Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus World Tour has seen “unprecedented demand” across new markets, according to promoters.

The 33-year-old rapper recently extended his record-breaking, Live Nation-produced tour to Johannesburg (South Africa), Delhi (India), Seoul (Korea), Hainan (China) and Tokyo (Japan).

Scott’s debut concert in India at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Dehli sold out ‘instantly’, prompting local promoter and producer BookMyShow to add a second date.

More than 100,000 tickets, priced between ₹3,500 (€36) and ₹30,000 (€314), were snapped up in under two hours for the 18 and 19 October concerts.

With recent concerts by the likes of Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Green Day and Shawn Mendes, leading executives say India’s touring scene is poised to ‘explode’.

Demand for the Circus Maximus World Tour was equally staggering in China, where Scott’s 1 November show at Sanya Stadium (cap 45,000) in Hainan also sold out immediately. The Province targeted Scott as part of its campaign to become an “international performing arts capital” as China loosens its strict policies for international artists.

Scott’s 25 October concert at Goyang Stadium in Seoul, Korea, has also sold out, with over 45,000 tickets purchased.

The Houston-born artist remains one of the only rap artists currently selling out stadiums across the globe

The Houston-born artist remains one of the only rap artists currently selling out stadiums across the globe. The Circus Maximus World Tour kicked off in October 2023 and included 76 sold-out stops across North America, Europe, the UK, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand throughout 2023 and 2024.

The outing concluded as the highest-grossing rap tour in history with $209.3 million and 1.7 million tickets sold.

Later this month, Scott will headline Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.

The rapper is billed as the fourth headliner, occupying the same spot on the poster that No Doubt did in 2024 with the tagline “Travis Scott designs the desert”.

In a press release, Scott’s representatives state he is slated to headline the main stage on Saturday night “where he will debut an entirely new era of music to the world”.

Scott was scheduled to headline in 2020 before the festival was cancelled due to the pandemic. He was booked again in 2022, but was taken off the lineup following the fatal crowd crush at his own Astroworld Festival in 2021.

He will also headline the UK’s Reading & Leeds in August alongside Chappell Roan, Bring Me The Horizon and Hozier.

Scott is represented by Cara Lewis in North America and Wasserman Music’s James Rubin for the rest of the world.

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AEG Presents has strengthened its commitment to the K-pop market by forming a strategic partnership with South Korean label and content company KQ Entertainment.

The move builds upon recent developments from the multinational promoting firm, which last year announced it would join forces with Korean AI metaverse firm Galaxy Corporation to further technological advancements in the touring and entertainment spaces, specifically around K-pop shows.

With this formal partnership, AEG will now lead producing and promoting breakout K-pop boy band ATEEZ’s worldwide tours. The eight-member group recently concluded the European leg of their Towards The Light: Will To Power trek, selling 180,000 tickets to sold-out crowds across the continent.

The AEG-promoted venture included milestones such as becoming the first K-pop artist to headline Paris’s La Défense Arena (cap. 40,000), and inaugural K-pop shows in cities like Lyon, Milan, and Zurich.

“We are always very keen to open up new arena markets for K-pop and we felt the perfect time to do this was on ATEEZ’s biggest-ever tour of Europe, and introduce Zurich and Milan which have both been resounding sold-out successes,” Simon Jones, AEG Presents’ SVP of international touring, said to IQ following the Swiss gig.

“The appetite for the genre shows no signs of slowing up.”

The recent tour’s North American leg sold 200,000 tickets and included sell-out shows at New York City’s Citi Field (41,800), two BMO Stadium (22,000) shows in Los Angeles, and Arlington’s Globe Life Field (40,300). ATEEZ will wrap up the tour with two Seoul shows at KSPO Dome (15,000) this weekend, 22-23 March.

Another AEG-supported K-pop project has reportedly stalled

AEG and KQ’s previous collaborations also include bringing the Billboard chart-topping band to Coachella last year as the first K-pop boy group to perform at the Goldenvoice festival, an AEG subsidiary. ATEEZ was also recently crowned K-Pop Artist of the Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.

