West Kowloon Arts Hub Deficit Widens to HK$998 Million

The authority managing Hong Kong’s arts hub in West Kowloon recorded a wider deficit in the 2025-26 financial year but expects to generate more income next year by putting a residential development project out to tender.

The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority’s deficit ballooned to HK$998 million (U$127 million) in the year to March 30, from HK$769 million in the same period a year earlier. The increase was mainly due to higher operating costs as it prepared to open the new WestK Performing Arts Centre, which is due to open in autumn 2027.

Revenue jumped 19 per cent to HK$768 million in 2025-26, driven by growth in ticket sales, sponsorship, and sales of intellectual property and creative products, according to a document submitted to the Legislative Council on Tuesday.

“The deficit is still within control, below the HK$1 billion level,” the authority’s CEO Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee said. “We will have more revenue in the coming months such as from the upfront fees from the tender of the residential project.”