In an extraordinary display of fan power, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has officially asked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for more BTS concerts, revealing that over 1 million fans are vying for just 150,000 available tickets, prompting a government investigation into ticketing platforms.
MEXICO CITY, Jan 26 (Reuters) — The global frenzy surrounding the return of K-pop supergroup BTS has reached a new, unprecedented level, prompting a direct diplomatic appeal from the highest office in Mexico. President Claudia Sheinbaum has formally requested of her South Korean counterpart, President Lee Jae Myung, that he help arrange more concerts in Mexico to meet what she described as insatiable demand.
“Everyone wants to go,” Sheinbaum stated at her daily morning press conference on Monday, underscoring the scale of the cultural phenomenon. “Around 1 million young people want to buy tickets, but there are only 150,000 tickets available,” she revealed, adding that she had sent a formal diplomatic letter to South Korea’s leader.
This staggering disparity—nearly seven times more hopeful fans than available seats—has turned the ticket sales for the upcoming BTS world tour into a national talking point and a major logistical challenge. The band is set to embark on a global tour in April, shortly after the release of their first new album in three years, a highly anticipated comeback following their hiatus since 2022 while members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service.
The scale of demand has been particularly acute in Mexico, which boasts one of the world’s largest and most dedicated K-pop fanbases. The initial ticket launch was met with technical failures and widespread fan complaints, leading to swift action from the country’s consumer watchdog. The agency has launched a formal probe into Ticketmaster and has already sanctioned resale platforms StubHub and Viagogo for what it termed “abusive and disloyal practices” related to the BTS ticketing process.
The price disparity is telling. While official tickets on Ticketmaster ranged from about 1,800 pesos to 17,800 pesos (around $100 to $1,030), resale platforms on Monday saw tickets listed for exorbitant sums, from 11,300 to a staggering 92,100 pesos (more than $5,300). This has fueled public anger and calls for better regulation of the secondary ticket market. The consumer watchdog has vowed to help develop new guidelines to better regulate concert ticket sales, requiring prices and locations to be established well in advance of a ticket release.
This is not the first time Ticketmaster, owned by Live Nation Entertainment, has faced controversy in Mexico. In 2022, the company was forced to reimburse around $1 million to customers after more than a thousand fans reported being denied access to a Bad Bunny concert at the iconic Estadio Azteca. At the time, Ticketmaster had criticized resellers and fraudulent ticket vendors, calling for stronger control measures—issues that remain unresolved.
BTS’s highly anticipated new album, “Arirang,” is slated for release in March, with the world tour kicking off in Goyang, South Korea, on April 9. Currently, only three concerts have been scheduled in Mexico, all in Mexico City’s GNP Seguros Stadium from May 7 to May 10. The overwhelming demand and subsequent political intervention highlight the unique power of BTS, whose music and influence transcend borders, turning a simple concert tour into a matter of international interest and public policy.
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