E-sports takes centrestage at Hong Kong festival

HONG KONG will host its first ever e-sports and music festival in August.

The three-day event will feature international players competing in the world’s most popular video game, League of Legends, as well as showcasing top K-pop stars in concert.

Organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), the event takes place this weekend at Central Harbourfront, and is hoped to draw a new generation of visitors.

‘E-sports’, otherwise known as competitive video gaming, took off as a form of entertainment in recent years, and reached a global audience of 226 million in 2015.

The upcoming festival will present 20 League of Legends world champions, competing in front of a live audience. The matches will also be streamed to viewers around the world.

“I am sure people will still attend the event despite the live streaming,” said Anthony Lau Chunhon, executive director of HKTB.

“It’s like watching football or Formula One. The live atmosphere is always different.”

The e-sports contest will start on Friday, with the final on Sunday, while a concert featuring artistes from top Korean entertainment group SMTown, takes place on Saturday.

A street food festival with food trucks and hawker stalls will also be held at the venue.

HKTB chairman Peter Lam Kinngok said e-sports were gaining popularity especially among young people.

“We aim to combine e-sport, music and gourmet food, to bring fresh experiences to the younger crowd,” he added.

The festival is part of the ongoing celebrations for the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover from Britain to China.

HKTB hopes the events will attract more international visitors to the city state and boost its tourism industry further.