Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium will officially open on March 1, the government has revealed, as the venue hosted about 50,000 people as part of a stress test on Tuesday night.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui announced the date as officials reviewed Tuesday’s trial, which included the stadium’s retractable roof being open for the first time during a football match and noise-level tests at nearby residential estates.
“After the many drills we have conducted, we are satisfied with the outcome. We have also made a number of improvements and adjustments,” she said after the trial.
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“To this day, we are highly confident that the stadium is able to operate smoothly and will officially open on March 1. We will announce the details of the opening later.”
The test run at the 50,000-seat stadium, the main venue in Kai Tak Sports Park, included an under-22 league football match between Kitchee and North district, along with fire drills and re-enactments of emergencies.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming said 80 per cent out of 48,000 spectators were able to disperse within 15 minutes, while 2,000 people stayed behind to take part in one fire drill.
“All spectators were able to disperse within 40 minutes. This is worth looking into to see what we can improve,” he said.
Some people were seen walking into smoke or stepping over seats when evacuating during the fire simulation. Chow said such observations would serve as valuable references for emergency units on what to be aware of during such situations.
Sports commissioner George Tsoi Kin-pan said the stress test was “successful and complete”.
He said there was better collaboration and communication between staff, and increased awareness among the audience about items that could not be brought into the stadium.
Tsoi said noise levels of 58 decibels could be detected at the nearest housing estates which was within the legal limit of 65 decibels, while residents could hear cheers from the crowd.
Another stress test would be held on February 16 in the form of a community activity, he added.
Around 5,000 runners would pick up race packs at the sports park from Wednesday for Sunday’s Hong Kong Marathon, Tsoi said.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said Tuesday’s trial was a bit different from a concert held last month, adding that the admission process was smooth.
“We will run tests for situations such as spectators entering and leaving the stadium at the same time, as well as the halftime break,” he said before the match.
“We will also hold drills such as having someone who has fallen sick and people who get into a fight to test our ability to handle different scenarios.”
At 6.30pm, the 50,000 spectators, including 44,000 civil servants, started streaming into the stadium following security checks at the entrance.
The football match kicked off at 8pm with the retractable roof open.
A mini fire drill took place at a snack bar 15 minutes later as a man pretended to injure his palm on a burning portable charger. Firefighters arrived to put out the blaze, while first responders treated the man and put him on a stretcher.
Police officers also conducted another drill where an angry football fan got into a quarrel with a player and threw a paper cup at him. Security guards then stopped him from entering a restricted corridor.
Spectator Poon Siu-chi, 52, expressed concern about the number of people staying at the snack bar.
“I think the event was well-organised but when too many people stay in one area, I am worried about the spread of viruses during the flu season,” said Poon, a civil servant.
“Order outside the stadium was well-maintained but more effort could be put into order inside the venue. Beer is sold at the food bar. There may be conflicts when people are drunk.”
He suggested more staff be deployed to control the crowd, while spectators from certain areas should only be allowed to enter a particular food area.
A 59-year-old woman surnamed Tsoi said the match atmosphere was great.
“I wore more clothes to prepare for the open roof. The atmosphere was euphoric when the ball went into the goal,” she said.
Kitchee player Li Siu-hin, 17, scored the stadium’s first goal on Tuesday, with his team winning 4:1.
“It is like a fantasy for me. I was nervous about playing in front of so many people, when I scored I was shocked, I ran to the fans and was so excited,” said Li, who also plays for the Hong Kong under-17 team.
“I can’t believe Hong Kong has a stadium like this.”
Jay Haddow, 20, a Kitchee midfielder, said: “It’s a beautiful stadium ... I can see it from my bedroom window [in Hung Hom] and it looks stunning. To actually play in the stadium was incredible.”
He was critical, though, of the surface not being fully natural grass.
Tsoi earlier said the decision to open the roof for the match was based on the nature of the event, the potential weather, and the possible visual and noise effects.
According to the sports park, the “all-weather acoustically sealed retractable roof” of the stadium was constructed from 15,000 tonnes of steel and featured soundproofing cotton as well as cement boards that met strict sound insulation standards.
Another large-scale drill was held at the three venues of the sports park last month involving around 63,000 people. About 50,000 people watched a 1½-hour show performed by the city’s disciplined services at the stadium.
British rock band Coldplay will play four shows there in April, while Taiwanese megastar Jay Chou will perform for three nights in June.
Cantopop star and actor Nicholas Tse Ting-fung will be the first Hong Kong musician to hold a solo concert at the stadium on April 25 and 26.
Additional reporting by Paul McNamara
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