Construction has only just begun on Hong Kong's multi-billion-dollar West Kowloon Cultural District, but the 100-acre waterfront site has already become the city's most coveted venue for outdoor events, with a string of them set to take place in the coming weeks.

Among them: Clockenflap, a music-and-arts festival with a mix of international performers including London's Four Tet and Cantopop musicians like Ellen Loo; BloHK Party, a hip-hop and electronic music festival featuring Pharrell Williams; and Freespace, an eclectic event that will pair local music with dance performances, films and an informal market hawking artisanal crafts, clothes and food.

Taking place over three consecutive weekends, festivals like these will set the tone for the future cultural district, about a third of which will be set aside for a park. "We haven't hired an architect yet," said Louis Yu, executive director of West Kowloon's performing arts program. "When the architect arrives, we will be able to tell [him or her] very specifically what kind of space we need to do what we are already doing."

For event promoters, the allure of the expansive waterfront site – which overlooks Hong Kong Island's glittering skyline – is hard to resist. "People were blown away by the actual piece of land, this open space right in the middle of the city," said Mike Hill, festival director of Clockenflap.

"Standing in front of a stage and being able to see the water and the skyline, it's gold," added Justin Sweeting, its music director.