Outdoor performance venue sees another event cancellation

The Macau Outdoor Performance Venue in Cotai is once again without bookings through the end of September, following the cancellation of the Songkran Music Festival (S2O) originally scheduled for September 6 and 7.

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) confirmed the venue’s vacancy in a recent statement.

According to the IC, organizers, including the Australia-based event company Box Live and the local Macau Cultural Promotion Association, withdrew their application for the venue rental on their own initiative on July 25, noting that the event would be canceled.

The IC remarked that the venue is still pre-booked to host events in late September and early October this year and is expected to attract 30,000 spectators.

According to a report by Hong Kong’s news platform Allin Media, the potential cancellation of the S2O Music Festival had already been rumored for a few days on mainland social media platforms.

Social media rumors were said to be fueled by the fact that organizers had failed to release any details about the performers or announce a date for the start of ticket sales.

Some netizens’ comments on the event’s cancellation expressed concern and disappointment, with some claiming that they had already booked hotels and flights to attend.

Regarded as Asia’s largest water festival music event, S2O organizes events in several locations in Asia and worldwide. The first-ever Macau edition was officially announced on May 23 this year, after the event in Bangkok, which took place concurrently with the Songkran celebrations on April 12–14.

In the past, S2O events have been held in New York (USA), Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Sanya (China).

This year’s editions included Taiwan (held earlier this month), Korea (also in mid-July), Macau (Sept. 6–7), and Los Angeles (USA) in late September, among others. So far, only the Macau event has been canceled.

The Times has contacted event organizers to explain the reasons for the local event’s cancellation, but as of press time, The Times has not received a response.

According to information collected by The Times, the performances expected to take place in late September and early October are related to the “Waterbomb” Music Festival, a festival similar in concept to S2O but organized by the South Korean company Volume Unit Entertainment.

Waterbomb was launched in 2015 in Seoul, South Korea, and has since expanded to other cities and countries.

The festival features multiple stages of music, dance, and art performances, showcasing national and international artists, focusing on K-pop, hip-hop, and electronic dance music (EDM).

Last year, this festival held 14 events, most of them in South Korea. The events held outside Korea took place in Hong Kong, Dubai, Fukuoka, Tokyo (Japan), and Singapore. An event was also planned for Xiamen (China), but that was eventually canceled.

So far in 2025, the festival has hosted events in Manila (Philippines) in February and Hainan (China) in April and has dates scheduled for Singapore (late August) and Bali (Indonesia) in early September.

The festival’s official page does not currently include any events scheduled for Macau; it only lists an event in Hong Kong with a confirmed date.

As The Times previously reported, the Outdoor Performance Venue, operating under the IC for a trial period of one year, has held only one event since its inauguration on June 15, which featured the performance of Norwegian DJ Alan Walker.

According to the IC, approximately 11,000 people attended the performance, a figure similar to that reported for the inaugural concert.