Hong Kong Jockey Club unveils digital-led racecourse experience to attract new generation
Champions Connection and Gens? Eki set to reshape Sha Tin visitor experience.
Key points:
– New season begins 7 September with two new digital attractions
– Champions Connection to transform racecourse arrival experience
– Gens? Eki offers immersive, four-storey digital racing hub
The Hong Kong Jockey Club will open its 2025/26 racing season on 7 September with two major new additions at Sha Tin Racecourse aimed at broadening appeal and enhancing the visitor journey, particularly for younger audiences and tourists.
A new arrival hub named Champions Connection will greet racegoers as they exit the MTR’s Racecourse Station, offering a visually rich transition space featuring animated thoroughbreds, interactive jockey lockers and a full-sized robotic horse for photo opportunities. The Club describes it as a space designed to spark curiosity and promote racing culture in a digitally immersive setting.
Beyond the arrival area lies Gens? Eki, a four-storey digital racing and dining venue offering interactive exhibits, gamified experiences and social-media friendly installations. Attractions include a virtual ride through the “Gens?verse” using extended reality technology and a digital maze showcasing racing history. The venue also houses two dining options—a casual food hall and an Izakaya-style restaurant.
Good to know: Champions Connection includes pop-up food kiosks, merchandise stalls and social enterprise workshops that blend equine culture with local lifestyle elements
The Club says these developments reflect a broader shift to position Hong Kong’s racecourses as lifestyle destinations. In the last season alone, more than 1.7 million racegoers attended events, including over 195,000 from the Mainland. The Club’s long-term Racecourse Master Plan, with more than HK$14bn (US$1.79bn) allocated across phases, continues to shape the transformation of both Sha Tin and Happy Valley racecourses.
Future developments include the reopening of Penfold Park in January 2026 and the launch of a new tourist-focused WeChat mini programme and Simplified Chinese web interface, aimed at enhancing access and engagement for Mainland visitors.
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