Why are international music acts choosing Shenzhen over Hong Kong? (original) (raw)

While Shenzhen is rightly famed for low-cost shopping, dining and family attractions, it is rarely talked about as a hotbed for live music. That could be about to change, thanks to a clutch of ambitious livehouses that have started luring international touring acts to the city – and away from Hong Kong.

B10 Live in the OCT Loft cultural district is attracting a range of respected acts this year, including 2024 Mercury Prize winners English Teacher on April 30, US singer-songwriter Appleby on June 14, Chicago alt-rock outfit Friko on August 1 and post-rock legends Tortoise on August 25.

Elsewhere, CH8 Livehouse in Nanshan district hosted US rapper McKinley Dixon on April 17 and will welcome Canadian hip-hop/jazz ensemble Badbadnotgood on July 19. The Shenzhen outpost of the MAO Livehouse chain, located at Sea World, has Brooklyn indie rockers DIIV performing on July 5.

That shift means artists increasingly see Shenzhen and Hong Kong as competing options when adding a Greater Bay Area stop to their touring schedule.

This decision is typically shaped by a variety of considerations, says Justin Sweeting, co-founder and music director of Clockenflap, but availability of suitable venues is one of the key issues.

“One of the major factors that affects what kind of deal a promoter can put forward is the local venue options,” he explains.

“It’s well documented that Hong Kong needs more live performance spaces across scale, and I’ve lost count of the number of acts we haven’t been able to put on simply because there isn’t a suitable venue available on the date the artist needs for their tour routing.”