By Oscar Liu
Copyright scmp
A water-themed music festival scheduled for this weekend has been postponed due to a forecast of possible strong winds and an approaching typhoon.
Waterbomb Hong Kong 2025 said on Wednesday that tickets bought would be refunded in accordance with the policies of each ticketing platform, and further details regarding the rescheduled date would be announced as soon as possible.
The organiser said it had learned from the impact of Super Typhoon Ragasa, which caused significant damage across Hong Kong last week, and would take the necessary precautions.
“In light of these unavoidable circumstances, we must place the safety of our audience, artists and staff above all else, and we regret to inform you that the originally scheduled event will be postponed,” it announced on social media.
“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused by this sudden change of schedule and ask for your kind understanding and continued support. We are committed to repaying your love with a safer and more complete Waterbomb.”
The Hong Kong Observatory said on Thursday that Tropical Cyclone Matmo would move closer to the vicinity of Luzon, intensify gradually and move across the central and northern parts of the South China Sea over the weekend.
Matmo means “heavy rain” in the Chamorro language of Guam.
In the latest update of its nine-day forecast, the Observatory revised upwards the wind forecast for Sunday, with east to southeast winds of force 5 to 6, and up to force 8 on high ground – the lower threshold for the issuance of the No 8 signal.
The festival organiser said ticketing platforms would start processing refunds within 14 business days, noting the duration might vary depending on banks and methods of payment and could take up to 45 business days.
“Details of the rescheduled event date and artist line-up will be announced once discussions are finalised. Please note that the artist line-up may also be subject to change due to the postponement,” it added.
Ticket prices for Waterbomb Hong Kong, originally set to take place from October 4 to 5, ranged from HK$880 to HK$3,280 (US$113 to US$422).
The festival’s inaugural Hong Kong event in 2024 was marred by significant chaos and provoked widespread public backlash. An hour-long delay on its first day due to Typhoon Maliksi caused massive queues at the venue, with concertgoers stuck outside when performances had already begun.
The poorly managed luggage storage system caused even greater consternation. Flooding led to half the storage capacity being unusable, and thousands of attendees had to wait in the rain for up to four hours after the event to retrieve their belongings.
