Denise Ho’s Concerts Got the Cautionary Flag Waved
In a headline that could have been ripped straight from the front page of a reality show, Hong Kong indie‑icon Denise Ho was hit with a concert shutdown earlier this month. Her gigs were pulled by the Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC), a supposedly independent arts hub, after a somewhat vague contract clause was triggered: “…where public order or safety would be endangered.” Sounds like a legalese jigsaw puzzle, doesn’t it?
The Official Glo‑Glo Letter
- Ho’s own company, Goomusic Ltd, posted a letter on Twitter from the HKAC’s Venue Department.
- The note said the venue needed to keep a close eye on “recent developments” in society and the laws that go with them, but the rest was left as a mystery.
- No explicit reason for the cancellation was offered, just a vow that the venue was being “duty bound” by the law.
Why the Gunfire Was Already on the Horizon
Long before the cancellation, pro‑Beijing broadsheets started hounding Ho for allegedly colluding with “foreign powers” to sabotage China and Hong Kong. The suppression bandwagon has been trending since the 2019 protests, with the National Security Law turning almost every corner of society into a compliance hotspot.
Remember 2019?
- Back then, Ho was giving a fiery speech to the UN Human Rights Council, warning that Hong Kong’s freedoms were slipping away.
- She took her warning to Washington, knocking on US Congress doors for help.
- Now she’s banned in mainland China, yet her vibe hasn’t faded.
The Contract Clause: A Story of Legal Nonsense
Goomusic’s response? “We’ve looked at our released material and the show contents, and we can’t find a single reason why the performance would endanger public order or safety.” In other words, the clause is a legal pokertip, but the main hand you win with is that the centre is pulling the plug.
What’s Next?
- Ho’s company says they’re keeping the right to take legal action.
- They’re also demanding compensation for all lost money, including potential future bookings.
- They’re “doubting very much where HKAC is heading” – a vague sign that the venue might face backlash down the line.
In A Nutshell
Denise Ho’s concerts got canceled because a clause in a contract where the venue could claim it was “endangering public order” was waved in a somewhat mysterious fashion. The story isn’t just about a performance; it’s a thread on how the new law is turning every creative event into a battlefield. While Ho’s company will fight to recoup losses, meanwhile, artists across Hong Kong are watching closely – hoping that not all the musical notes under the legal storm air will turn sour.
