Hong Kong LGBTQ carnival cancelled again after venue withdrawal

One of Hong Kong’s largest LGBTQ events, Pink Dot, has been cancelled for the second consecutive year after organisers said their chosen venue had pulled out in the final stages of preparation.

Pink Dot Hong Kong used to be held annually from 2014, and features a mixture of music performances, art and workshops promoting diversity and LGBTQ rights.

Two years ago it drew nearly 7,000 participants, but last year’s event was cancelled because the festival was denied a venue “without explanation”, according to organisers.

This year, Pink Dot said their venue manager, real estate investor Link REIT, had told them that “due to licensing issues, the venue cannot be rented”, even as the carnival reached the final course of preparation.

The news is another setback to the city’s LGBTQ community, after Hong Kong’s legislature overwhelmingly voted down a bill that would have granted limited rights to same-sex couples in September.

“Faced with (venue) uncertainty, given the tight timeline and the involvement of numerous partner organizations… we have had to make the difficult decision to cancel” the June event, Pink Dot said.

“With just one month to go until the scheduled event date, we have been diligently following procedures to apply for the necessary licences but have not yet received approval from the relevant authorities,” the organisers added.

In 2025, the West Kowloon Cultural District, a statutory body whose members are appointed by the government, denied Pink Dot a venue “without explanation”, organisers said at the time.