The government on Wednesday said the sports sector gets priority when it comes to booking the Hong Kong Coliseum, after a lawmaker complained that organisers turned away are instead taking their events to Macau or Guangdong. New People's Party lawmaker Adrian Ho noted that the Coliseum is also in high demand for concerts, arts and cultural events and said some in these sectors aren't sure why they find it hard to secure the venue. In a written reply to his questions, culture and sports minister Rosanna Law said 461 booking applications – around 80 percent of the total received – have been rejected since 2022. But she added that throughout this period, the venue has been in constant use. Around 60 percent of the successful bookings were for concerts, while around a fifth were for large-scale sporting events. "[The Leisure and Cultural Services Department] considers the nature, significance and attraction of the events, audience appeal of the performers and booking history of the applicants, et cetera, when more than one organisation applies for the same time slot," the minister said. She added that the Coliseum is regarded as an important sports venue and events in this category therefore get priority. Law said she expects event organisers will welcome the opening of Kai Tak Sports Park next year, and officials will work with the operator to promote the site for local and international events.
