Coronavirus: entire Hong Kong Arts Festival cancelled over outbreak; arts fans say it’s disappointing but understandable

The 2020 edition of Hong Kong’s biggest arts event, which last year drew 90,000 people, has been scrapped on safety grounds and with major venues closed

It was to have featured more than 120 performances by local groups and international acts including the Boston Symphony Orchestra and dancer Sergei Polunin

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Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which was to have given the opening concert of this year’s Hong Kong Arts Festival. The whole event, featuring more than 120 performances, has been cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak. Photo: Marco Borggreve

Published: 1:37pm, 10 Feb 2020Updated: 11:24pm, 10 Feb 2020

This year’s Hong Kong Arts Festival has been cancelled in its entirety due to the coronavirus outbreak centred on China, organisers have announced. They will try to reschedule some of the performances.

“The HKAF team is heartbroken to see this cancellation,” festival executive director Tisa Ho Kar-kuan said in a statement. “We have poured all of our passion for the performing arts and countless hours of effort into preparing this year’s festival; we share in the disappointment over the cancellation of so many eagerly anticipated performances.

“However, the safety of our audience, participating artists and staff is our top priority.”

She added: “The HKAF team is working with participating artists and venues to explore the possibility of rescheduling some of the productions in the near future.”

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Meanwhile, over the weekend international circus group Cirque du Soleil announced the cancellation of performances of Amaluna scheduled to be staged on the Central harbourfront in April “in the interest of safety for its audience members and employees”.