Mexico President Urges South Korea To Add More BTS Concerts Amid Massive Ticket Demand

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum has made an unusual diplomatic appeal, urging South Korea to help arrange additional BTS concerts in Mexico after overwhelming demand left hundreds of thousands of fans without tickets.
Speaking at her daily morning press conference on Monday, Sheinbaum revealed that she had written directly to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, asking for support in increasing the number of shows for the globally popular K-pop group. “Everyone wants to go,” she said as quoted by Reuters.

According to the Mexican president, nearly one million young fans are hoping to attend BTS concerts in the country, while only around 150,000 tickets are currently available. “Around 1 million young people want to buy tickets, but there

are only 150,000 tickets available,” she said, underlining the frustration among fans.

BTS Tour Sparks Ticket Frenzy in Mexico

BTS, one of the world’s most successful music acts, is preparing to embark on a global tour in April, shortly after the release of their first new album in three years. The band had been on hiatus since 2022 while its members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service, making their return highly anticipated worldwide.
The announcement of the tour triggered an intense scramble for tickets across multiple countries, with Mexico emerging as one of the most competitive markets due to its large and passionate K-pop fan base. Many fans complained that they were unable to secure tickets during the initial sale, prompting some to file complaints with Mexico’s consumer watchdog.

Tickets sold through Ticketmaster were priced between 1,800 pesos and 17,800 pesos for VIP access, roughly equivalent to $100 to $1,030. However, on resale platforms, prices skyrocketed. By Monday, tickets were being offered for between 11,300 pesos and as much as 92,100 pesos, with some listings exceeding $5,300.

Consumer Watchdog Probes Ticketing Platforms

Mexico’s consumer protection agency confirmed that it has launched an investigation into Ticketmaster and is sanctioning resale platforms StubHub and Viagogo for what it described as “abusive and disloyal practices” related to BTS ticket sales. The agency did not provide further details, and the companies involved did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The watchdog also announced plans to help develop new guidelines aimed at better regulating ticket sales for concerts and festivals. These proposed measures would include setting prices and seat locations in advance of ticket releases to prevent confusion and exploitation.

Ticketmaster, owned by Live Nation Entertainment, has previously faced controversy in Mexico. In 2022, the company reimbursed around $1 million after more than a thousand fans were denied entry to a Bad Bunny concert at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. At the time, Ticketmaster blamed resellers and fraudulent ticket vendors and called for stricter controls.

BTS’s new album, Arirang, is scheduled for release in March. The group’s world tour will kick off in Goyang, South Korea, on April 9. In Mexico, only three shows have been announced so far, all set to take place at Mexico City’s GNP Seguros Stadium between May 7 and May 10.