LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- Hong Kong’s major LGBTQ celebration, Pink Dot, has been called off for the second year in a row after organizers revealed their planned venue became unavailable during the final stage of preparations.
Pink Dot Hong Kong has been held every June since 2014, bringing together thousands of people through live music, art displays, workshops, community activities, and campaigns supporting diversity and LGBTQ rights.
At its peak two years ago, the event attracted nearly 7,000 attendees.
Raising fresh concerns within the city’s LGBTQ community, organizers said this year’s preparations suffered a major setback when their venue manager, real estate investor Link REIT, informed them that the space could not be rented because of “licensing issues.”
The announcement reportedly came while the carnival was already in its final preparation phase.
Pink Dot explained the difficult decision in a public statement, saying: “Faced with (venue) uncertainty, given the tight timeline and the involvement of numerous partner organizations… we have had to make the difficult decision to cancel the June event.”
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The organizers also revealed that approval from authorities had still not been granted despite ongoing efforts to complete the necessary procedures.
“With just one month to go until the scheduled event date, we have been diligently following procedures to apply for the necessary licences but have not yet received approval from the relevant authorities,” they stated.
Meanwhile, this latest cancellation adds to growing frustration within Hong Kong’s LGBTQ community.
The setback follows last September’s decision by Hong Kong lawmakers to overwhelmingly reject a bill that would have offered limited legal protections to same-sex couples.
Last year’s Pink Dot event also failed to happen after organizers claimed they were denied access to a venue “without explanation.”
In 2025, organizers said the West Kowloon Cultural District, a government-appointed statutory body refused to provide a venue for the festival.
The repeated cancellations have now raised wider questions about the future of large-scale LGBTQ events in Hong Kong, especially for communities hoping to maintain visibility, inclusion, and public support in the city.
