Hong Kong is set to host pop culture festival ComplexCon’s Asia debut next year, as part of government efforts to boost the post-pandemic economy and tourism, as well as further promote the city’s status as a regional cultural hub, the Post has learned.
ComplexCon Hong Kong will take place from March 22-24 at AsiaWorld-Expo, with the organiser expecting the festival to bring together street style, trainers, art, food and music to attract 30,000 guests from all over Asia.
The fair is among a slew of major events planned for next spring, including Art Basel Hong Kong, which the government is hoping will provide a shot in the arm to the city’s tourism sector and sluggish economy.
Rapper Kid Cudi was among the star-studded line-up for US ComplexCon 2023. Photo: Getty Images/Kayla Oaddams
“Hong Kong has long been at the heart of the global urban culture scene, whose local artists and entrepreneurs collaborate with the international community to drive cultural conversations in both the East and the West,” a ComplexCon Hong Kong spokesman said.
“We are excited to bring ComplexCon to Hong Kong, marking a unique milestone in this increasingly expansive scope of the global phenomenon of culture convergence by bringing in top designers, creative artists and talent to gather at this three-day festival.”
Launched in Los Angeles in 2016, the US edition of the annual festival took place on November 18 to 19 this year, with tickets ranging from US$150 (HK$1,169) to US$700. It featured famous rappers, such as Kid Cudi and Lil Yachty.
The first batch of tickets for the Hong Kong festival is due to go on sale on November 29 but prices and the artist line-up have yet to be announced. Organisers said they were aiming to “create synergised economic value through attracting inbound tourists and stimulating spending”.
Previous US ComplexCon editions recorded an average spending of US$600 per guest, generating more than US$30 million in revenue from cultural products on-site, the organiser said.
Pop culture festival ComplexCon first made it debut in Los Angeles in 2016. Photo: Handout
ComplexCon Hong Kong is supported by the government’s Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund, a fresh HK$1.4 billion scheme announced by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in his October policy address to bring major international events to the city and re-establish it as a premier travel destination.
Other events backed by the fund include contemporary art fairs Art Basel and Art Central.
The Hong Kong government lowered its forecast for the city’s full-year economic growth to 3.2 per cent from 4-5 per cent on the back of slower-than-expected economic recovery.
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