for her to perform in Hong Kong this fall: the Canadian pop star has canceled the Hong Kong leg of her tour amid worsening anti-government protests in the city.
Jepsen was due to perform at KITEC on Oct. 25 as part of her tour to promote her new album Dedicated.
In a statement by Live Nation HK published on Wednesday — one day after intense National Day clashes, which saw a high school student shot at close range by a police officer — the entertainment company confirmed that Jepsen’s Hong Kong concert would be canceled “due to unforeseen circumstances.”
The announcement also provided more details about where ticket holders can get refunds, which will start from Oct. 11.
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And Jepsen’s not the only one having second thoughts about hosting events in Hong Kong.
Just one day after she announced the cancellation of her Hong Kong concert, the Hong Kong Tourism Board also announced that two of their big events, the Hong Kong Cyclothon and the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, would also be canceled.
The Cyclothon was due to take place on Oct. 13, while the Wine and Dine Festival was due to run from Oct. 31–Nov. 3.
HKTB said that the Cyclothon — a bike race that covers a number of major roads, tunnels, and bridges across the city — had to be canceled because if any protests were to take place prior to the event, there was no guarantee that roads could be cleared in time for organizers to set up a cycling route and event venue.
They also said that the decision to cancel the Wine and Dine Festival was due to the fact that the event would have taken place at Central’s harborfront, close to Admiralty, which has been the scene of numerous clashes. In the event of any protest or conflict nearby, “it would be difficult to ensure all the participants could leave the venue safely within a short time,” the board said.
Earlier this month, it was announced that the Hong Kong Tennis Open and performances of Matilda The Musical would also be postponed amid the ongoing protests, while Trevor Noah announced in August that the Hong Kong leg of his stand-up tour would be postponed to “an indefinite date.”
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