Mexico President Asks South Korea for More BTS Concerts
The excitement surrounding K-pop band BTS’ highly anticipated comeback tour has led Mexico’s president to reach out to her South Korean counterpart for additional concert dates. The fervor created by this tour, marking BTS’s return after a four-year hiatus, is massive.
– Presidential Appeal: Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum disclosed on Monday, I wrote a letter to the President of Korea… I still haven’t received an answer, but let’s hope it’s positive.
– Tour Details: BTS is set to perform three shows in Mexico City in May as part of their expansive 79-date world tour.
– Ticket Demand: Tickets for the concerts sold out in under 40 minutes, highlighting the high demand among fans.
– Pricing Controversy: Some fans have raised concerns over Ticketmaster and resale platforms implementing dynamic pricing. Official ticket prices ranged from 1,800 pesos to 17,800 pesos ($100 to $1,030; £76 to £750), while resale platforms listed them between 11,300 pesos and 92,100 pesos, sparking an investigation into these practices.
– Regulatory Actions: Mexico’s consumer watchdog has penalized resale platforms such as StubHub and Viagogo for abusive and disloyal practices related to ticket sales.
– Fan Competition: Approximately one million young fans were in contention for just 150,000 tickets, according to Sheinbaum.
– K-Pop’s Popularity: This interest is further underscored by Spotify ranking Mexico as K-pop’s fifth-largest market globally, with streaming of the genre’s music skyrocketing over 500% in the last five years.
In her communication with South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung, Sheinbaum expressed her concerns after local concert promoter Ocesa indicated that BTS’s tightly packed schedule made adding more shows unlikely. As of now, both Seoul’s presidential office and foreign ministry have refrained from commenting on the request.
BTS has not released new music as a group since June 2022, opting instead to explore individual projects and fulfill mandatory military service. Their globe-spanning comeback tour, anticipated to be one of the year’s biggest, will kick off with three nights at Goyang Stadium in South Korea starting April 9.
According to Billboard, the group, along with their record label Hybe, could generate over $1 billion (£740 million) from this tour through concert sales, merchandise, licensing, album sales, and streaming revenue.
As the demand for more BTS concerts continues to surge, it is evident that the hope for more shows in Mexico underscores the band’s immense popularity and the evolving landscape of K-pop music.