‘Outrage and international embarrassment sparked by Hong Kong snooker event’s misuse of “curfew”‘

On March 7, 2025, an incident at the World Grand Prix snooker tournament in Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park highlighted the critical role of precise communication at international events. A simple yet significant miscommunication involving the term “curfew” stirred confusion, fear, and frustration among attendees, affecting perceptions of the event and the host city.

The confusion began on March 4, the tournament’s opening night, when matches extended late into the evening. Organisers unexpectedly instructed attendees to vacate the premises before the games concluded. This announcement was displayed on screens in the venue, with the English version citing “local curfew rules” while the Chinese version referred to “venue usage restrictions.” This inconsistency in messaging led to widespread embarrassment and frustration for both the organisers and Hong Kong’s image as an international event host.

The word “curfew” is loaded with historical and contemporary connotations, often linked to emergencies like wars, civil unrest, or natural disasters. Such a term implies restrictions and control, which are typically associated with urgent or crisis situations. Inadvertently using “curfew” in the context of a sporting event created an unnecessary sense of alarm among international attendees, suggesting that Hong Kong might be under some sort of emergency protocol, which was not the case.

The repercussions of this linguistic error were immediate. International visitors and players, including Australian snooker player Neil Robertson, expressed bewilderment. Robertson noted, “Someone said there was a curfew or something, so people had to leave,” a statement that was picked up by British media outlets like The Mirror and The Sun. These reports, using terms like “midnight curfew,” further perpetuated the narrative of mismanagement at the event.

Hong Kong, known for its global connectivity and professionalism, faced a blow to its reputation. The city, a longtime hub for international events across various sectors, was suddenly seen as having faltered in its organisational capabilities due to this communication mishap.

This situation underscores the crucial need for clear and accurate communication, especially in multilingual environments like Hong Kong, where both English and Chinese are official languages. Organisers must be diligent in crafting messages to prevent misunderstandings. In this instance, the phrase “curfew” was not only unnecessary but misleading. More fitting terms such as “venue operating hours” or “scheduled closure time” could have conveyed the intended message without causing undue alarm.

The World Grand Prix snooker tournament was an opportunity for Hong Kong to demonstrate its prowess in hosting world-class events. Unfortunately, it instead served as a reminder of the importance of linguistic accuracy and the potential consequences of communication errors.