5th January 2025 – (Hong Kong) Kai Tak Sports Park hosted its first trial event today, with an inter-university rugby sevens match taking place at its 50,000-seat main stadium. While the entry process was generally smooth, many spectators were caught off guard by the venue’s ban on carrying food and drinks inside, leading to confusion and complaints.
As attendees arrived from 10am, a significant number were required to leave their belongings, including char siu rice, at outdoor storage racks. Many fans expressed frustration when they discovered their prepared meals would be left outside in the sun for the duration of the event. Over a hundred water bottles were also stored together without any identification labels provided, resulting in some spectators, unable to locate their personalised insulated bottles upon returning to the venue.
Chris Tang, the Secretary for Security, observed the event and reported that the process ran smoothly, despite the attendance being only a fifth of the stadium’s capacity. He indicated that future test events would gradually increase in scale, with at least three large-scale trials expected, accommodating up to 65,000 spectators, to better prepare staff for various scenarios.
