Hushup: An Inside Look At Hong Kong’s Secret Pop-Up Parties (Part 3)

Hong Kong's millionaires per capita is among the highest in the world. Despite what a typical Westerner might think, the city's wealthy is not just a bunch old Asian men who sleep in their suits and complain about the PRC between mouthfuls of black truffle dumplings. These high-net-worth individuals fucking love to party and enjoy pop-ups as much as the city's unruly teenagers. You won't find these moneyed characters partying in parking lots or condemned buildings. You'll find them lounging on sunbathed rooftop terraces under massive canvas umbrellas, sipping free-flowing Champagne and Kronenbourg Blanc.

I bought a ticket online for the inaugural Secret Brunch Club, a laid-back afternoon function with Hong Kong's more affluent crowd. The event was put together by Hong Kong-based Hushup Events and tickets ran for a hefty $650 HKD each. After my PayPal confirmation, I heard nothing from Hushup until almost two weeks later. In a last minute email, I was instructed to be at Central Waterfront underneath the Hong Kong Observation Wheel at exactly 1:30 PM. There would be a girl waiting there wearing a red sash, standing with a cluster of black and white balloons.

Having been at another pop-up the night before, I groggily made my way to the meeting point. Sure enough, a greeter matching the email's description was there to receive arriving guests. After a few welcome drinks and a briefing, we were led to Armani/Privé, a rooftop lounge and bar located at a luxury mall about ten minutes away. Three floors up, we traipsed our way through the building only to be blinded by the afternoon sun. We were ushered onto the terrace by waiters wielding trays stacked with clinking glasses of bubbly. As soon as I got my stamp and wristband, I downed a glass of the stuff and made a beeline for the food.

No expense was spared. A selection of sushi, tempura vegetables, spring rolls, chicken satay, meats, and cheeses were piled along a black marble bar. Melohman, resident at Pacha Dubai, laid down deep afro and tech house while people challenged each other to limbo. When girls weren't busy painting each other with psychedelic colors, they took turns painting a canvas of the event logo. Others were twirling hula-hoops and crafting floral head garlands. Freestyle trumpet tunes and giant bubbles floated out onto the congested streets below.

The crowd gradually waned as the sun fell lower, stretching the shadows around champagne glasses and shifting umbrella cover. People began to migrate downstairs into the lush bar that would become the afterparty.

Rachel Frost is the founder and current managing director of Hushup Events. "I've always had a bit of a long-term plan," she says about the origin of Secret Brunch Club. "Although the tickets are a higher price, I think what's included with the ticket is good value for the money. The idea behind it is that it's a daytime drinking culture, which Hong Kong already has a bit of, but we want to enhance that."

Rachel's strategy has been to garner a strong following for each concept before introducing a new one. Hushup has established itself with pop-up cinemas, immersive themed theaters, and now Secret Brunch Club, but a music and arts festival known as Secret Island Party is what started it all. "I actually didn't move to Hong Kong with the intention of starting a company, that's for sure," she tells THUMP. "It kind of happened accidentally."

Rachel first came to Hong Kong seeking a change from managing events in Manchester. After working for a year and thinking about launching a concierge company, it became clear to her that she really wanted to do a festival. "I put on a party, just for fun because I missed doing it," she says. "I was never planning for Secret Island Party to be a long-term success. I just missed being an organizer."

The ideal venue came onto her radar while she was looking for a yoga retreat in Hong Kong. She found an old website that was mostly in Cantonese with a little bit of fragmented English and dragged a few of her friends out to an abandoned village on a nearby island. "When we actually got there, there was no yoga," she says laughing. "This random lady made us a big barbecue and put us up in these little houses. I think everyone there was quite shocked to see some expats descending on the island."

With some help from Bunker Club, Rachel threw a small-scale party that would eventually become Secret Island Party and subsequently spawn Hushup Events. "My vision for Secret Island Party is to create a global brand," Rachel continues. "The way it's going this year, and with our estimates, this is probably the biggest it will get in Hong Kong. But I want to take it to other countries so it becomes a global pop-up community festival."

The company is currently looking into Bali and the UK to potentially expand the festival. "With each of our events we try to have that interactive element. We want to create a community where everyone sort of knows each other and chats. That's important to me—like the followers that we have for Secret Island Party. It's the people that are looking for something that you can't find in a fancy club. They're looking for more of an experience. Those that go are more open and more adventurous."

She's not kidding. The location is only accessible by boat and hiking through jungle. This year's Secret Island Party is taking place in October, so it's not too late to get your hands on tickets.

Secret Island Party and all of the pop-up parties that are taking place in Hong Kong make it clear that there is plenty of demand out East for the Western festival. I mean, sure there's been Cockenflap and last year's Electric Run, but right now Hong Kong revolves around club life. There are too many people and too few festivals. Until the day it sees more festivals and more of a contemporary music scene, the city will be relying on pop-ups to satisfy the need for adventure and community-based musical experiences.

Parker Buckley is on SoundCloud.