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SCMP Editorial
Editorial
SCMP Editorial

Tighter rules will help ensure Hong Kong’s harbourfront events dazzle

Stricter standards for Central Harbourfront Event Space tenants are meant to make sure the site is well utilised and events live up to expectations

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Children enjoy rides at the AIA Carnival at the Central Harbourfront on December 22, 2025. Photo: Jonathan Wong
SCMP Editorial
Editorials represent the views of the South China Morning Post on the issues of the day.
Hong Kong’s image as a mega-event capital has a better chance of taking off after authorities tightened rules for future tenants of the Central Harbourfront Event Space. The move to impose key performance indicators for tenders and penalties for poor execution is a welcome sign that operator quality will be valued over rental income.

The Development Bureau said on Monday that stricter standards had been put in place for an open tender that was under way until mid-February for a new tenant of the roughly 3.7-hectare (9.1-acre) site. The winning bid is to be chosen by April. Tighter rules are also in place for spaces at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and at The Pier, the former Hung Hom railway freight yard.

Changes were sorely needed after last September’s abrupt cancellation of a much-touted attraction. The AIA International Hot Air Balloon Fest had failed to secure a required permit in time to offer tethered rides. Officials found that results of an initial field test conducted by the organiser were “unsatisfactory”. Guests had already paid for rides that the authorities prohibited because there was insufficient time to assess passenger safety.

The fiasco inflated into a public relations mess that put a pin in the city’s events-hosting image. New tenancy agreements will help ensure operators are less passive landlords. Future tenants must vet the track record of event organisers and hold tripartite meetings with authorities to ensure required licences have been secured. The lease term has been extended from three to five years to encourage tenants seeking more long-term engagement.

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