Blackpink concert ticket hunting fever

Blackpink performed "Pretty Savage" at the Coachella festival in April. Video : YouTube Blackpink

Many accounts advertise "buying tickets" for the Korean group Blackpink's concert in Hanoi , with a difference of up to tens of millions of dong.

On June 3, the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports announced that it had granted permission to hold a Blackpink concert at My Dinh Stadium on July 29 and 30. The information has caused the fever of hunting for tickets to see the show to increase. The organizers have not announced the schedule or ticket prices, saying that they will open online sales on July 7. However, many people said they were "restless", asking sources to ensure they have a place to see the show.

Hong Hanh (29 years old, Phu Tho) said that tickets for the Born Pink tour in many countries are often sold out within about a minute. "On this occasion, many Southeast Asian and Chinese fans also plan to come to Vietnam to watch the show. They ask each other for experiences in groups that love Blackpink . Therefore, I am quite worried that I will miss out," the audience said.

Nguyen Huong (39 years old, Hanoi) plans to let her two elementary school daughters watch the show. Due to her lack of experience, she is quite worried that the operation will be slow and she will not be able to compete.

Understanding the psychology of many fans, on Facebook, a series of ticket buying and selling groups attract thousands of members, the largest group has up to 163,000 people. Many accounts post ticket price charts, accept tickets with a commitment to success, sell invitations for about 5 to 15 million VND depending on location, some places advertise up to 25 million VND for a VIP ticket. Most of these accounts require buyers to transfer money first, then receive tickets later.

A representative of iME Vietnam - the show's organizer in Vietnam with YG Entertainment - said that the unit is currently keeping information and images related to the map and ticket prices confidential. Therefore, the images related to the program on social networks are not accurate. In addition, they affirmed that they do not issue invitations, paper tickets, or release tickets to the "black market".

"Currently, some Facebook accounts, even accounts with blue ticks, are using tricks to print physical tickets to attract likes or scam audiences. We hope fans will stay calm and only wait to buy tickets on the only official channel, Ticket Box," said a representative of iME Vietnam.

Many long-time K-pop fans share tips on how to buy tickets easily, while avoiding "losing money and getting into trouble". Huong Lan (24 years old, Hanoi) said that the basic condition for successful ticket hunting is having a computer with a stable internet connection. She advises everyone to register an account on the distribution website in advance, choosing to log in by linking with email instead of phone number. Because if logging in with phone number, users will have to wait longer for confirmation with OTP code sent to mobile phone.

Hoang Hue (30 years old, Hanoi) is a long-time K-pop fan, and was asked by a relative to book tickets. She believes that with two shows, each night accommodating tens of thousands of spectators, the chance of getting a seat is quite high. Having experience hunting for seats to watch some concerts in Thailand and Vietnam, she is confident because she has mastered the ordering and payment procedures.

In March, Hoang Hue booked four tickets to a Super Junior concert in Ho Chi Minh City in less than a minute, with a queue number of more than 300 in the VIP area. The distribution website can be linked to a domestic bank card or e-wallet for payment. She said using an e-wallet is faster and more convenient.

From left to right: Jisoo, Jennie, Rose, Lisa of Blackpink. Photo: YG

For audiences who hire people to book tickets for them (K-pop term is "ticket camp"), Huong Lan said they need to find reputable "ticket camp" parties, using real Facebook accounts, posting successful transactions. They are usually shops or individuals selling CDs, K-pop related items, with a lot of experience "chasing idols". "However, at the present time, reputable ticket camp shops are full, and they are not even 100% sure that they will have tickets for you. Most of the accounts that promise success are scams", Huong Lan said.

Ly Bui (34 years old, Hanoi) said that reputable ticket camp shops only accept to buy tickets for you with a fee of about 300,000 VND - 500,000 VND, not too high a difference like fraudulent accounts. However, in case they cannot hunt for you, you may have to buy resold tickets from others at double or triple the original price. For example, tickets for Suga's concert in Bangkok (Thailand) in June were resold from 5 million VND to 15 million VND.

According to Ly Bui, because the organizers distribute electronic tickets, and entrance is by scanning QR codes, buyers need to check carefully, because the seller can sell one code to several people.

"Ticket re-buyers should deal directly with people in the same area, call them to their homes, and ask for their identification documents. To be safe, you can also go to where they live and work. Absolutely do not transfer money online without knowing their identity," said Ly Bui.

Vnexpress.net