Kai Tak Stadium dazzles Hong Kong Sevens fans but long queues spoil party
Fans praise stadium’s beauty but lengthy waiting times for drinks and sold-out refreshments leave some longing for Hong Kong Stadium
Seating arrangements, the distance from traditional party areas and frustration over long queues and sold-out refreshments were among fans’ complaints about the 50,000-seat stadium on Saturday.
“It’s a beautiful-looking stadium, but there is room for improvement,” said Mona Gadalla-Carter, a 43-year-old Hong Kong resident of Finnish origin.
Gadalla-Carter has attended Sevens tournaments since she was a teenager in the mid-1990s, when the event was held at the 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium in Causeway Bay.
She said she was impressed by the lighting and retractable roof at Kai Tak Stadium but less enamoured with the number of seats reserved as corporate boxes along the lower levels of the East and West stands.
02:02
Fans descend on new Kai Tak Stadium for Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament
Many spectators were being redirected towards the stadium’s upper levels by 12.45pm, while seats in the corporate boxes nearer the pitch remained empty.