BTS Fans Outraged Over Management of North American Tour and Oversold Concert

BTS is currently undertaking their much-anticipated North American “Highlight” tour, so far having made stops in San Francisco, Houston, and Atlanta, with one final stop in Toronto left to go on September 27.  Sadly, the organization of these events has left many fans outraged and disappointed, and a petition has now been created calling for action from the organizers TGM Events.

At the tour’s first stop in San Francisco on September 22, fans had been informed that all seats would be assigned. However, it’s been reported by fans that once they entered the venue, attendees were free to sit wherever they wanted. This meant that some VIP ticket holders ended up having to sit behind those who had paid for general admission.

The organization of the post-concert hi-touch event in San Francisco has also been criticized. According to fan reports, organizers were not checking the wristbands of those who were entering to see if they were VIP pass holders and therefore had paid for the hi-touch event. This meant that those who had not paid for the event were able to enter, leaving some of those who had paid to wait outside. Many have also commented that the hi-touch event seemed rushed without reason, and photos with the group included up to 25 fans per photo instead of the promised eight to ten.

Fans who attended the Houston concert on September 24 have also voiced their complaints about the handling of the BTS fan signing event. While fans were supposed to be given posters to have the group members sign, the organizers ran out of posters and many fans were simply given blank pieces of paper. In addition, many fans have commented that member Jimin was scolded by the staff for not signing quickly enough, and overall the event was incredibly rushed, with the group members being discouraged from interacting with fans.

The most recent concert in Atlanta on September 26 has been a source of even further complaints from fans, as a hundred ticket holders were not permitted entry into the venue because the concert had been oversold. Those fans were given a slip of paper that promised that they would be provided with a full refund and the opportunity to join the post-show hi-touch event. However, once they entered the venue after the show, most of these fans were made to wait before entering the hi-touch event. They were then shocked when they were informed that the members of BTS had left, as they had not been told the fans were waiting for their opportunity.* It has since been admitted by TGM on their official Facebook page that they had not informed either the group or their agency Big Hit Entertainment that they had made this promise to fans. Videos of the scene inside the venue have been posted that show the letdown fans reacting to the organizer’s announcement.

TGM Events was also the organizer of a Kim Tae Woo concert that was cancelled and an Eric Nam concert that has been indefinitely postponed, both of which ticket holders are still waiting for refunds for. A petition has now been made calling for TGM Events to refund tickets for those concerts, the “Highlight” tour, and the company’s failed IndieGoGo campaign. The petition has now reached over 4,600 signatures at the time this article was written.

BTS will be making their final “Highlight” tour stop on September 27 in Toronto at 7 p.m. EST at the Phoenix Concert Theatre.

Sorry for the delay in reporting to all the fans who have been dealing with this. Our editorial staff is currently celebrating Chuseok, but we recognize how important this news is.

Do you have a “Highlight” tour experience to share? Let us know what you thought!

*Updated to reflect that some of the attendees who were not permitted entry into the show were allowed into the hi-touch event.