The Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre (KITEC) will close on June 30. It follows a HK$10 billion purchase by a consortium led by Billion Development and Project Management in 2021.

KITEC in Kowloon Bay
KITEC in Kowloon Bay. File photo: Wikicommons via CC2.0.

E-max, a mall within KITEC, notified commercial tenants of the closure. Last March, the government approved the reconstruction of the site into three commercial building, with industrial exhibition space, as well as commercial and engineering facilities.

Built in 1995 and originally owned by Hopewell Holdings, the 1.76 million square foot events and office space has hosted concerts, conferences, exhibitions and business events.

Hong Kong alternative music fans leave music zone after attending one of the venue's last performances on March 30, 2024. Photo: Hans Tse/HKFP.
Hong Kong alternative music fans leave music zone after attending one of the venue’s last performances on March 30, 2024. Photo: Hans Tse/HKFP.

One of KITEC’s tenants – Music Zone – closed in March. It was one of the city’s few medium-sized music venues. Music fans, musicians and critics lamented its closure this month to HKFP: “The importance of [Music Zone] is that it was the only 500-person, cheap, and audio-gear inclusive venue in Hong Kong,” The Lovesong drummer Lee Yat-ding said.

See also: Indie collective seeks community, history for the city’s alternative music scene

Several events are still planned for May at KITEC, including a gig by Cantopop band Mirror.

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Tom founded Hong Kong Free Press in 2015 and is the editor-in-chief. In addition to editing, he is responsible for managing the newsroom and company - including fundraising, recruitment and overseeing HKFP's web presence and ethical guidelines.

He has a BA in Communications and New Media from Leeds University and an MA in Journalism from the University of Hong Kong. He previously led an NGO advocating for domestic worker rights, and has contributed to the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Al-Jazeera and others.