SNSD Generates Over 20 Billion Won (19 Million USD) from Japanese Arena Tour

SNSD’s first Japanese concert tour, “Girls’ Generation Arena Tour 2011,” is coming to an end tonight with their concert in Fukuoka. SM Entertainment said the girl group’s total revenue from the tour is expected exceed 20 billion won ($19 million USD), as they attracted more than 140,000 fans from six cities. The figures are quite an accomplishment considering the fact that SNSD debuted in Japan less than a year ago, local media said.

SNSD kicked off their Japanese Arena Tour on May 31^st in Osaka. Over the next month and a half, the girls visited five other cities, including Saitama, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Nagoya, and Fukuoka, performing a total of 14 times, including tonight’s finale concert.

“Counting tonight’s concert, SNSD met over 140,000 fans through this Arena Tour,” SM Entertainment told local media. “When SNSD first debuted in Japan, they had more female fans, but now it appears their fan base has expanded to more male fans,” it added.

The total revenue is also quite impressive. Tickets to the Arena Tour cost around 124,500 won ($117 USD) per person. Multiply that by the total number of people in attendance (approximately 140,000) and you get around 18 billion won ($17 million USD). If you add on-site merchandise sales, SM Entertainment predicts the total revenue to easily surpass the 20 billion won ($19 million USD) mark.

But aside from the ticket sales and revenue, SNSD’s Arena Tour has much more meanings to the group’s success in Japan. Only the top musicians are given a chance to run an Arena Tour in Japan. But with less than a year of experience in Japan, SNSD has successfully run the event, and particularly as a foreign group, to be able to pull in more than 10,000 fans per concert is something even industry officials have not seen in the past.

In fact, due to heavy demand, SNSD had to change their initial tour plans from a four-city, seven concert plan to covering six cities over 14 concerts. Also, SNSD’s first Japanese full album “GIRLS GENERATION” ranked #1 on Oricon’s daily album chart on the day of its release, proving once again the high attention paid to the nine member girl group.

With their explosive popularity, SNSD has proven their star power in Japan with this Arena Tour. It should be interesting to see how much success they enjoy in Japan as it could serve as a good indication of how well they do in other parts of the world as well.

Source: Star News