CelebMix’s resident K-POP experts Niki & Sammy give their take on the latest goings on in the Korean pop world twice a month. Stay tuned for more, follow @CelebMix for the latest, and click here to read their previous articles.
Ticket prices are out of control. Nothing shone a spotlight on that more clearly than the BLACKPINK general sale for Wembley Arena.
I want to preface this with: I’m a huge BLACKPINK fan and I was so excited to hear they were coming to the UK, after years of watching them from afar on YouTube – but this also explains my disappointment, too.
When it was announced that the 4-piece were to play Wembley Arena, Blinks across the UK rejoiced – and then we found out they’d be playing in Manchester too; it was like Christmas and my Birthday had come at once.
Let me paint a picture for you:
The morning of the general sale arrived.
I was still riding out a cold but I was committed so I had 4 alarms set.
Two laptops were open, a tablet and 3 mobile phones are PRIMED.
Ticketmaster refreshed.
Adrenaline rushed through my veins.
Bankcard was in hand.
There was about a five-minute wait and a lot of baited breath until I made it through to ticket selection. At this point I was going to take WHATEVER was available…
I don’t actually remember my exact reaction to reading the ticket prices but I like to think it was a pained whimper.
I’ve bought expensive tickets to gigs before, and I had similar moral dilemmas then too. For example, I saw BTS in October last year but, in my mind the boys had a huge body of work to draw from so there was greater justification for the ticket price – so the value for money was there. That’s the most I’ve paid for tickets to see a single artist. Prior to that, I bought weekend (non-camping) tickets to V Festival (RIP) for £150.
I want to feel like I’m supporting the artists I love but sometimes it feels like I’m more likely lining the pockets of someone sitting in a boardroom somewhere.
Yeah, I’m salty.
I’ve already got FOMO.
My plea is pretty simple. Please can future tours be reasonably priced. My concern is twofold, firstly it feels like egregious extortion of fans to charge more than a weeks rent to support acts they’ve only been able to admire from a distance. Secondly, if k-pop acts become known for charging extortionately at their UK shows, then media may pay less attention to their hard work, and start taking a keener interest in the finances of these shows.
I sincerely hope that when GOT7, MONSTA X or Stray Kids come to the UK, I can still afford my post-gym Orangina, and anyone that’s traveling from outside of London isn’t required to spend upwards of £200 for a gig ticket and a hotel room.
TLDR; don’t ask us to take out a small loan to see our favourite artists perform.
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