Hong Kong government rejected canto-pop superstar Andy Lau Tak-wah's request to reschedule his canceled concerts in December of this year. The production company behind the "My Love Andy Lau World Tour in Hong Kong 2018," Focus Entertainment, said on Friday evening that the 80,000 fans who purchase tickets of canceled shows would get a refund.
According to the South China Morning Post, the company applied to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to rent the venue at the Coliseum for the rescheduled concerts of Lau by the end of the year, which is the earliest date available for the superstar. However, the department reportedly rejected the company's application.
Focus Entertainment announced on its Facebook page that their booking application for the Hong Kong Coliseum for December 2019 was not accepted and added that the refund procedures will be announced on January 31. But, the company didn't explain as to why the government rejected its application.
Following the announcement, fans showed disappointment and sadness about the canceled concerts. One user also asked the company to explain the reason why the government decided to not accept their application. The user affected by the cancellation said she flew all the way from Singapore and bought at a higher price, but only to find out the rescheduled concerts were canceled as well.
She added that Focus Entertainment shouldn't just make announcements, but it should also explain the reason behind the rejection for justification. Other Lau's fans agreed with the comment, saying they don't need apologies and they need an explanation.
The concerts of Lau were originally planned between December 15 and January 3, which also formed the first leg of his world tour. This is also the 14th performance of the 57-year-old superstar held at the Coliseum and his first world tour after eight years.
On December 28, Lau was forced to cancel his performance in the middle of his 14th show of the 20-concerts series due to throat inflammation. His seven concerts were canceled because of this, and his doctor also advised him that he needed to take a full rest.
During his performance, Lau said to his fans in a hoarse voice that the doctor told him he couldn't sing anymore, but he really can't bear to let go. His three concerts were canceled so he can fully recover, but the organizer announced later on that the remaining shows had been canceled as well as the superstar was struggling to recover from the flu.
