Over the years, the music at the world-famous Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens has become as integral to the entertainment as the world class rugby on the pitch.
At past Sevens, iconic acts like The Beach Boys, Madness and The Village People have brought the 40,000 strong crowds to their feet and this year will be no different as the tournament farewells the iconic Hong Kong Stadium before the move to shiny new digs at Kai Tak Sports Park in 2025.
Grab your tickets and get your vocal cords warmed up, because it is going to be another weekend of the Hong Kong Sevens’ Greatest Hits with The Wailers and Journey’s Arnel Pineda headlining live performances across three days of world-class rugby revelry.
On Saturday, 6 April, fans in the stadium will be Jamming to the sounds of reggae legends The Wailers. The legendary Jamaican reggae band have earned their place in the chronicles of music history with their collaboration with Bob Marley bringing reggae to a global audience. Led by Aston Barrett Jr, whose father Aston “Family man” Barrett Sr and uncle, Carlton, were original founding members, The Wailers continue to preserve the legacy of their iconic island sound.
Fans will experience the magic of timeless classics and incredible cuts from Bob Marley’s vast repertoire as the stadium sways to music anthems like Three Little Birds, Could You Be Loved, and One Love at the one and only Hong Kong Sevens.
In more recent years, the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens has shared its stage with Hong Kong performers and this year sees the return of a local artist gone global in Arnel Pineda.
In 2007 when Journey, one of the world’s music super groups, were seeking a new lead singer they came across YouTube footage of Pineda, who had cut his teeth playing in the bars and clubs of Lan Kwai Fong, quickly drafting him in as lead singer after a worldwide talent search.
Since then Arnel and Journey have played to sold-out stadiums across the globe, and now he’s coming back to shake the South Stand fronting his own band, AMMO.
Come join one of the world’s biggest singalongs at the Sevens’ final set at the Hong Kong Stadium on Sunday, 7 April, as Arnel and a back-up band of thousands of fans belt out Journey classics Don’t Stop Believin’ and ‘Anyway You Want It’ along with a great selection of other Sevens greatest hits.
The musical party starts on Friday night at 18.42 with another multi-cultural celebration featuring a traditional eye-dotting ceremony to wish the tournament an auspicious start, followed by 40 minutes of live music.
Given this is the final year for the Sevens at the Hong Kong Stadium, it is only fitting that the party kicks off with a DJ set from a man who has brought rugby fans here and around the world to their feet in former England international and British & Irish Lions star James Haskell, who has embarked on a wildly successful DJ career after retiring from the game.
James has been performing as a DJ for much of the past decade, headlining venues like Ministry of Sound and Ibiza Rocks. His radio show and podcast series ‘Backrow Beats’ has over 70,000 downloads every week. Now he will get the fans on their feet once again at the Hong Kong Stadium with his set during the Opening Ceremony.
With the welcome inclusion of the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series to the Hong Kong party for the first time last year, it only makes sense to feature some girl power on stage as well in the form of sixteen-year old Hong Kong singing sensation Celine Tam and emerging all-female Cantopop group, Lolly Talk.
Celine won fans the world over with her appearance on America’s Got Talent season 12 where she reached the semi-finals as a nine-year old, and then followed up with a Top 8 finish in the World’s Got Talent show, impressively winning two “Golden Buzzers” from the judges on both shows.
Lolly Talk are also bringing their music festival grooves to Hong Kong Stadium. The octet emerged in 2022 and lit up the festival scene before headlining their own solo concerts in November 2023, with songs like Triple Sweetness, 5 Ciphers of Love and the fitting, My Seven Stars.
With the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens offering its usual array of rocking rugby, food, drink and music across three glorious days – not to mention the final swansong to the Hong Kong Stadium – it is going to be an unmissable weekend for rugby fans and music lovers this April.
Tickets are available via the official website at www.hksevens.com.
An adult three-day ticket includes 74 matches of scintillating sevens action from 30 world class teams, two hours of world-class live music, and three non-stop days of entertainment at rugby’s biggest party all for just HKD1,950.00. Children’s tickets for fans aged 12 and under are available on a first come, first served basis at HKD950.00.