THE STADIUM at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park has hogged the limelight the past year or so – and for good reason. A host of world-class events, from the Rugby Sevens and the big names of world soccer to K-Pop, Canto-pop and Coldplay. The stadium has been a resounding success in positioning the city on the world events map.
Over the next few months, however, it will be a venue at the other end of the former airport runway that will have a chance to shine as corporate sponsors, yacht-racing enthusiasts raise their masts for the Hong Kong debut of SailGP in January 2027. It’s an event described as “Formula 1 on water” and with the prestige to match.
Details of Kai Tak Cruise Terminal’s role in SailGP are under wraps for the time being, but for brands and event organisers hankering after opportunities, the shores of East Kowloon will be a haven for international business exchanges before long.
The January 23-24 event and the build-up surrounding it, marks more than the arrival of a new international sporting event for Hong Kong. SailGP underscores the city’s push to establish itself as a global events hub, with Victoria Harbour – and emerging districts such as Kai Tak – central to that strategy .
Hong Kong will host the opening round of the Rolex SailGP Championship – part of a 13-event global circuit spanning five continents. SailGP CEO Russell Coutts was in town May 20 to officially reveal the racing calendar and sing a three-year deal to bring the brand to Hong Kong. The M+ Museum in West Kowloon Cultural District was the setting for the launch with two SailGP stars, New Zealand’s Blair Tuke and Germany’s Erik Kosegarten Heil, giving insights on the sporting action.
Victoria Harbour will be transformed into a course designed for close-to-shore viewing, aligning with SailGP’s “stadium racing” format and enabling multiple vantage points for spectators, hospitality and sponsor activations. Coutts has been quoted as saying such formats reinforces the event’s appeal for host cities, combining live attendance with international exposure through a broadcast audience that already exceeds 200 million globally.
Government involvement was instrumental in securing the event. Discussions between SailGP leadership and Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law began in October 2025, followed by subsequent meetings that helped bring the proposal to completion, the South China Morning Post reported.
The awarding of “M” Mark status – which provides funding and promotional support – confirmed official backing and signalled the event’s importance within the city’s major events strategy, according to the Post.
While the races will take place in Victoria Harbour, the wider footprint of SailGP creates opportunities for complementary venues across the city, with Kai Tak Cruise Terminal (KTCT) a potential anchor site for land-based events and coordination.
This will draw global focus towards KTCT, Hong Kong’s showpiece port-of-call for cruise liners, and the East Kowloon area of the city. Much of the limelight in the past two years has been captured by Kai Tak Sports Park stadium at the other end of the former airport site.
The cruise terminal’s business event inventory spans large-scale indoor and outdoor spaces, including approximately 3,000 square metres of flexible halls and a 700-metre outdoor apron, with capacity for up to 3,000 standing guests. Such flexibility aligns with SailGP’s requirements for team bases, hospitality zones, sponsor activations and media facilities, which typically extend beyond the event’s core racing area.
KTCT is a key component of the broader Kai Tak redevelopment, a major transformation of the former airport site into a mixed-use district incorporating leisure – Kai Tak Sports Park – transport and event infrastructure.
Case Study… Waterfront hotel makes yacht race smooth sailing
For the business events sector, SailGP adds another dimension corporate packages, networking functions and client entertainment, which can be staged in venues such as KTCT. This integration of sport and business events aligns with broader industry trends, where host cities use major sports to attract high-value visitors and create additional opportunities for meetings and incentives.
While Victoria Harbour remains the focal point of SailGP, observers say the inclusion of venues such as Kai Tak would signal a shift towards linking multiple districts through a single international event.
Main picture… The New Zealand SailGP team speeds over the waves at the Germany Sail Grand Prix in Sassnitz
