Before Blackpink ticket sales open: Will Vietnamese fans fill 40,000 seats at My Dinh Stadium?

(Dan Tri) - Despite controversy over ticket prices, seating arrangements and scale of organization, Blackpink's concert at My Dinh Stadium is considered a risky but necessary "experiment" to open a new milestone for the Vietnamese market.

13 songs, ticket nearly 10 million VND?

The news that Blackpink will hold two shows as part of their Born Pink tour at My Dinh Stadium ( Hanoi ) on July 29 and 30 is attracting special attention from Vietnamese audiences.

On July 4, the Organizing Committee officially announced the seating chart and ticket prices. However, many controversial opinions broke out on social networks. Audiences pointed out shortcomings such as: the stage area is small, the VIP ticket area takes up a large proportion, and the cheaper ticket areas have few seats.

It is worth mentioning that, according to the confirmation from the Chief of Office of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports , the list of songs that Blackpink performed was 13. This is considered a relatively small number for the scale of the global tour. In previous Born Pink concerts, Blackpink performed an average of about 20 songs.

Blackpink group (Photo: Twitter).

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, music producer and media expert Tran Quang Huy said he was very disappointed after receiving information about ticket prices and Blackpink's performance list.

"The set list is said to be 13 songs, which is no longer worthy of Blackpink's Born Pink world tour," said Mr. Huy.

Mr. Quang Huy stated that a standard music night would consist of 4 parts, of which part 3 would be devoted entirely to solo songs. However, when brought back to Vietnam, the music night had its individual performances cut out. Meanwhile, ticket prices not only did not decrease, but were also higher than other venues. The benefits that came with the tickets were also removed.

Mr. Huy pointed out that VIP tickets at other venues around the world will include soundchecks (sound check, the preparation process before the concert). In Vietnam, VIP tickets cost up to 9.8 million VND, but the audience does not get to meet their idols directly and have special experiences at the soundcheck like when buying VIP tickets in other countries.

This is what disappointed some audiences. Fans said that the same ticket price but going to see the show in Singapore or Thailand was more "worth the money" than a concert with only 13 songs and many other shortcomings in the scale of the show.

Is Blackpink strong enough to fill the audience at My Dinh Stadium?

Despite mixed opinions about the schedule and ticket prices, a large number of Blackpink fans are still eagerly waiting for the group to return to Vietnam, actively participating in groups to exchange ticket buying experiences to find opportunities to see their idols perform in person.

However, the question is how likely are tickets to be sold for the two upcoming concerts when the announcement was quite rushed (1 month in advance)? Blackpink's reputation and influence are huge, but is bringing the tour to Vietnam a risky experiment?

With prices ranging from 1.2 million VND to 9.8 million VND, the revenue problem and Blackpink's ability to "fill the void" at My Dinh Stadium are also considered not simple challenges.

Blackpink at their show in Sydney on June 22 (Photo: BlackpinkOfficial).

Some audiences commented that Vietnam is not a potential touring market for international stars. In the Southeast Asian region, countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore... often appear on the touring map, while Vietnam is rarely chosen by foreign artists.

Some comments on social media: "Tickets won't sell out as quickly as in other countries. Looking at the reality in Vietnam, 1 night is good but 2 nights is very difficult"; "About 25,000-30,000 audiences per night, while the spending power of Vietnamese audiences is not as high as in other countries. There are also many fans who are students"...

Talking to Dan Tri reporter, media expert Hong Quang Minh - who has a lot of experience organizing music nights with international stars coming to Vietnam - said this is an interesting case, "an unprecedented test" in the domestic market.

"I think the management company's choice of Vietnam as a stopover for Blackpink's world tour comes from many factors. Of course, every decision always has a risk factor, but big companies always have long-term calculations for penetrating potential markets, in addition to revenue factors," said Mr. Minh.

According to Dan Tri reporters, My Dinh Stadium has a capacity of about 40,000 seats. With music nights designed with a stage here, the maximum audience is about 30,000 people.

