SCMP: Hong Kong needs more than spectacles
The South China Morning Post published an opinion arguing Hong Kong must build a broader cultural revival that supports subcultures and creators, not just rely on one‑off mega‑events. (scmp.com) The column frames this shift as necessary to secure a durable creative identity beyond headline shows. (scmp.com)
A South China Morning Post opinion piece published Sunday said Hong Kong cannot rely on mega-events alone if it wants a durable cultural economy. (scmp.com) Carolyn Yim wrote that Hong Kong needs “systemic change” to attract talent, bring back diaspora residents and draw higher-spending visitors, even as the city expands its role in finance and offshore renminbi business. The column was published on April 12, 2026. (scmp.com) Her argument lands after a year in which Hong Kong doubled down on headline attractions. Kai Tak Sports Park officially opened on March 1, 2025, and the government calls it the city’s largest sports infrastructure project and a new hub for “mega-event economy.” (info.gov.hk, cstb.gov.hk) Hong Kong also kept drawing global art traffic. Art Basel Hong Kong 2025 brought together 240 galleries from 42 countries and territories and reported total attendance of 91,000 across its VIP and public days. (artbasel.com) Yim’s point is that hosting culture and producing culture are different jobs. She said the city should invest in the smaller scenes where new work starts, citing warehouse discos in Prince Edward, zine fairs in Chungking Mansions, techno events in Kwun Tong and art shows in Tai Ping Shan. (scmp.com) That idea cuts against a policy mix that has leaned heavily on funds, festivals and branding. In the 2024-25 budget, the Hong Kong government said it would inject about Hong Kong dollars 1.4 billion into the Film Development Fund and Hong Kong dollars 2.9 billion into the CreateSmart Initiative, while also launching a Signature Performing Arts Programme Scheme and the first Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo. (budget.gov.hk) The government has also expanded its overall arts spending. In a Legislative Council reply on January 22, 2025, officials said annual government spending on arts and culture had risen from Hong Kong dollars 4.15 billion in 2015-16 to Hong Kong dollars 7.31 billion in 2024-25. (info.gov.hk) A formal blueprint is now in place. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau published its Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development on November 26, 2024. (cstb.gov.hk) The economic backdrop helps explain why culture is being framed as an industry question, not only an arts question. Hong Kong’s government says real gross domestic product grew 3.5 percent in 2025 and forecasts growth of 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent in 2026, while warning that trade policy shifts and geopolitical tensions still threaten the outlook. (hkeconomy.gov.hk) Yim argued that the missing ingredient is “patient capital” for creators, not another burst of visibility from annual spectacles. Her closing test for Hong Kong is whether it becomes a city that stages culture or one that keeps making it. (scmp.com)
