Beside the waters of Kowloon Bay, an ambitious project on the site of a former airport runway gives Hong Kong a sorely needed hub for sporting and large-scale entertainment events.

The luminous aluminum-clad facade of Kai Tak Stadium, the centerpiece of its namesake sports park. (Photo: Joseph Mok/iStock)

Famed for its hair-raising landings over tightly packed residential neighborhoods, Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Airport was an exhilarating introduction to the city before its closure in 1998. Thrills of another kind await visitors when they arrive at Kai Tak Sports Park, the roughly 28-hectare showpiece of the new urban district that has taken its place.

Envisaged by U.S.-based architecture firm Populous, the complex marks the realization of grand plans that first hit the drawing board more than two decades ago. The site’s features include a public sports ground, the city’s tallest climbing wall, and an indoor arena for high-level competitions in basketball, badminton, table tennis, and the like.

This being Hong Kong, there is of course a retail element, with a mall scattered across three buildings flanking wide pedestrian thoroughfares that funnel sports fans to the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium, the undisputed jewel in the development’s crown.

The stadium gets its shimmering, pearlescent appearance from 27,000 triangular aluminum panels assembled like a jigsaw puzzle on the facade. (A constellation of LEDs dotting the exterior mean large-scale light shows are possible during special occasions.) Functionality was also baked into the design: the structure boasts an adaptable pitch and acoustically sealed retractable roof. This lustrous waterfront landmark has recently become the new home for the Hong Kong Sevens, with the beloved international rugby tournament making a successful move to Kowloon this past March. That was closely followed by a string of sold-out Coldplay concerts.

K-Pop fans have much to look forward to in the coming months. Late September will see two shows by boy band Seventeen, and Kai Tak Stadium is set to host the 2025 MAMA Awards at the end of November. Girl groups Twice and Blackpink will then stop by for their latest world tours in December and January, respectively. After years of planning and construction, it seems Kai Tak Sports Park is finally off to a flying start.

kaitaksportspark.com.hk

Pedestrian avenues at Kai Tak Sports Park funnel visitors to venues like an indoor arena and the main stadium. — Pedestrian avenues funnel visitors to venues like an indoor arena and the main stadium. (Courtesy of Kai Tak Sports Park)

Harbor views await at the South Stand inside Kai Tak Stadium. (Courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board)

Looking down the pitch at the 50,000-seater Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong. — Looking down the pitch at the 50,000-seater Kai Tak Stadium. (Courtesy of Kai Tak Sports Park)

This article originally appeared in the March/May 2025 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Taking the Field”). Buy a single issue or subscribe here.

Hong Kong’s Grand New Stage: Kai Tak Sports Park

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