Rising K-Pop Demand Boosts Ticket Prices In Mexico

Over 20 K-Pop events have been announced and sold in Mexico for 2025. With thousands of fans eager to attend, ticket prices have risen, leaving many fans unhappy. Still, some concerts sell out on their first day of sale, while others seem to experience lower sales. So, what is happening?

Mexican fans are well-known for their unsinkable love for K-Pop artists, Korean media content was first aired in Mexico over 20 years ago and in the last year, almost every week, there is at least one Hallyu-related event.

However, as the consumer base for this industry grows in the 12th largest economy in the world, the prices for tickets and goods also become more expensive.

As of now, there were over 20 K-Pop and Hallyu shows in Mexico. Some of them have already been sold, while others have just been announced. Some of these events are going to be held by OCESA, the biggest concert promoter in Mexico. In August 2022, OCESA K-Pop was launched as a branch in response to fans; this branch also promotes all their Asian-related acts. Some other Hallyu shows to be held in 2025 will be carried out by independent promoters that had already held shows for Mexico or they venture in the industry for the first time.

Dynamic pricing, an issue that enrages fans

Dynamic fees were not previously something to care for Mexican consumers, the biggest problems were the resellers, overselling the shows or invalidating tickets due to piracy, yet this changed a couple of months ago when different shows began to experience price increases according to how many people were ‘in line’” to grab tickets. 

On November 19, OCESA K-Pop announced one of the most highly anticipated shows: Stray Kids “DOMINATE” in Mexico City, as part of their world tour Stray Kids was going to hold a concert on April 14th on the Estadio GNP (previously Foro Sol, where BLACKPINK and TWICE held concerts).

As fans’ speculations about seats and prices began to rise on social media, OCESA posted that “as in previous shows, maps and fees would be announced as the ticket sale began”, this baffled fans, who pointed out that the organizer was lying, since in other shows they had provided prior information about costs and seating map.

Once the ticket sale began, in social media, STAYs and buyers stated that ticket prices fluctuated, and there were no fixed costs, as in the same seating line, there were price variations depending on how close the seats were from the stage or the runways.

Fans, unhappy with these increases, decided to tag PROFECO official accounts on X.

Compré 4 boletos para Stray kids en la misma fila, en la misma zona y fue una diferencia de casi 500 pesos por boleto, es una mentada de madre, en USA va cambiando el precio en algunos lugares de más a menos por fila y si es más centrado pero esto fue una mentada de madre pic.twitter.com/KifkFUDxzG

— Rodrigo (@RodrigoLicon26) November 22, 2024

PROFECO (Federal Consumer Protection Agency, Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor) does know that buyers aren’t happy about this issue, and had answered fans when they tag them over the announcements of pre-sales or sales, yet, the head of this agency, Ivan Escalante has assured that PROFECO will not intervene on this situation, as is not related to their activities towards consumers.

On social media, it is believed that the increase in prices is because fans accept these costs, whether they like it or not, due to the uncertainty of whether their favorite artists will return to the country, and those who decide not to buy and criticize the prices of tickets and packages compared to what is offered are labeled as “bad fans”. 

Nevertheless, there are fans who claim that the prices are fair to see their favorite artists, since it is the chance to see them live that counts.

What comes next for the fans in the country?

SMTOWN is also going to be held in the Estadio GNP in May 2025, for the very first time in Mexico and as much as SM artists have great fanbases, their sales seem to be going “low” in comparison to other shows to be held in the same stadium.

Fans attribute this situation to OCESA K-Pop releasing information about the show little by little. Seating charts and prices weren’t shared previously and there’s uncertainty regarding the lineup.

Consumers feel that this show would have been a massive hit if it had taken place over 8 years ago. They point out that the group lineups are incomplete and question whether performers like Girls’ Generation’s TaeYeon will attend. On top of that, aespa and SHINee’s TaeMin have already confirmed and sold concerts in the country, and fans are waiting for other acts such as NCT to return. 

SUPER JUNIOR, one of the most beloved groups in Latin America and a frequent visitor, faces the disappointment of Mexican fans after pulling out of the K-Pop Masterz concert just a day before the show was held back in November. In 2023, ELF pushed promoters to change the venue for the “Super Show 9” in Mexico City by boycotting the sales until the show were changed to Arena CDMX instead of Velódromo Olímpico and also noted that prices for fan experience with the group were expensive, while showing how the goods provided in the 12,000 Mexican pesos (almost $600 USD) were low in quality.

Ticket presales and sales for SMTOWN in Mexico started in December. During the sales process, fans noticed the use of dynamic fees once again: the closer the seat to the stage or runway, the more expensive it became.

And yet, the venue didn’t “sell as much” as it might be projected, even when in February of 2025 the full line up was announced.

On the week of Valentine’s Day of February of 2025, OCESA launched a 2×1 promo for some sections of the SMTOWN show, yet, people on social media didn’t seem to find this very amusing as the venue has over half of the tickets still available. 

Does this happen with other ticket companies or promoters in Mexico?

This practice has been observed with Ticketmaster and OCESA shows, especially with the biggest Hallyu concerts in the country, yet fans are afraid that this might be something that other companies adopt, as authorities seem unable to address the matter.