This latest venture with KQ further cements AEG’s efforts in the K-pop realm. In 2022, AEG partnered with K-pop touring and marketing firm Powerhouse, which has worked with some of K-pop’s biggest stars such as BTS and Blackpink.

The two firms had been working in tandem since 2010 when they produced what’s remembered as “the first blast of K-pop in the US”.

AEG also promoted BLACKPINK’s 2022-23 Born Pink world tour, which became the most-attended concert tour by a K-pop girl group with 1.8 million attendees. The group headlined the AEG-backed BST Hyde Park in London in 2023, the first K-pop group to do so, with Stray Kids joining the headliner pool last summer.

Blackpink is due back out this year, with the Live Nation-promoted stadium tour stopping in Seoul, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, New York, Paris, Milan, Barcelona, London, and Tokyo.

But, another AEG-supported project, the 20,000-capacity, K-pop-specialised CJ LiveCity Arena in Goyang City, Seoul, has reportedly stalled.

Originally slated to open this year, the Goyang city government ended its agreement with CJ LiveCity — a subsidiary of media conglomerate CJ ENM — last year after the company halted construction in the spring of 2023 due to funding issues.

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ICA-Live-Asia president Tommy Jinho Yoon tells IQ he is planning to launch a new festival after working on the debut edition of Summer Sonic Bangkok.

Yoon partnered with promoter Creativeman on the two-day event, which was held from 24-25 August at the 12,000-cap Impact Challenger Hall in Muang Thong Thani, Thailand.

Headlined by OneRepublic and Lauv, the lineup included further overseas stars such as Laufey, Aurora, Suede and Nothing But Thieves. Ticket prices ranged from 3,500 (€89) to 11,000 (€278) for a one-day pass, and 6,500 (€164) to 20,000 (€506) for two-day entry.

“Summer Sonic Bangkok 2024 went extremely well, especially with it being its first year in Bangkok,” says Yoon. “This was the very first time Summer Sonic was officially licensed anywhere outside of Japan.”

Aside from numerous upcoming headline shows throughout the continent, Yoon reveals his company has a brand-new event in Seoul, South Korea, in the offing – the name of which will be confirmed shortly.

Yoon is also international artist programmer for Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival – the first major festival of its type to be established in Korea back in 1999 – plus Yoursummer and Legend of the Guardian Festival.

He launched US-based ICA to cater to the growing demand for live events in Korea, China, Asia and the Philippines, and created a mini-Asian tour for Britpop icons Suede, taking in KBS Arena in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, and Zepp Kuala Lumpur, alongside their slot at Summer Sonic Bangkok.

“Most territories in Asia have limitations on how high ticket prices can go”

“They did extremely well in Seoul, selling out, and also had a great performance at our festival in Bangkok, but faced some difficulties in Kuala Lumpur,” explains Yoon. “Like Europe, territories in Asia differ, and international artists have specific markets that work for them and others that don’t.

“To put it simply, the overall market for international artists in Asia is generally positive at the moment. We anticipate even more positive outcomes as the market continues to expand.”

According to Yoon, current challenges include increased competition among promoters in the region, “leading to bidding wars and higher artist fees”.

“Most territories in Asia have limitations on how high ticket prices can go,” he continues. “For example, in Korea, there is no concept of overpriced or high-priced VIP tickets. On the opportunity side, the international music scene is becoming more mainstream, with audiences expecting more shows and tours to enter the market. Ticket sales are generally reflecting these positive trends.”

And Yoon, who hosted a panel on K-pop at last year’s International Live Music Conference (ILMC) in London, says there are few signs of the phenomenon dying down any time soon.

“K-pop is still going strong globally and has expanded even further on a global scale,” he adds. “On the domestic scene, it has diminished slightly. But with foreigners entering Korea and becoming the primary ticket buyers, the market remains strong.”

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K-pop giant SM Entertainment has reported its highest-ever quarterly earnings for Q3, bolstered by concerts and record sales.

The Seoul-based company, which is home to acts some of the world’s biggest K-pop acts, reported KRW 48 billion (€34m) in operating profit – a 77% surge year-on-year (YOY).

Revenue followed suit with a 40% YoY increase, soaring to KRW 188.7 bn (€133.9m), while net profit reached KRW 37.1 bn (€26.3m), jumping 68% YoY.

SM says increases across the board can be attributed to the rise in music and recording sales by NCT DREAM, aespa and RIIZE, as well as the increase in artist activities such as offline concerts.

The entertainment agency is also home to acts including Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, EXO, NCT and Red Velvet.

The Seoul-based company reported KRW 48 billion (€34m) in operating profit – a 77% surge year-on-year

SM has also revealed a consolidated operating profit of KRW 50.5 bn (€35.8m) for Q3, a staggering 70% YoY increase, as well as a revenue surge of KRW 266.3 bn (€188.9m), a 12% YoY increase. Both figures recorded the highest quarterly performance.

Meanwhile, net profit increased by 189% to KRW 84.2 bn (€59.7m), compared to KRW 29.2 bn (€20.7m) during the same period last year. Operating margin for Q3 recorded 19%, a YoY increase of 6.5%.

SM’s subsidiaries include live entertainment company Dream Maker, advertising, production, travel and talent company SM Culture & Contents, entertainment management agency Keyeast and music publishing subsidiary KMR.

Looking towards the future, SM CEO Cheol Hyuk JANG said: “We have a packed line-up of activities through the end of the year, from aespa, Red Velvet and Taeyeon to TVXQ’s 20th anniversary album and concerts. We are also planning on showcasing a strong lineup of artists and content in the coming year as well. Through our music publishing subsidiary KMR, we’ll actively seek out global songwriters, focus on securing a stable supply of high-quality songs and eventually secure a new stream of revenues for SM through royalties made from selling music to external labels and agencies.”

Earlier this year, internet company Kakao Corp became the second-largest shareholder in SM Entertainment.

SM says increases across the board can be attributed to, in part, to the increase in artist activities such as offline concerts

SM Entertainment says the capital raised through the deal will fund its new business strategy dubbed “SM 3.0” – establishing multiple production centres and labels as well as a music publishing-specialised subsidiary, and investing in the metaverse.

At the end of last year, the Seoul-based operation announced plans to launch a headquarters in Singapore, in order to strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia.

Months later, it was announced that SM and Kakao would launch an integrated division in North America.

The division will combine SM’s global intellectual property and production capabilities with Kakao’s music distribution network and multi-label system, “with the goal of firmly establishing itself as a global K-pop key player”.

The aim is to promote artists from both companies, including Kakao-owned Starship Entertainment’s girl group IVE, as well as SM’s girl group Aespa and boy band NCT.

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K-pop giant SM Entertainment and its biggest stakeholder Kakao Entertainment are launching an integrated division in North America.

The division will combine SM’s global intellectual property and production capabilities with Kakao’s music distribution network and multi-label system, “with the goal of firmly establishing itself as a global K-pop key player”.

The aim is to promote artists from both companies, including Kakao-owned Starship Entertainment’s girl group IVE, as well as SM’s girl group Aespa and boy band NCT.

“We will accelerate the global advancement and growth of Kakao Entertainment and SM Entertainment’s artists”

“Through the North American integrated corporation, we will accelerate the global advancement and growth of Kakao Entertainment and SM Entertainment’s artists, and based on this, we will expand the growth potential of Kakao Entertainment’s music business, which encompasses planning, production, and distribution of music and artist IP, to the global market,” says Kakao Entertainment America CEO Jang Yoon-jung.

Jang Yoon-jung will lead the new North American company. He will be in charge of Kakao’s global strategy officer and SM’s chief business officer.

Earlier this year Kakao became the largest shareholder in SM Entertainment after a months-long corporate battle against SM rival HYBE to take control of the K-Pop agency.

HYBE, the South Korean music agency behind BTS and Ariana Grande, is also looking to expand in the US to secure a global foothold. It was reported in June that the Seoul-based company is looking to raise around 500 billion Korean won (approx USD $380m).

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HYBE, the South Korean music agency behind BTS and Ariana Grande, is reportedly looking to raise around 500 billion Korean won (approx USD $380m) to fund acquisitions in the US.

The Seoul-based K-pop giant “is in talks with investors to secure equity financing,” according to a report from Bloomberg, “and is open to having both strategic and financial partners”.

