If you’re into radical self-expression you don’t have to go to the deserts of Nevada for the Burning Man Festival or Colorado for Coachella to let it all hang out (clothes are optional at the U.S. festivals) you can just go to the Central Harbourfront. But in conservative Hong Kong you’d be wise to keep your clothes on. From 9 – 11 November, Clockenflap will be rocking six stages and three young Hong Kong men will be quietly making themselves multi-millionaires.
It will be the ninth Clockenflap music and arts festival, which organiser Magnetic Asia claims has attracted more than 150,000 visitors. Major acts lined up include Interpol, Khalid, The Vaccines, David Byrne and Bodega. Hong Kong and regional artists GDJYB, Cifika, Cocoonics, Anpu, 9M88 and Bohan Phoenix will also be strutting and strumming and rattling the windows. The festival also features far-out, weird art such as Balloon Chain — which stars at Burning Man — The Nose Knows, an olfactory-inspired installation, Lotus Temple, a 20ft inflatable structure inspired by the flower, and Be*r*ring, a chill-out zone made from rotating columns and illusive mirrors. Clockenflap is mainly about the music pulsating out of multiple stages on the waterfront. Rock, pop, indie, hip hop and electronic dance music will be on show. Wild mobile art will wander around delighting kids, little and big. Expect family-style entertainment during the day and a switch-over as night falls to electronic, DJ and band music.
Tickets are not cheap: $930 (one day) to $1720 (three days).
The company behind Hong Kong’s top music and arts festival is Magnetic Asia. It was founded by three local residents, Mike Hill, Managing Director who is said to be the entrepreneurial brain behind the business, Jason Forster, Artistic Director, and Justin Sweeting, Music Director. If they have a rigorous Finance Director keeping them in the black, Mike, Jason and Justin are likely to be making themselves multi-millionaires. Their growing company operates out of the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal building with four businesses. Clockenflap organises the annual festivals with local and international musicians, artists, food vendors, film makers, theatre performers and children’s entertainers. YourMum is another Magnetic Asia division that arranges regular shows in Hong Kong for touring artists such as Ellie Goulding, Justice, Belle and Sebastian. YourMum says it has set up more than 40 shows so far and attracted 80,000 visitors. Another division is called Neon lights. It has organised Singapore’s new outdoor music and arts festival. The fourth division is Ticketflap, an event listing and ticketing platform that has handled 800 shows.
If you can’t wait until November to let your Bohemian side hang out, hop on a plane and head for the Black Rock Desert, more or less 100 miles northeast of Reno, Nevada. Burning Man starts on August 25. If you like weird, you’ll find it.
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