IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOUR FIRST K-POP CONCERT

So you wanna start attending K-Pop concerts. Or, maybe you’re just interested in what exactly these concerts are all about.

Well, you’ve come to the right place.

What Exactly Is A K-Pop Concert?

A K-Pop concert is like any other concert. And, typically lasts between 2 to 3 hours in length.

However, compared to western concerts, there will not be many guest performers or opening acts.

So, you’ll get to see the group you came for from the very start!

The group themselves will also do dance choreography as they sing. And will be walking around the stage.

So, there’s a lot of chances of improvisation as well if the performers are feeling up to it.

As well as the highly sought out ‘Fan Interactions‘ during the performance.

Fans are also encouraged to enjoy the vibes and join in on the fun.

Some activities include doing what’s known as ‘Fan Chants‘, ‘Lightstick Waves‘, and even ‘Shouting Contests‘ from separate parts of the venue.

For example, first floor versus second floor in who is louder.

You can also see how performances at a K-Pop concert go by checking out the “Concert Playlists” section on my YouTube channel.

Fan Activities At A K-Pop Concert

Fan Chants

‘Fan Chants‘ usually happen during specific moments of certain songs that the fans can shout out specific scripts to the performers.

Some fan chants are as simple as shouting the name of the group members, or, emphasizing specific lyrics of the song being performed.

Lightstick Waves & Shouting Contests

‘Lightstick Waves‘ and ‘Shouting Contests‘ are exactly what they sound like.

And, they typically happen during intermissions or when the performers are having their talking moments with the fans.

There will also be ‘Slogans‘. Which are either official or fan-made.

These are used for holding up high during a concert photoshoot or during a specific song.

Freebies

Sometimes, you will also get a lot of free goodies from fellow fans from waiting in line as well!

Items can range from:

Official/Fan-made Photocards
Albums
Lomo cards
Cup Sleeves
Official/Fan-made Slogans

And many more items!

Slogans

Fan-made Slogans are often crowdfunded by many of the fans planning on attending the venue.

Each city stop has their own unique slogan created. So, don’t miss out on grabbing one!

And as mentioned above, they are given out for free!

Usually when you stand in line waiting for doors to open.

You can help fund these by often being in popular Discord servers of the group you’re planning to go see.

Many people will help share and post the link on where you can go and help fund the slogan.

Here’s some of the few fan-made slogans I’ve picked up so far:

LOOSSEMBLE (Left) – PIXY (Top Right) – TWICE (Bottom Right)

Official Slogans can be purchased at the venue merchant counter.

Dance Circle Challenges

This will happen more as people gather to line up for the event.

Some fans will bring a speaker, and invite anyone out in the public to join in and dance to specific K-Pop songs that come on.

Usually there are other fans crowding around this event, and hype up the fans that join in to show off their sweet, sweet, dance moves before the concert.

How Much Do K-Pop Concerts Cost to Attend?

Now that you are aware of what a K-Pop concert is all about, we can get into the finer details. Such as pricing!

K-Pop concerts on average, cost no more than any other concert. Depending on the group.

If you simply do not mind your seating and, just want to attend the concert, then there are a plethora of choices for seats ranging from as low as $50 USD, up to around $200 USD in pricing.

Therefore, attending these concerts are still very affordable.

Prices may vary depending on the venue itself.

However, there are more expensive tickets with special VIP packages available. Usually for the more diehard fans (such as myself), that are willing to spend a pretty penny to see their favorite groups.

In my personal experience, I’ve seen tickets go on sale from a range of $200 USD,
up to around $500 USD.

And that’s from the venue themselves!

CAUTION: 
As with many other concerts,
tickets are prone to scalpers, who will scoop up many 
good seats and resale at a higher 
price point than market value.

Just know your spending limits
and what you want from the concert.

Keep in mind of your other expenses which aren't limited to:
- Hotel
- Car Rental

The reason that these tickets are more expensive outright is usually because of two reasons.

The seating location, which is typically closer to the performance stage.
The included VIP package benefits.

The VIP packages include things such as:

Soundcheck
Hi-Touch
Hi-Wave
Group Photo
Signed Poster(s)

There are many more benefits as well, so, if you’re interested in learning more about VIP packages that K-Pop concerts offer, you can check out my GUIDE TO K-POP VIP BENEFITS post.

What Merchandise Is Sold At K-Pop Concerts?

The general merchandise items being sold are:

Sweaters/Sweatshirts
T-shirts
Lightsticks
Albums
Posters
Official Photocards
Tote Bags

Depending on the company hosting the concert, there will be more or less items.

And albums may or may not be signed by the artists. So, your mileage may vary.

From my personal experience, the most sought out items are usually the T-shirts, Sweaters/Sweatshirts, Photocards, and Lightsticks!

Items typically range from around $20 USD to $150 USD.
For the most sought out items you can expect the range of:

Photocards — $10 USD – $20 USD
Clothing — $30 USD to $50 USD
Lightsticks — $70 USD – $80 USD

Are Lightsticks Required?

Not at all! They aren’t required for you to enjoy the show.

They do help when you want to get those sweet ‘Fan Interactions‘
and for being apart of the ‘Lightstick Wave‘.

Also, if you happen to already have a lightstick that you might have already bought at a local K-Pop store, usually you are allowed to bring it into the venue.

Know The Venue

It would also be helpful to know the rules of the venue you are going to ahead of time.
There will be guidelines listed on the venues website most of the time.

You’ll most likely want to know about the dress codes permitted. As well as, any bag policies and prohibited items.

The usual prohibited clothings can range from things such as:

Obscenities
Gang Affiliation/Insignias
Provocative Statements

Nearly 100% of the time, you will go through some type of security screening at the very beginning.
So, you’ll find out real fast if you’ve broken some rules.

Other than that, make sure to have your tickets in hand if they are printed.
And for mobile users, have your ticket barcode pulled up with the screen as bright as possible.

You will also want to know the layout of the venue also!

This comes in handy with benefits such as:
- Knowing where you'll be seating if it's a seated concert
- Knowing where the merchandise vendor stands are located.

Are K-Pop Concerts Worth It?

If you’re looking for a unique experience that K-Pop concerts have to offer, I would say that it is highly worth it.

Especially, considering the amount of VIP Packages that you can get for your favorite artists.

Which can truly elevate your concert experience.

I hope I was able to provide you with some insights into exactly what to expect from a K-Pop concert.

And the unique experience that distinguishes this type of concert from other types of concerts.

If you decide to go, don’t forget to visit your local K-Pop stores around the location in which the performance is happening in!

You can read my Chicago K-POP Store Guide to learn about the K-Pop hub-spot of the midwest.

Still Want More?

If you have any questions or, want to provide more details about K-Pop concerts that I may have missed, feel free to leave a comment below!