Joy for some, the wait continues for others as tickets for BTS shows in Singapore go on sale

SINGAPORE – BTS fans all over Singapore experienced a wave of emotions on the first day of ticket sales on June 3 for the K-pop group’s upcoming concert here.

Some got their tickets within minutes of the presale starting at noon. Others however, have to wait till June 4 for another stab at securing passes as presale tickets to see the global icons live in Singapore sold out on the first day.

Entertainment group Live Nation shared an update at about 7pm on June 3, saying in a joint Facebook post with ONE Production that Army Membership presale tickets have sold out.

Army Membership is an annual fan club subscription on the Weverse platform, which grants fans access to exclusive digital content and member-only communities among others.

“If you did not manage to get your tickets today, don’t worry! Live Nation presale will be happening tomorrow at 12pm,” said the group in its post.

The boy band septet – made up of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook – will perform at the National Stadium on Dec 17, 19, 20 and 22 at 7pm as part of their Arirang world tour.

By 12.05pm on June 3, at least 74,000 people were in the queue for the Dec 17 show. The Dec 19 one appeared to be the most sought after, with at least 144,000 people queueing.

More than 91,000 were queueing for the Dec 20 show, while at least 83,000 were in line for the final performance on Dec 22.

One lucky Singaporean fan Ashley Loh snagged three Category 1 tickets, which cost $328 each, at around 12.10pm.

The 22-year-old undergraduate, who is in Bangkok on holiday, made sure she was comfortably seated, with a good Wi-Fi connection, to book the tickets.

Loh, who has been a BTS fan since 2017, was initially nervous as she could not load the Ticketmaster site until 11.58am, but nerves soon turned to excitement when she saw that her queue number was 162.

She said: “I’m excited to see them live for the first time and perform songs from their earlier days. I’m also very relieved that we don’t have to resort to resale tickets, which are always marked up.”

Singapore permanent resident Joy Arellano was ecstatic to secure two VIP tickets, which cost $388 each, in 30 minutes.

The 30-year-old freelance photographer from the Philippines said: “I’m in shock now and my heart is still racing.”

She attended the group’s last show in Singapore in 2019 and is looking forward to experiencing the electric atmosphere in the stadium again.

Another fan Sahira Zul, 37, is excited to attend her first BTS concert in Singapore. Her friend managed to buy three Category 5 tickets, which cost $168 each, for the Dec 22 show, at around 1.25pm.

The communications manager, who attended the Arirang world tour’s opening shows in South Korea in April, said: “Ticketing always feels like it shaves a year off my life... But I’m so relieved now and I’m already excited for the concert.”

For other fans, the anxious wait goes on. Digital marketer Jade Yee had been nervously watching her queue number reduce slowly, and constantly checking in with two other friends who were also queueing.

She said: “I just hope to be able to get a ticket. It’s better to be in the venue than outside.

“If all else fails, we will try again tomorrow and on Friday.”

A fan, who wanted to be known only as Ong, said that she was still unable to get tickets as at 1.20pm.

“I’m okay with getting tickets of any category at this point. If (I cannot get tickets), I will sit outside the stadium,” said the 28-year-old.

BTS’ Arirang world tour, in support of their comeback album released in March after all seven members completed mandatory military service, kicked off in South Korea in April.

Their historic four-night run here marks their longest tour stop in Asia outside South Korea and Japan, and their first full-group concert in Singapore since their sold-out Love Yourself shows at the same venue in January 2019.

Tickets are priced from $148 to $388, and the first presale started at noon on June 3. It was reserved for fans, known as Army, who signed up for the Army Membership Presale on Weverse.

Fans in Singapore have been gearing up for ticket sales, with many studying the seat maps and joining Telegram and WhatsApp groups.

At around 6.50pm on June 2, fan group @btsxsingapore started an Instagram live stream from outside the National Stadium, showing close to 100 viewers a peek of the layout of the venue.

On June 2, the Consumers Association of Singapore and the police issued separate advisories warning people against scams involving concert tickets.

They urged fans to buy tickets from only official channels and emphasised that those who purchase from unauthorised sellers may be denied entry to the event.

Another pre-sale on June 4 from noon to 10pm will be for Live Nation members. Tickets for the general public will go on sale from noon on June 5 via ticketmaster.sg

A Klook sale will also begin at noon on June 5. The global travel platform is offering concert bundles from $207 that include guaranteed tickets paired with a one-night stay at Hotel Michael and admission to local attractions.