The upside of having two Clockenflap events this year, after a four-year absence, is that festivalgoers get to have twice as much fun. The downside, for the organisers at least, is having to live up to expectations.
But perhaps there is value in heading to the Central Harbourfront again, even without March’s big names on stage.
“Having been away for so long, our comeback edition in March felt like a collective, joyous release, and it was palpable how much it meant for everyone there,” says Justin Sweeting, co-founder and head of music at Clockenflap.
“We didn’t want to then have to wait another 20 months before being able to have that feeling again in late 2024. So, we took a leap of faith, and committed to a second edition this year, during our usual time window.”
Since the first Clockenflap kicked off at Cyberport in 2008, the festival has been held in Hong Kong’s winter months, mostly between November and early December.
Sweeting notes it was important to the Clockenflap team that the March and December festivals were distinct enough, and that the new line-up could “attract new audiences to the Clockenflap world”.
“The December edition seeks to do that, both through more artists which skew towards a younger demographic, as well as taking in the positive feedback we had in terms of involving more key regional Asian acts.
“Most vitally, December is going to feel like a true Clockenflap experience, which has always been our main focus. The balance of acts we have across the programme, along with all else that goes on at the festival, ensure that the weekend is quite simply going to be outrageous levels of fun for all who come.”
What Sweeting is most excited about, he says, is for Idles and Otoboke Beaver to “melt some minds”.
Though not necessarily well known to the mainstream Hong Kong crowd, Idles are a post-punk band formed in 2009 in Bristol, England. Highly respected within the punk sphere, they were nominated for best rock performance and best rock album at the 2023 Grammy Awards.
Sweeting adds that he is looking forward to the audience witnessing the “artistry of [American singer] Caroline Polachek” as well as “the direct, unadulterated live festival fun of groups like ADG7 and Idiotape”.
“My favourite thing about festivals is discovering new acts, especially ones you might not yet know or have the opportunity to see otherwise.”
He stresses that the magical experience of music festivals comes from the specific combination of musicians and festivalgoers: “Every edition is unique in the sense that [these] shared moments will only happen in this one singular time and space.”
Clockenflap’s three-day tickets sold out in just under a day. Friday tickets have also sold out, but single-day Saturday and Sunday passes are still available via Clockenflap’s official ticketing website.