Taiwanese singer Anpu has cancelled her concert in Hong Kong next month, with the organiser citing “irresistible force.”
The concert was scheduled to be held on August 23 at AsiaWorld Arena, near Hong Kong International Airport.
“Due to the irresistible force of the organiser’s situation, there is no way for the concert to go ahead as planned,” concert organiser CCY Entertainment said in a statement on Tuesday.
It did not elaborate on what “irresistible force” was.
The Taiwanese singer, whose full name is Chiao Anpu, publicly supported Taiwan’s Sunflower Movement in 2014 and Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement in the same year.
However, she came under fire from fans last year after her management company posted her handwritten message celebrating China’s National Day on October 1 on Weibo.
‘Irresistible force’
In the comments section of the organiser’s Instagram post, some concertgoers asked what “irresistible force” meant, while others complained that they had already booked hotels or that the handling fee was non-refundable.
According to the organiser, ticket vendors KKTIX, Trip.com, and Damai, which primarily serve the mainland Chinese market, will arrange refunds without customers needing to apply. However, handling fees will be non-refundable.
This is not the first time a performance or an art event has been cancelled in Hong Kong without a clear explanation.
Hong Kong singer Pong Nan’s concert in January was axed due to a venue cancellation by the city’s art hub. Nan, who is openly gay, is known for his support of the 2019 anti-extradition bill movement.
The House of Hong Kong Literature, a non-profit that promotes the city’s literary scene, said on July 21 that it was forced to call off a book fair, citing “factors beyond our control.”
A fundraising concert organised by the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) moved online, after the live performance was axed due to what the press group described as “an irresistible force.”
