Youth-focused SLAP, a community space and nightclub in Mong Kok, is closing this month, less than a year after it opened.
SLAP is an electronic dance music nightclub and exhibition space with a 150-person capacity.
In an Instagram statement on Sunday, it said they have been unable to overcome a number of issues with the venue. “This includes the flooding of the club that happened in August and the subsequent breakdown of the lift serving our floor which hasn’t been fixed by our landlord,” SLAP said.
It also cited issues with the “power supply, water supply outages, unreliable plumbing, plus operational barriers to the creation of a cafe in our space.”
The team said the situation had taken a physical, emotional and financial toll. It added that the brand would continue to exist, but there would be no operations from the current venue.
The venue, which officially opened on December 28, will hold a closing party on October 25.
Music venue woes
Small, youth-focused music venues have long faced challenges in Hong Kong.
Hidden Agenda, a popular indie spot, was raided by authorities in 2017 before rebranding as This Town Needs in 2018 and closing in 2020.
The loss of Music Zone, a medium-sized Kowloon Bay venue, due to a redevelopment plan last year was also a blow to independent gig organisers, many of whom have since struggled to find affordable spaces.
