Rolling Loud’s first foray into Asia has been canceled. The hip-hop festival’s Hong Kong edition, which was originally scheduled to take place this weekend, has been nixed over security concerns following months of political unrest and police brutality against demonstrators over Mainland China’s influence over the region.
“After consulting with security experts, it has been determined that it is not possible to organize the upcoming Rolling Loud Hong Kong edition as we had hoped without endangering the safety of our fans, artists, and staff,” Rolling Loud said in a statement via Pollstar. “While we regret having to cancel the festival, this is not a decision that has been taken lightly and we look forward to bringing the Rolling Loud festival experience to Hong Kong in the future to celebrate the city’s rich culture and buzzing hip-hop music scene.”
Migos, Wiz Khalifa and Playboi Carti were among the artists scheduled for the Hong Kong event. The multi-city hip-hop festival announced moves into Hong Kong and New York last summer; it made its Sydney, Australia debut in January. The festival’s inaugural New York venture last weekend saw the removal of five rappers from the original lineup at the request of the New York Police Department over “public safety concerns.”
