Hong Kong police have arrested five people over suspected ticket scalping outside Kai Tak Stadium, where British band Coldplay kicked off its concert series in the city on Tuesday.
Three men and two women were arrested on Tuesday night outside the stadium, according to the police force. The five, aged 27 to 51, were visitors from mainland China.
They were arrested on suspicion of breaching conditions of stay and were detained for further investigation, police also said.
The 50,000-seat stadium was sold out on Tuesday night, with concertgoers spending up to HK$2,099 to see the band, which will perform three more shows – part of their “Music of the Spheres” world tour – at the venue on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Police also issued a summons to a 30-year-old local man surnamed Lee over suspected ticket scalping on Tuesday, after he attempted to sell tickets for an amount higher than the official price to officers masquerading as fans outside the stadium before the concert began at 8pm.
Ticket scalping is an offence that could attract a fine of up to HK$2,000.
Some scalpers had touted tickets HK$1,000 higher than the official price on Tuesday night, according to local media reports.
Seated tickets are officially priced between HK$399 and HK$2,099, while standing tickets are priced at HK$1,399.
Coldplay’s concert on Tuesday also featured guest performers Marf from Hong Kong girl band Collar and Palestinian-Chilean singer-songwriter Elyanna.
As the British band played their 2024 hit “We Pray,” Marf sang a section of the song with lyrics in Cantonese. It prompted Coldplay frontman Chris Martin to stop playing, calling her performance “amazing” and asking her to sing it again, according to videos circulating on social media.
Mixed reviews
During the show, Martin told the audience that there would be no fireworks – often set off at the end of Coldplay concerts – because the stadium’s retractable roof was closed. He asked fans to send love to their loved ones instead and make sounds of fireworks together.
Reactions were mixed online: some fans were left disappointed, while others defended the quality of the show.
Coldplay’s concerts marked the first music event performed by a leading international act at Kai Tak Stadium, the centrepiece of the sprawling HK$30 billion Kai Tak Sports Park, which opened to the public last month.
Authorities call Kai Tak Sports Park a “state-of-the-art” venue for large-scale international events, in hopes that it will help Hong Kong regain its status as a regional hub for international sports, cultural, and entertainment events.
