Yeung said the arrangements “had their flaws”, but highlighted it was a privately organised event and his bureau was not involved in its organisation.
“Although the bureau had helped to promote it, the operation and management was the organiser’s responsibility,” he explained.
“We do not wish that a single incident would give others the wrong impression that Hong Kong is incapable of holding mega events.”
Yeung added that the bureau had contacted the organisers to remind them to make necessary arrangements to give concertgoers a good experience.
Waterbomb Hong Kong, held at the outdoor AXA x Wonderland in the West Kowloon Cultural District over the weekend, also started late due to Tropical Storm Maliksi, which the organiser said had caused severe damage at the site.
Organiser ECHO HK announced just an hour before the planned 2pm start on Saturday that the event would begin at 3pm, which led to long queues at the entrance and many ticket holders still outside when the concert finally began.
Concertgoers vented their anger about the admissions chaos on social media, with many still not inside by the time performances started.
Some missed performances, which included sets by Korean stars such as Jay Park and Hyuna and Hong Kong acts.
Revellers drenched from the event’s trademark water gun battles and the rain said when the Saturday programme ended at 10.30pm they were forced to wait more than three hours to get their bags back from the cloakroom.
Yeung said that Hong Kong experienced a variety of weather conditions from May to June, and the bureau would remind promoters of outdoor events of the need for contingency plans to cope with foul weather.
“The government will provide as much assistance as possible within our means,” he added.
“But at the same time, the organiser needs to do a good job with preparations.”
The organisers of the One Love Asia Festival announced on Monday that the event, at first scheduled for June 21 to 23, would be postponed and changed to an indoor venue.
“In view of the recent weather in Hong Kong, which affected concert goers at outdoor events, including two major concerts at Central Harbourfront Event Space, we have decided to move the festival to an indoor venue,” the promoter said.
“This will assure that the valued fans will fully enjoy the performance of their favourite artists, rain or shine.”
The festival, featuring acts from Hong Kong and Taiwan, will be held at the AsiaWorld-Expo near the airport from June 30 to July 1.
Taiwanese band Mayday postponed their second show in Hong Kong on May 1 after a huge spherical LED installation caught fire, a day after its first performance was moved online amid an amber rainstorm warning.
Mainland Chinese singer Hua Chenyu’s concert at the Central Harbourfront was also affected by heavy rain two weeks ago.
Waterbomb Hong Kong was listed on the government’s calendar of mega events and was supported by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, as well as by Yeung’s bureau.
But it received no funding from the bureau’s Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund.
Vincent Cheng Wing-shun, a lawmaker and member of the legislature’s home affairs, culture and sports panel, said the Waterbomb festival was just one of the events disrupted by bad weather.
But he highlighted that Hong Kong had held many successful big shows over the last six months.
Cheng suggested the government should include stricter regulations to make sure organisers ran their events properly.
“For example, the bureau could include a condition that the event might not be included in next year’s mega events calendar if it was unsuccessful,” he said.
