The biggest outdoor music event on Hong Kong’s cultural calendar will feature the likes of The Cardigans and Wu-Tang Clan.
All photos courtesy of Kitmin/Clockenflap
One of Asia’s most exciting contemporary music festivals is poised to make a comeback this spring after a three-year hiatus, with Arctic Monkeys headlining the celebration from Friday, March 3, to Sunday, March 5. Last held in 2018, Clockenflap will be lighting up Hong Kong’s Central Harbourfront on those dates. Organizers finally released the full lineup of the 2023 edition over the weekend.
Newly added to the bill are hip-hop legends Wu-Tang Clan, who’ll be flying in to perform in Hong Kong for the very first time, and Swedish group The Cardigans — best known for chart-topping ’90s hits like Lovefool, Erase/Rewind, and My Favourite Game. The latter will also be making their Hong Kong debut. Ahead of the launch of a new album, British indie-rockers Bombay Bicycle Club are returning to Clockenflap 12 years after headlining the 2011 edition of the jamboree.
Also on the list of new names are critically acclaimed U.S. songstress Sasha Alex Sloan, Japanese dance-pop dynamos CHAI, and local Canto-rock band KOLOR, bringing the total number of acts performing across the festival’s three days to more than 100. At this time, the only remaining tickets available are for Sunday, when Wu-Tang Clan and Bombay Bicycle Club will be playing; German electronic group Moderat and Taiwanese R&B chanteuse Julia Wu are just two of the other acts making an appearance on stage. Admission is priced from HK$1,080 (roughly US$138) for adults and HK$680 (US$87) for full-time students; those aged 12 and under can enter for free.
Clockenflap’s upcoming 12th edition promises the full festival experience of years past: an outdoor environment featuring multiple stages, an array of F&B outlets, and an eclectic lineup of must-see international, regional, and local acts. The event will also be free standing, with festival-goers able to move easily between the various stages and attractions throughout the weekend.
Crowds gathered at the main stage during Clockenflap 2017.
