Nicholas Tse Concert at Kai Tak

Sports Park

Cantopop star Nicholas Tse Ting-fung kicked off his "Evolution Nic Live" concert series on April 24, 2025, at Hong Kong’s newly opened Kai Tak Sports Park, marking his first solo performance in 25 years and making him the first Asian artist to perform solo at the 50,000-seat venue. The four-day sold-out event, running through April 27, drew around 43,700 fans, including celebrities like members of Mirror, Twins, Joey Yung, and Hins Cheung. However, the excitement was overshadowed by ticket scalping incidents and complaints about obstructed views.

On Thursday, a 34-year-old woman from mainland China was arrested for allegedly scalping two concert tickets, originally priced at HK$1,380 each, for HK$5,000. Undercover police apprehended her outside the Kai Tak retail complex after she presented the tickets. Reporters observed multiple suspected scalpers, mostly middle-aged men, exchanging or selling tickets during lulls in police patrols. Social media platforms like Facebook and Xiaohongshu also showed users offering tickets, some at inflated prices, prompting police to urge fans to buy through official channels to avoid financial losses.

Adding to the challenges, the Consumer Council received 17 complaints about obstructed views at Tse’s concerts by Thursday evening, with one case involving HK$6,000 for four tickets where buyers were unaware of view restrictions until receiving printed tickets. This follows 238 similar complaints from Coldplay’s recent shows at the same venue. Cityline, the ticket operator, confirmed that all complainants had purchased seats marked as obstructed-view but noted that pricing for these seats matches normal-view seats, ranging from HK$680 to HK$1,380. The company is working to improve its website based on feedback.

Lawmakers Adrian Pedro Ho and Michael Tien called for greater transparency in ticket sales, suggesting lower prices for obstructed-view seats and clearer seating maps, as seen in other venues like Taiwan’s Taoyuan stadium. Fans on mainland platform RedNote have shared seat maps and tips based on Coldplay concert photos to guide ticket purchases.

Kai Tak Sports Park advised concertgoers to collect tickets early, plan transportation, and avoid prohibited items like long umbrellas. Enhanced MTR services, special bus routes, and a taxi pick-up area were arranged to manage crowds, with cross-boundary travelers urged to use MTR or pre-book coach services.

As Kai Tak Sports Park establishes itself as a premier venue, these issues highlight the need for improved ticketing practices and crowd management to ensure a better experience for fans.