'Pick a good spot for To Kwa Wan barge concerts'
'Pick a good spot for To Kwa Wan barge concerts'
Ivan Ho says barge concerts held during the Happy Hong Kong campaign in 2023 show the idea can work. File photo: RTHK
The head of the government's advisory body on waterfront matters said on Monday that the authorities should be careful when choosing a spot in waters off To Kwa Wan to host outdoor concerts on a barge.
The suggestion was put forward by the Urban Renewal Authority, which is proposing the construction of a "world-class cove area", like Darling Harbour in Sydney.
Harbourfront Commission chairman Ivan Ho expressed support for the idea.
He noted that similar concerts were held two years ago in Wan Chai, when around 2,500 people enjoyed shows on shore as part of the Happy Hong Kong campaign.
Calling the concept "creative and out of the box", he said a key factor for the To Kwa Wan idea would be to place the barge at the right spot so there was enough room for spectators.
"With a concert you need the audience... so you need to carefully select a place that will enable people to gather and stay to enjoy the concert," Ho told RTHK.
He also said even though the area is close to Kai Tak Sports Park, there won't be events in the park every day of the year, and putting on shows on the water could have a synergy effect so long as the authorities plan the events calendar properly.
Ho said one possible way to negate noise issues would be to hold the barge performances during daytime.
The Urban Renewal Authority also proposed hosting watersports in the Kai Tak Approach Channel.
Ho said that would be a good idea for competitions like dragon boat races, as spectators could be on both sides of the water to cheer the athletes on.
"The only problem, as far as I understand at the moment is the water quality, it's sort of marginal. So we need to ensure the quality is suitable for the watersports we're proposing," he said.
The commission chairman said the proposals are still very much at a conceptual stage, and he expressed hope that the ideas can be explored further.
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