In addition, the fact that the two Born Pink concerts in Hanoi were only announced one month in advance is also a detail that surprised many audiences. Normally, other tour venues are announced three to four months in advance. Many people are concerned that the rushed preparation time and expensive ticket prices will affect the event's ability to sell tickets.

Commenting on this issue, Mr. Hong Quang Minh said: "This is a risky decision but I think it must be done. If we do it for 2 nights, all costs will be optimized and enough to cover the production as well as bringing a group like Blackpink to Vietnam."

"Previously, very few Korean star concerts in Vietnam were successful in terms of revenue without support from cultural exchange programs. In the case of Blackpink, they are the world's top music group. So the organizer's expectations for ticket sales are also at a different level," said Mr. Minh.

On this issue, media expert Tran Quang Huy has a different opinion. He believes that the hasty announcement just 1 month in advance shows that the preparation is not thorough and may affect the speed of ticket sales.

"Blackpink fans in Vietnam are very large, but will that number of fans be enough to fill My Dinh Stadium? I believe that with such a reduction in the number of songs and the quality of the show, international fans will not flock to Vietnam to watch this show. The Born Pink tour has already gone around Europe - Asia - America, it is not a new show," said Mr. Quang Huy.

"Both the Organizing Committee and YG management company should be blamed. The operating unit did not promptly come forward to announce information about the organizing unit from the beginning, causing confusion on social networks.

In my opinion, YG should also be blamed because they did everything in a hurry, like a "charity" show, so the organization from the beginning was not neat and proper. From the time of announcement to the performance within 1 month, everything was extremely rushed and not in the plan. The show only had 13 songs, the stage was of poor quality, and was flooded with VIP tickets "screaming" in large quantities. I'm afraid that these 2 shows will only be as noisy as the sound of a leaf falling in the night", said Mr. Tran Quang Huy.

Necessary risk

Faced with concerns that Blackpink may not be able to fill My Dinh Stadium, media experts say the upcoming two concerts will be a test of demand and the "health" of entertainment programs held in Vietnam.

"The group's fans are mostly young people, they will probably buy the cheapest tickets, the important thing is just to see and live in the atmosphere with their idols. The audience who buys more expensive tickets will be high-income audiences and they are influenced by the huge media effect of Blackpink," said Mr. Hong Quang Minh.

Experts also predict that there will be a group of audiences buying tickets to prove their "class" or curious about what a world-leading music brand will be like. The shows also attract a large number of fans from other countries.

Blackpink at the Coachella music festival in April (Photo: BlackpinkOfficial).

Mr. Linh Nguyen - producer, head of the HAY Fest event organizing committee (with the participation of 4 famous music groups Blue, 911, A1, The Moffatts in August 2022) said that before that, many large units participated in the investigation and research on how to invite Blackpink to Vietnam.

"Looking back at the influence and actual figures on the level of interest in Blackpink in Vietnam, I think YG Entertainment and its organizing partners must have done research and taken risks for this investment.

But that is a necessary risk. Don't limit the audience of the two upcoming shows to just Vietnam, but make sure the organizer is also targeting other potential audiences in the region such as China, Laos, Cambodia...", Mr. Linh said.

Mr. Linh commented that up to now, in Vietnam, only My Tam holds the record of 30,000 tickets for a live show at My Dinh Stadium.

However, if we look at the reputation of Blackpink - the world's leading girl group and the Vietnamese market and neighboring countries - from a production perspective, doing 2 consecutive nights will optimize costs as well as revenue for the organizer.

Mr. Linh Nguyen also believes that the young audience has changed their financial habits, investing more in entertainment activities compared to 10-15 years ago.

"Don't underestimate the power of the Kpop fan community in Vietnam in general and the influence of Blackpink in Vietnam in particular. That has been "tested" through many recent programs, such as Super Junior's events or Blackpink's other activities.

