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Sometimes, the world works in mysterious ways that seem to suggest a fundamental incompatibility in people or forces. Unfortunately for Hong Kong fans of the Japanese rock band One OK Rock, this seems to ring true for the musical act and our city, as the alt-rock quartet have just announced the cancellation of the Hong Kong leg of their Detox Asia tour.
According to organiser Live Nation, there were “unforeseen circumstances that were outside the control of the artist and the organiser” that couldn’t be resolved despite their best efforts. Usually, this vague statement points towards larger sociopolitical reasons, as can be seen in the recent decline in Sino-Japanese relations since Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi took the office – several Japanese artists have since been blocked or boycotted from performing in mainland China as well as its Special Administrative Regions, such as Ayumi Hamasaki’s concert that was supposed to take place in Macau this January.
One OK Rock were supposed to perform two nights on May 2 and 3 at the Central Harbourfront, but Live Nation announced on April 9 that the concerts would not be going ahead. Looking back at their supposed string of bad luck with our city, the band have had to cancel their Eye of the Storm concert back in 2020 due to the pandemic, and again in 2023 for their Luxury Disease tour (though the latter event was eventually able to be rescheduled for two months later in December).
It looks like the Detox concert will not be rescheduled, as the organiser has already mentioned refund procedures. Luckily, ticketholders will not have to go through much hassle, as those who have purchased from the official channels of Cityline, Trip.com, and Damai will be refunded in full, with the payment automatically deposited back into the same credit card or digital payment method used for ticket purchases. There is no need to make refund requests through any platform, and the refunding process will take approximately six to eight weeks for Cityline, and seven to 10 working days for Trip.com.
Check this space for information as we find out more, and here’s hoping One OK Rock will be coming back soon!
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