And so, Coldplay's first concert at the Kai Tak Sports Park began on April 8. Fortunately, I didn't have to rush to the venue like everyone else: I didn't buy a "standing ticket" for the inner area, so I didn't need to get there in advance; I lived very close to the venue, so I won't be bothered too much by traffic. As a result, I was able to walk there and noticed the little details along the way.
Near Kai Tak in To Kwa Wan, Kowloon, I saw a number of police officers directing traffic and maintaining order. Thanks to their help, the crowd was able to move smoothly. However, in To Kwa Wan, an elderly man was stopped by the police for crossing the street against the red light—perhaps he didn't expect that a normally uncontrolled intersection would suddenly have police present. Unfortunate, but still deserved.
The capacity of the Kai Tak Stadium and the attendance for this concert were on par with any performance at the Hong Kong Coliseum. Due to the different terrain and building design, spectators entered through various security checkpoints. I myself entered the venue via the footbridge, but seeing that massive structure, I was more than a bit worried about whether the distance would delay me; fortunately, the security process was rather quick, and since I had "done my homework" on what not to bring, the entire process from security to my seat took only about fifteen minutes.
As a world-renowned rock band known for their many masterpieces, Coldplay's concert atmosphere was lively, and they even prepared special glasses to enhance the stage presentation. The interactive segments with fans were also quite creative.
From my observation, about 30% of the audience were foreigners eager to see the concert. As the concert reached its climax, several members of the crew brought in flashing balloons shaped like planets of the solar system, surrounding the venue. I noticed that as the rhythm of the songs played, the crew also danced gracefully, enjoying the moment, and the silhouettes of people blended harmoniously with the flickering lights and enchanting melodies.
At the same time, Coldplay collaborated with Hong Kong singer Marf and Palestinian singer Elyanna to perform "We Pray," with Marf contributing an impressive segment in Cantonese, which prompted Coldplay's vocalist Chris Martin to exclaim in delight and even request Marf to sing one more time.
A downside was that the venue did not open its roof, so there were no fireworks displays, which may have disappointed fans hoping for that. Additionally, an issue that had persisted since the venue's opening ceremony was that the sound quality was somewhat lacking, which became a hot topic on social media. Some netizens remarked that this problem was "magnified" during a performance by a rock band like Coldplay.
For me, the process of leaving the concert was relatively "smooth," and overall, the operation of this event was quite efficient. However, in terms of the "high-quality performance" I was looking forward to, there may still be some room for improvement.
(Reported by Darius)
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