Meeting in music

While the December 2023 Clockenflap prioritized contemporary acts from Asia — with two of the three scheduled main-stage headliners, Joji and Yoasobi, hailing from Japan — the current edition will see a pivot back toward established Western acts, with top billing going to veteran French electronic music duo Air, idiosyncratic American singer-songwriter St Vincent, British producer Jamie XX and pop band Glass Animals.

Notably, '90s Britpop survivor Suede performs an extended 90-minute set as "special guests" on Saturday night — less than three months after a well-received tour of the Chinese mainland brought the rock band to Shenzhen Bay Sports Center — even as Gen-Z rapper Central Cee is expected to pull a younger crowd to the main stage.

Today, the quintet plans to perform a livestream on WeChat — including a Chinese version of the hit Everything Will Flow, no doubt intended to attract fresh converts on the mainland to travel south over the border. "I can certainly empathize with that special place Suede occupies. Throughout my teen years, they were one of the few international indie acts who would commit to coming to Hong Kong," Sweeting says. "It's a warm feeling to have them play our stage this year."