Besides, I have many friends and siblings who are willing to buy tickets for their children to attend Blackpink's concert abroad. So in Vietnam, there will be a large number of audiences - people who have never listened to Blackpink - but come with their whole family because of the group's great appeal," the producer told Dan Tri reporter.

My Tam's "Tri am" concert held at My Dinh Stadium attracted 30,000 spectators. This is also the largest live show by a Vietnamese singer to date (Photo: Tien Tuan).

Golden opportunity in Vietnam concert market

Despite concerns about revenue and ticket sales, many audiences still believe that Blackpink's two concerts in Hanoi will be successful and smooth, marking a new milestone for the Vietnamese entertainment market.

If Blackpink successfully organizes the concert, Vietnam will be a potential destination, attracting the attention of many international stars.

However, audiences and experts also commented that the operating unit in Vietnam needs to be truly professional if it wants to successfully organize 2 Blackpink concerts. Previously, many music events with international stars taking place in Vietnam were often criticized by audiences for being unorganized and messy.

Audiences expect Blackpink's concert in Vietnam to be a success (Photo: BlackpinkOfficial).

Regarding the issue of the urgent preparation time that could affect the quality of Blackpink's performance, expert Hong Quang Minh said: "One month is quite urgent, I also think that the official decision to bring the group to Vietnam was made not long ago.

But the main task now is to "carry" a tour that has been successfully organized around the world for a while back to Vietnam smoothly. Domestic service providers probably have a lot of urgent work to do."

Expert Hong Quang Minh added that he had gone to see Blackpink's Born Pink concert twice in Thailand and the Philippines and accepted to buy black market tickets at prices ranging from over 10 million VND to nearly 20 million VND per ticket.

"Vietnamese audiences are very enthusiastic. Of course, it is not yet possible for big shows held for the first time in Vietnam to have the same quality as those in countries with developed entertainment industries, but we need to lay the first foundations as soon as we have the opportunity," said Mr. Minh.

Producer Linh Nguyen added more about the ticket distribution to the audience: "In order for real audiences to have the opportunity to come to the concert, the pressure on the ticket distribution channel is very high.

We will not expect a system crash or error on July 7th, leading to ticket sources for ticket scalpers to collect, then I believe the possibility of filling My Dinh Stadium is very high."

Audiences filled the stands at a Blackpink concert in the US in April 2022 (Photo: BlackpinkGlobal).

Currently, audiences and domestic music producers are eagerly awaiting the Blackpink event to come to Vietnam. Many fans believe that the upcoming two Born Pink concerts will be large-scale shows, a good opportunity to promote the image and culture of Vietnam on the map of organizing shows for international stars.

Mr. Linh Nguyen commented: "As a producer who has gone through the process of inviting artists for my music festivals, I understand where Vietnam stands in the eyes of international artists.

We must work hard to demonstrate our organizational capacity and the market's ability to absorb it. There are also very few large, risk-taking investors who see this as a fertile ground to invest in and drive the market forward.

Let's wish Blackpink all the best for this concert because I believe that only that will make the Vietnamese market an attractive destination in the eyes of contemporary international stars. Let the world know that: Vietnam is ready."

"Let's wait and see how ready the Vietnamese market is for this problem. Let's wait and see how far the power of Vietnamese audiences can take the market," Mr. Linh concluded.

According to an announcement from YG Entertainment (Blackpink's management company), tickets for the Born Pink show in Hanoi will officially go on sale at 12:00 on July 7 on the Ticketbox system.

On the morning of July 5, in response to Korean media, an official from YG Entertainment said that the information that Blackpink will only perform 13 songs at the concert in Vietnam is incorrect. YG representative confirmed that Blackpink's concert in Hanoi will have a similar set list to the group's other concerts on the tour.

Blackpink debuted in 2016, is a globally famous Korean girl group consisting of 4 members: Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo and Rosé. The girls have many billion-view hits such as Ddu du ddu du, Kill this love, How you like that...

Dantri.com.vn