The government has urged event organisers to make sure they have sufficient funding before selling tickets, after this year's Digital Art Fair was cancelled just weeks in advance.

Organisers said the cancellation, announced on Monday, is down to reasons beyond its control.

The event was supposed to be held between March 26-30 as part of "Arts March", which also includes Art Basel and Art Central.

In a statement responding to media questions regarding the cancellation, a spokesperson for the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said organisers of the Digital Art Fair had applied for money from the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund, but failed to provide adequate information for authorities to assess the event's artistic merits, attractiveness to tourists, and economic benefits.

The spokesperson noted that tickets for the event were already on sale when the authorities received and rejected the funding application, adding that sufficient funds should be ensured before tickets are sold for an event to avoid similar situations from occurring in the future.

Organisers said full refunds will be automatically provided to ticket-holders. General tickets were sold for about HK$320, with VIP tickets going for around HK$960.

"Digital Art Fair deeply regrets any disappointment this decision may cause to all stakeholders," a statement said.

The fair was founded in 2021 and aims to show cutting-edge technology in the digital fine art sphere.