TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — New Taipei City Government quickly reversed itself in a late-night announcement on Thursday (May 11) by reinstating the19th Gongliao Hohaiyan Rock Festival in August.
Local businesses and music fans panned the decision to cancel the large-scale music festival for the sake of smaller month-long activities catering to surfing and camping. A strong backlash led New Taipei’s Tourism Bureau to quickly rethink it's earlier decision, per PTS.
Music fans were angered the festival had been eliminated from the summer calendar of events, wiping away nearly two decades of summertime fun. In fact, city officials had been plotting to move the festival to another community with better traffic conditions.
"Because of traffic concerns and the remote area, we will hold independent music festivals in New Taipei Metropolitan Park and Tamsui’s Fisherman's Wharf in August," said New Taipei Tourism Bureau Director Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉).
The Tourism Bureau planned similar music festivals at locations more accessible by MRT and public transportation. However, the lack of communication with local government triggered a grassroots backlash. Business owners in particular worried that canceling the festival would hurt their business.
One Gongliao business quoted by PTS said, "It has been almost three years since the COVID pandemic, and our business has been starving to death. It was very hard to wait for the music festival, and if it is canceled again, we could lose at least NT$100,000 (US$3,250) a day in revenue.”
Another businessperson said: "Holding a music festival is good for this place. Unfortunately, we have no way to influence their decision. In the long-run, customers will continue to come here and more visitors will bring more money.”
On Thursday evening (May 11), New Taipei Tourism Bureau announced it had changed course and would continue to hold the Gongliao Hohaiyan Rock Music Festival.
It would also honor previous obligations to host a Fishermen’s Stage at Tamsui’s Fisherman’s Wharf, and the River and Ocean Music Festival at New Taipei Metropolitan Park, meaning free music events will take place over three consecutive weekends in New Taipei City in August.
