Are domestic idols overshadowing foreign idols?

The organizers of the "Brother Overcoming a Thousand Obstacles" show (day 5, day 6) have just announced a shocking figure: 220,000 visitors. Cultural researcher Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Cuong exclaimed in astonishment. He had to have the number verified by AI before he dared believe it was true.

No sooner had his older brother left than "Brother Long" arrived.

While the buzz from the hit song "Brother Overcoming a Thousand Obstacles" (ATVNCG) is still buzzing across forums, only a few days remain until the VPBank K-Star Spark in Vietnam 2025 music festival takes place, featuring "K-pop king" G-Dragon (nicknamed "Brother Long" by Vietnamese fans), CL - former leader of 2NE1, DPR IAN, and TEMPEST.

A huge audience at ATVNCG

In Kpop fan groups, discussions are buzzing about the return of the Kpop king after more than a decade away. Many places, notably Da Nang International Airport, have been covered in daisies with missing petals, the symbol of the fashion brand founded by G-Dragon. Several restaurants and hotels in major cities across the country are also taking advantage of the G-Dragon craze to promote their new services and products.

But there's another activity going on – the exchange of G-Dragon 2025 tickets. Many people are looking to transfer tickets on the online ticket marketplace for various reasons: unexpected events, wanting to sell to upgrade to premium tickets. Some are selling G-Dragon tickets because they've invested so much effort and money into the ATVNCG (Authentic Vietnamese Film Festival).

The phenomenon of ticket price reductions compared to the original price has become quite common. There are CAT 3 tickets originally priced at 2,500,000 VND/ticket being resold for 2,000,000 VND/ticket; CAT 1 (standing) tickets originally priced at 3,000,000 VND/ticket being resold below the original price, with transactions taking place at home ( in Hanoi ) or at the venue on the day of the round-robin exchange and the day of the performance, without requiring a deposit. One ticket seller complained that they had two CAT 1 tickets that wouldn't sell and had to ask for tips from experienced sellers on online groups.

The talented group performed in the rain.

Chrysanthemums with missing petals welcome G-Dragon in Da Nang.

Someone was holding onto 4 VIP 2 tickets, reselling them at the original price and promising a gift to anyone who took all 4. No accounts commented expressing interest in buying the tickets; only accounts transferring them. One account desperately wanted to sell their CAT 3 ticket, willing to pay any price, because the owner received the ticket as a gift but had no desire to see "Mr. Long".

Taylor Swift's international tour, The Eras Tour (2023-2024), was a resounding success, bringing the American singer-songwriter considerable wealth and fame. In Singapore, she performed six nights. The first show attracted 50,000 attendees. Her six shows are estimated to have attracted around 350,000 people. Meanwhile, BlackPink's two shows in Hanoi, part of their Born Pink tour, attracted nearly 70,000 people. Based on these figures, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Cuong concluded that the two nights of the ATVNCG tour, attracting 220,000 attendees, represent an international milestone and a remarkable achievement in the Vietnamese music market to date.

There are still some accounts reselling tickets for a profit, but the difference is insignificant; for example, reselling two VIP 1 tickets only yields a difference of 500,000 VND. The concert took place on June 21st, and many audience members were still waiting for even deeper discounts before buying tickets. They had experience hunting for BlackPink tickets. Back then, those who held onto their tickets cried their eyes out, while those who bought through resale benefited greatly.

Hoài Thu, a fan who attended the first two nights of ATVNCG, said she will continue to attend the grand music festival with Long. Long believes that while the grand music festival remains lively and attracts many viewers, it can hardly compete with the excitement of ATVNCG days 5 and 6. The phenomenon of tickets selling off at rock-bottom prices did not occur at ATVNCG – it was truly a "sell-out" event. "Tickets." A Vietnamese expatriate said: "I like the older brother more than Long, so I only spend money to support my older brothers." The ATVNCG and "Brother Says Hi" crazes have divided the audience, causing foreign idols to lose some of their appeal.

Domestic idols are rising in popularity.

Among the 220,000 attendees at ATVNCG Day 5 and Day 6, there were some special guests. Producer and director Mai Thu Huyen accompanied her daughter to ATVNCG Day 6. She shared: “For the first time in my life, I had to endure 7 hours of continuous rain, torrential downpour, thunder and lightning, and power outages 2 or 3 times, lasting almost an hour, yet no audience member wanted to leave. Even when the show ended and the music stopped, many people still refused to go home, hoping the organizers would announce the next concert. My daughter was among them.”

From a professional perspective, the female director assessed the program as excellent, with enthusiastic audience and dedicated artists. Director Mai Thu Huyền agreed with the assessment that, in the current domestic market, the appeal of local Idols overshadows that of foreign Idols.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Cuong agreed. He said: “We should start thinking about this. It’s unimaginable that Vietnamese music in 2025 could achieve such a miracle.” According to the researcher, this is not the first time domestic entertainment products and artists have prevailed. “Remember the 80s and 90s of the 20th century, that was the period when overseas music invaded the Vietnamese market. In Vietnam, you could hear overseas music everywhere. But when the Green Wave arrived, a new era opened up, and overseas music was pushed aside. Not only in music, but also in film. For a time, Korean films dominated with Winter Sonata, Autumn in My Heart… then they were also pushed back. Now, domestic idols overshadowing foreign idols is just history repeating itself,” he analyzed.

Regarding ATVNCG's success, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Cuong highly praised the team behind it. “The director, the music director, and an entire corporation silently supported these talented artists. The sound and lighting systems were top-notch, they went all-in, it was expensive, and they applied cutting-edge technology,” he assessed. The artists were not only multi-talented, but their stage presence was also dazzling. “Soobin is just as handsome as G-Dragon? Son Thach also has his legendary moments. I believe ATVNCG possesses an amazing team of stylists and makeup artists. They deserve to be called wizards, helping to create fashionable and captivating images for these talented artists,” the cultural researcher commented.

But the talent of the star-studded cast or the people behind the scenes wasn't enough for ATVNCG to create a miracle, attracting 220,000 viewers, even though the show took place in unusual weather conditions, with one night being extremely hot and the next night pouring rain. It was the inherent love for their homeland in the hearts of the audience, combined with music steeped in Vietnamese identity, that was the boundless strength that allowed domestic idols to triumph over foreign idols in the domestic market.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/idol-noi-lan-luot-idol-ngoai-3363207.html