News
March 31, 2025
New South Terrace unveiled as Hong Kong Sevens relocates to Kai Tak Sports Park
On Friday 28 March 2025, Kai Tak Stadium opened its doors to the world’s rugby fans, as the Hong Kong Sevens became the first major event hosted in the city’s state-of-the-art sports and entertainment facility – designed by Populous from our APAC headquarters in Brisbane and our studio in Hong Kong.
The three-day festival of sport saw tens of thousands of fans enjoy the Stadium, which sits at the heart of the recently opened 28-hectare Kai Tak Sports Park, located on the site of the former Kai Tak airport on the edge of the city’s iconic harbour.
Populous Senior Principals and APAC Co-Managing Directors Richard Breslin and Paul Henry said the new South Terrace takes inspiration from the South Stand at the original Hong Kong Stadium, also designed by Populous, which for more than 30 years played host to the Sevens and generated the atmosphere synonymous with the tournament.
The South Terrace translates the excitement and sporting spirit of So Kon Po’s South Stand to what will rapidly become one of the world’s great sporting landmarks
The South Terrace at Kai Tak Stadium offers an event platform that is the world’s window to sport in Hong Kong. It allows spectators to immerse themselves in the action while the impressive 2,550m2 glass curtain wall behind them provides panoramic views of Victoria Harbour and seamlessly connects the Stadium to the city’s vibrant landscape.
Designed to reflect some of the more notable features of the old South Stand, the South Terrace has the same 5,000-seat capacity.
Bars and bands kept fans entertained during breaks in the rugby schedule, creating an atmosphere even more vibrant than fans are used to.
Known as the “Pearl of the Orient,” Kai Tak Stadium is one of the most technically advanced in the world, featuring a sliding roof with the most acoustic treatment of any roof globally that amplifies the raucous atmosphere for which Hong Kong is renowned.
This is the world’s most integrated sports and entertainment precinct. It’s a city-shaping asset and having the Hong Kong Sevens here brings the event to the city and the city to the world
Kai Tak Stadium is one of three sporting facilities in Kai Tak Sports Park, which opened on 1 March 2025. The Sports Park integrates retail, wellness, recreational and community spaces to create a user-friendly environment. The 28-hectare site is one of the largest Populous has ever designed and took its team of 150 architects and designers seven years to complete.
KAI TAK SPORTS PARK FACTS & FIGURES
- The Sports Park is built on 28-hectares of land previously occupied by Kai Tak Airport in Kowloon.
- Kai Tak Stadium has a fixed seating capacity of 50,000. The facility has been designed to meet the standards of major international events.
- The Stadium features an innovative acoustically sealed retractable roof with one of the largest sets of sliding roof panels in the world, with a total operable roof area of 14,200m2 (7,100m2 for each panel) weighing 4,800 tonnes (2,400 tonnes for each panel).
- Kai Tak Arena is an indoor sports venue with the ‘Grand Hall’ having a seating capacity of up to 10,000, with 80% of the seats retractable or removable to cater for different events. The ancillary ‘Sports Hall’ offers a seating capacity of up to 500.
- Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground is an outdoor sports venue with a seating capacity of 5,000.
- Fourteen-hectares of the Park is dedicated to open space catering to a diverse range of user groups from community events to participatory sports and active recreation. It is composed of a rich tapestry of activity and education zones, galleries, trails and elements that honour the former airport’s heritage.
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