NOTE: This event has since been cancelled
Clockenflap, Hong Kong’s biggest music and arts festival, is almost here and this year’s event promises to be packed with new acts from home and abroad.
Hong Kong’s had a rough time of late. Protesters are fighting to be recognised, the police force is out in…well, force, and those stuck in the middle have faced logistical challenges, restricted freedoms, and an increasingly polarised society. Now, a music festival isn’t going to cure what ills Hong Kong, but it certainly might help Hong Kongers get their groove on and forget their troubles, if only for a weekend.
Taking place November 22-24 at the Central Harbourfront, Clockenflap is a Hong Kong cultural institution, with established and emerging acts descending on the Fragrant Harbour for a music spectacular backdropped by one of Asia’s most dramatic skylines.
A great showcase of new acts (27 acts will be making their Hong Kong debut), Clockenflap 2019 will feature a plethora of new names on its line-up, from Australian singer-songwriter Nick Murphy (or the artist formerly known as Chet Faker), UK electronic-rock icons Metronomy (who last played in HK in 2012), psychedelic pop mavericks Glass Animals, and experimental rockers These New Puritans.
Other top names include British indie-rockers Bombay Bicycle Club, rapper BBNO$, whose recent track Lalala has clocked up close to 300 million plays on Spotify; Hong Kong dream-pop act Room 307; South Korean electronic trio Idiotape; Jamaican reggae/dancehall artist Skarra Mucci, who will perform with Jado, MouseFX and Heavy HK; Norwegian synth-pop chanteuse Aurora, British indie-folk giants Mumford & Sons, and eclectic London-based DJ Bazza Ranks.
In total, 100 international, regional and local acts will perform across six stages – Harbourflap, Atum, Red Bull Stage, Robot, Acorn and Silent Disco.
More than just good music, the event will also host a series of air-dependent installation, ranging from a giant inflatable garden, and Urchin, an inflatable dome adorning the Acorn stage, to Totem, a towering new 7.5-metre-high inflatable installation featuring some of Clockenflap 2019’s animated characters that welcomes people at the entrance and offers a perfect backdrop for festival photos.
The festival’s lineup of roving arts attractions will include the debut of Mirabelle the Snail, a cute and curious character created by world-renowned Australian puppet theatre company Snuff Puppets; Who-Do Caterpillars, a surreal and scaled-up reimagining of the tiny wriggling creatures created by Sum-sum, winner of Clockenflap’s Arts Open Call; Balloon Chain, a gigantic and interactive constantly changing sculpture made of helium-filled; and Birdmen, a trio of huge luminous bird-like creatures that wander inquisitively among the crowd.
You’ll also be able to stay hydrated with a comprehensive collection of beverage options ranging from signature Red Bull mixed drinks and cocktails at the Red Bull Bar, and craft beers at the Brooklyn Brewery.
“If you pour some music on whatever’s wrong, it’ll sure help out.” – Levon Helm
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