This image, provided by Yonhap News TV, shows packed K-pop concert.
SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — K-pop agencies are struggling to find available concert halls amid an industry-wide recovery from the pandemic.
Industry sources said that major concert venues like the Jamsil Sports Complex and Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul have been fully booked until the end of this year.
“Baseball stadiums rarely see reservations being canceled thanks to their all-weather features. It is likely that there will be no further reservations or changes,” said an official at the Seoul Metropolitan Facilities Management Corp., in charge of the management of the Gocheok Sky Dome.
With the shortage of concert venues, an increasing number of entertainment companies are turning to university halls and other unusual locations to hold performances.
“Concert sales account for a significant portion of our earnings. If we don’t hold any concerts, it will be a huge loss,” a music industry official said.
With crammed concert schedules, searching for stage venues as well as safety concerns for workers in the field of stage design is rising as a common issue.
“Crammed concert schedules are likely to require workers to pull all-nighters to set up stages,” said Kim Dong-kyun at the Korea Testing Laboratory.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
