What caused the spike in conversations around HK's new Kai Tak Sports Park?

Hong Kong’s new Kai Tak Sports Park has seen a spike of conversations since its opening, with some mentions including its recently concluded Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament.

According to media intelligence firm CARMA, the park saw a total of 14.6K mentions on social media this past month, with 27.7% of sentiments being positive, 11.8% being negative and 60.5% being neutral.

The report also revealed that 27.7% of netizens expressed excitement about the opening of the new park and shared about the dance and musical performances, and sports events over the past month.

There were mentions of the World Snooker Grand Prix 2025 which was the first formal sports event held at Kai Tak Sports Park. While some users shared positive comments on it, others were disappointed by the disruptions and issues during the event, including an abrupt end to the first day’s play.

Among the 11.8% negative mentions, some circulated about how politician Arian Ho criticised the use of the word “curfew” in an English announcement about the early end of the snooker event. He stated that the word choice negatively impacts Hong Kong’s international image.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Kai Tak Sports Park for a statement.

Most recently, the highly-anticipated Hong Kong Sevens has concluded, with a final day attendance of 38,352, taking the total to more than 110,000 for the weekend.

The three-day event, which ended on Sunday, was the first real-world stress test for the stadium as the heart of the HK$30 billion park, which significantly enhanced the city’s position as a mega-events hub.

Don't miss: Cathay relives the past at Kai Tak with low-flying plane

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Kai Tak Airport, a Cathay Pacific A350 also flew near Kai Tak Stadium through Victoria Harbour on the last day of the Hong Kong Sevens. A special CX8100 flight departed at around 4 pm on Sunday, passing over Central, Wan Chai, Kai Tak Stadium, and North Point along the harbour.

Hong Kong’s leader John Lee also attended the event with his wife, saying he had a great time, "The first major tournament at the Kai Tak Stadium has successfully 'scored a try'," Lee wrote on social media.

"Next, let's wait for more exciting sports and cultural activities to take place, giving full play to the venue's enchantment, while looking forward to future mega events one after the other."

Don't miss: Kai Tak Sports Park welcomes 18,000 attendees at trial concert

Earlier this year, the park also welcomed around 18,000 attendees for a concert on Saturday, serving as its first non-sports test event. Titled "FOUR in LOVE 萬人 CHARITY LIVE 2025", the one-and-a-half-hour charity concert featured Hong Kong artists including Jay Fung, Cloud Wan, Jace Chan and the band Dear Jane. After deducting the cost, all proceeds will be donated to the Hong Kong Community Chest to further promote the development of local youth affairs.

From the total of 18,000 attendees, around 4,000 were seated in the stadium's lawn area to trial setups for future major events. Only one-third of the stadium seats were used for the 50,000-seat concert. Audience were prohibited from bringing items such as water bottles, professional photography gear, and banners larger than the allowed size.

Join us this coming 17 June for #Content360 Hong Kong, an insightful one-day event centered around responsible AI, creativity VS influencers, Xiaohongshu and more. Let's dive into the art of curating content with creativity, critical thinking and confidence!

Related articles:

Carlsberg elevates HK7s experience with exclusive 'First cheers edition'
Dettol named official hygiene partner of 2023 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens again