What’s Going On With The K-Pop Concert Belfast Drama?

Hundreds of parents have been left disappointed after attending a K-Pop concert in Belfast with their children that they claim was falsely advertised. 

The Irish leg of the K-Pop Forever Tribute tour kicked off last week, selling out three whole nights in Belfast’s SSE Arena. The global tribute show provides fans with a live performance of a variety of K-Pop hits, including numbers from big K-Pop bands such as BTS, Blackpink and Katseye. 

The show also promised a number of songs from Netflix’s hugely successful film K-Pop Demon Hunters, and here is where the misunderstanding lies. Many parents booked tickets to this concert under the assumption that the main focus of the night would be music from the film, and that it would be a tribute to the movie itself.

Of course, that’s not how the night went. The tribute show did include a number of songs from the Netflix original, but not until later on in the performance, and it’s main focus was the K-Pop genre as a whole.

@sm1leywon Did anyone else have such a horrible experience? I want my money back!😡 #kpopdemonhunter #kpop #belfast #ssearena #foryoupage ♬ original sound – 𝓐𝓷𝓲𝓴𝓪

Following the concert, parents took to social media with their complaints, recalling children crying in disappointment and hundreds leaving the venue early. Many parents argued that they had been led to believe that the concert was a tribute to K-Pop Demon Hunters, as the advertisement had promised “smash hits including songs inspired by K-Pop Demon Hunters.”

Another parent claimed that thousands of the children in attendance were dressed up as Demon Hunters, implying that the majority of the audience shared the same expectations.

Responding to the criticism, the SSE Arena and Aiken Productions put out a statement that said: “Whilst the majority of customers enjoyed the show, we understand this was not what some expected; however, we are content that the show delivered this evening was an arena-standard tribute to the entire K-Pop genre.”

Some parents had an issue with the “sexualised” nature of the performance, claiming that the performers were often “half naked” and the dancing was not appropriate for the young audience at which the tour is aimed at.

Other attendees had only positive things to say about the night as a whole. Funnily enough, these more positive reviews came from customers who understood prior to going that the show was paying tribute to the K-Pop genre as a whole and not just K-Pop Demon Hunters. 

@debbieogallagher #ssearena #belfast #kpop #kpopdemonhunters #kpopbelfast ♬ original sound – Debbie

One woman who attended the show with her young niece said it was a “brilliant night,” as per The Journal. 

”We knew it was a K-Pop tribute so we expected songs other than the obvious KPop Demon Hunters. For example they sang APT and the whole arena bounced, it was brilliant. Confetti popping, streamers bursting and a young group of eight artists singing live, multiple outfit changes bringing their own style to the performance.”

So, do these angry parents have any valid reason to complain? Nobody wants to be disappointed after a concert they’ve been looking forward to, especially when younger kids are involved, but that’s why it’s important to do your research before you book a ticket.

@niamhdonnellyy Honestly do not attend this show if your expecting anything kpop #kpop #ssearena #belfast ♬ original sound – Niamh Donnelly

The promotional poster for the tour features animated characters on the front that slightly resemble the K-Pop Demon Hunters cast, and they do mention the inclusion of songs from the movie (which they did end up performing), but nowhere does it say that the concert was ever going to solely focus on K-Pop Demon Hunters. 

Many of the angry comments left on social media make it very hard to take these complaints seriously. One commenter argued that “K Pop should be held responsible” for the controversy, making it clear that a lot of these customers probably didn’t even know that K-Pop is an entire genre of music and didn’t just come from the movie. 

The K-Pop Forever tribute tour still has several performances across the country to go, with many dates already sold out. Ticket prices range from €40 to €64.