Retail footfall and sales at Kai Tak Sports Park, Hong Kong’s largest sports and entertainment complex, rose 40 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, buoyed by a packed calendar of high-profile cultural and sports events.

Retailers at Kai Tak Mall said their business rose by an average of 20 to 30 percent during major event periods.

During concerts, including Sandy Lam Yik-lin’s recent “Resonance: Reconstructed Hong Kong Exclusive” shows, the mall, in collaboration with retailers, has rolled out ticket-holder promotions, offering dining and shopping privileges to visitors presenting same-day event tickets.

The initiative aims to encourage longer stays and higher per-capita spending, creating a virtuous cycle of “footfall-experience-consumption”, according to the park operator on Monday.

Teddy Leung, operation director of footwear brand Oofos, said sales increased by about 30 percent during concert periods under the ticket-stub promotion program, while foot traffic doubled compared with normal days.

“Concerts are a powerful catalyst for both footfall and spending, lifting our business by around 30 percent, with pre-show peaks surging up to 60 percent,” said Hody Chan, marketing manager of N+ Burger.

The restaurant hired 30 percent more staff and extended operating hours to capture the opportunity, Chan added.

Ivan Cheong, deputy managing director of Japanese restaurant chain Watami (China) Co, said ticket-stub discounts and on-site promotions encouraged fans to dine before and after performances, improving sales by 25 percent.

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According to Kai Tak Sports Park, fan support activities have also helped drive retail and dining sales, reinforcing the spillover effects of the “concert economy”.

During Taiwan rock band Mayday’s 25th anniversary tour, Kai Tak Mall 2 hosted a 20,000-square-feet themed park that attracted large numbers of fans and visitors. Local fan clubs of singers such as Ian Chan and Keung To have also organized exhibitions and fan meetings, collaborating with merchants to launch promotional offers.

Sports events have delivered similar spillover benefits. Organizers said the three-day Hong Kong Sevens in early April drew more than 110,000 spectator arrivals. Hotels near the venue reportedly raised prices by nearly 200 percent during the rugby tournament, while restaurants in the surrounding Kowloon City district recorded business growth of 10 to 15 percent.

Covering 28 hectares, Kai Tak Sports Park includes the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium with a retractable roof, the indoor Kai Tak Arena, an outdoor track and field facility, and retail and dining spaces.

From its opening in March 2025 to March this year, utilization rates at the stadium and arena have approached 90 percent, with the former attracting more than 1.9 million visits.

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Moreover, Art Basel, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in late March, drew 91,500 admissions, according to government data. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau has reached an agreement with the organizer of the international art fair to keep Hong Kong as its exclusive host city in Asia for the next five years.

The boost from large-scale arts and sports events has also supported the broader tourism and retail sectors. The city recorded 14.3 million visitor arrivals in the first quarter, up 17 percent year-on-year, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Over the same period, the value of total retail sales rose 12.1 percent compared with a year earlier, data from the Census and Statistics Department showed.

Contact the writer at irisli@chinadailyhk.com