It comes after HYBE chairman Bang Si-Hyuk spoke about his company’s ambitions to expand its global presence via M&A and diversify its sphere of influence beyond K-Pop in the global music business.

In a March interview with CNN about the company’s US M&A strategy, Si-Hyuk notes that “globally, [K-pop] is not occupying much of the market”.

He added: “On the other hand, Latin music and afrobeats is very rapidly growing. So being where we are, it is more urgent to increase the exposure. For that purpose, I’m taking over labels and management companies in America to be able to build the infrastructure.”

“Globally, [K-pop] is not occupying much of the market… [so] it is more urgent to increase the exposure”

HYBE’s $1 billion-plus acquisition of Scooter Braun’s US-based Ithaca Holdings was a big step in bringing numerous non-K-pop operations into the fold, via HYBE America.

The deal saw HYBE take ownership of country music giant, Big Machine Label Group, as well as Braun’s own management company, SB Projects (home to Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande).

In February, HYBE expanded further in the US entertainment business when HYBE America, led by Braun, acquired Atlanta rap powerhouse QC Media Holdings or Quality Control, home to acts such as Lil Baby, Migos, Lil Yachty and City Girls, in a deal worth $300 million in total.

That acquisition came around the same time a bidding war broke out between HYBE and South Korea’s Kakao Entertainment for rival K-pop company, SM Entertainment.

In February HYBE acquired a 14.8% stake in SM Entertainment, for around $335m via the acquisition of shares from Lee Soo-man, SM Entertainment’s estranged founder.

HYBE planned to acquire a 40% stake in SM Entertainment but officially ended its takeover bid on 12 March. Kakao Corp. is now the largest shareholder in SM Entertainment though Bloomberg reports that HYBE still owns around an 8.95% stake in SM.

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South Korea is to gain three new concert venues by the end of 2025 as it moves to capitalise on the demand created by the K-pop explosion.

Billed as the nation’s first multi-purpose arena, the 15,000-seater Mohegan Inspire Arena is scheduled to open in the city of Icheon in the fourth quarter of 2023 and promises to “transform the entire landscape of the domestic performance arts industry”.

The venue, which will form the centrepiece of Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort, is projected to welcome four million guests a year. Previously, reports the Korea Times,the Seoul metropolitan area has relied on stadiums such as Gocheok Sky Dome, the KSPO Dome in Olympic Park and the Jamsil Sports Complex’s Main Stadium to host shows.

“Korea’s performing art industry has long been facing a shortage of high-quality venue that can support shows of top-tier artists”

“Given the strong demand for K-pop and other live performances, Korea’s performing art industry has long been facing a shortage of high-quality venue that can support shows of top-tier artists from home and abroad, and various cultural events,” says Ray Pineault, CEO and president of Mohegan. “This perhaps explains the expectations building around the Mohegan Inspire Arena far ahead of its construction completion.

“This new venue is poised to emerge as Korea’s first multi-purpose arena that can showcase various types of events, encompassing global artist performances, world-class sports league tournaments such as eSports, MMA, TV award shows and media IP-based exhibitions.”

Mohegan also operates the 10,000-cap Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, US.

Elsewhere, AEG and CJ LiveCity Corporation’s new K-pop-focused entertainment complex in South Korea is set to open in Goyang City, Seoul, in 2024. The 1.8 trillion won (€1.3 billion) development comprises the 20,000-capacity CJ LiveCity Arena and an outdoor performance space capable of accommodating 40,000 people.

In addition, South Korean IT giant Kakao and the Seoul metropolitan government are in the process of building the 19,000-cap Seoul Arena in the capital’s northern Dobong district, with work expected to be completed in October 2025.

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K-pop concerts and other large gatherings were cancelled across South Korea following the crowd crush in Itaewon, Seoul that killed at least 154 people.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the tragedy, which unfolded in the Korean capital on Saturday night (29 October) when a crowd surged in an alleyway during the first mask-free Halloween event since the pandemic.

President Yoon Suk-yeol has declared a period of national mourning to run until 5 November and designated the Itaewon district a disaster zone.

Reuters reports a major K-pop concert called Busan One Asia Festival, which was scheduled for yesterday and was expected to attract around 40,000 people, was cancelled, while the Korea Music Content Association postponed its MWM (Moving the World with Music) Festival, set for Busan this Thursday and Friday.

“Considering the severity of the national mourning period, we as an association will halt all events and television broadcasts”

SM Entertainment’s Halloween party SMTown Wonderland 2022, electronic dance music festival Strike Music Festival and the Peakbox 22-03 concert were also called off.

According to Korea JoongAng Daily, singers Jang Yoon-jeong and Youngtak also both pulled shows, but K-pop acts Ateez and Dreamcatcher held concerts on Sunday as planned, preceded by a moment of silence, after being unable to reschedule. A number of K-pop groups due to release new music this week have announced they are postponing their releases.

“Considering the severity of the national mourning period, we as an association will halt all events and television broadcasts and will do our best to console the victims’ families,” adds Korea Singers Association president Lee Ja-yeon.

The BBC cites Korean media reports that BTS’ concert at Busan Asiad Main Stadium two weeks earlier, attended by 55,000 fans, was managed by 2,700 security officers, compared to only 137 for the Seoul festivities. The BTS’ show was switched from its original venue due to safety concerns.

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South Korea has eased its coronavirus protocols and lifted its ban on clapping and cheering at gigs.

Fans were handed plastic clappers to emulate crowd noise at BTS’ Permission To Dance On Stage – Seoul three-night residency last month, which marked the K-pop group’s in-person concert return in their homeland.

Just 15,000 people per night were permitted to attend the 70,000-cap Jamsil Olympic Stadium in Seoul on 10, 12-13 March due to social distancing restrictions. But with the number of Covid cases stabilising, most measures have now been dropped, although the indoor and outdoor mask mandate has been retained for the time being.

The news coincides with the release of a report by the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, which estimated the huge economic impact when BTS perform in South Korea.

“Holding K-pop concerts can have a huge impact on our economy”

“If BTS normally holds a concert in Korea during the post-coronavirus period, the economic ripple effect will reach 677.6 billion won ($550 million) to 1.22 trillion won ($989m) for one performance,” it concluded, according to Allkpop.

The study also referred to the group’s 2021 run at Los Angeles’ 70,000-cap SoFi Stadium, which marked the first time they had been able to be face-to-face with fans since the 2019 BTS World Tour. Internal data showed that more than 70% of the attendees at the LA concerts were from states outside California or overseas.

“This analysis took BTS concerts as an example, but it shows that holding K-pop concerts can have a huge impact on our economy,” it added.

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A second arena dedicated to staging K-pop concerts is planned for South Korea’s capital city, Seoul.

It was announced yesterday (4 April) that South Korean IT giant Kakao and the Seoul metropolitan government have signed an agreement to start building the arena in Seoul’s northern Dobong district, this June.

Expected to be complete in October 2025, Seoul Arena will reportedly include a concert venue boasting state-of-the-art sound equipment, with a seating capacity of around 19,000 and a maximum capacity of 28,000 for standing events.

The arena will also feature a separate 7,000-capacity concert venue, as well as a cinema and commercial facilities.

Kakao said it expects Seoul Arena to attract some 1.8 million visitors per year and contribute to revitalising the local economy and bolstering the ecosystem of concerts.

Kakao said it expects Seoul Arena to attract some 1.8 million visitors per year

Kakao will reportedly be in charge of operating and maintaining the Seoul Arena for 30 years after it opens, while the venue will be owned by the city government.

Though Kakao has described the project as South Korea’s “first and largest” arena dedicated to K-pop, media giant CJ ENM and AEG began construction on a similar project last October.

The pair’s CJ LiveCity Arena, slated to open in Seoul’s Goyang City in 2024, is reportedly designed to accommodate 20,000 indoor attendees, with the capacity to extend to another 40,000 outdoors.

It is also said to be equipped with “the most powerful live performance infrastructure in the world”, including stage facilities, sound and lighting systems.

Centrally located between five of Korea’s largest cities, AEG projects the new venue will attract more than 20 million visitors annually.

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