Step by notes: Russians have started hunting for tickets to BTS
The comeback of the most popular k-pop group BTS will take place in 2026 after a pause due to the service of the participants in the army. There were millions of queues at the start of sales. Other expected concerts include shows by Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey in Abu Dhabi, Sabrina Carpenter in Argentina, and P!nk in Mexico. According to the Russian Union of Travel Industry, in 2025, the popularity of trips to events in other countries increased by 10% and will continue this trend. For more information, see the Izvestia article.
"There were more than a million people queuing for tickets in Munich"
K-pop fans will definitely remember the beginning of 2026 with the return of its most popular representatives, the BTS group, to the stage. In April, the boy band will embark on their first world tour after a four-year hiatus due to all participants completing compulsory military service. They will start at home in South Korea. Tickets for the first shows flew away at the start of sales, despite the fact that the whole purchase procedure seems like an impassable quest.
— To begin with, you must have a group membership, which is purchased on the weverse fan platform (the cost is 2-2.5 thousand rubles per year). Next, you need to register and pass verification on the Interpark Global Korea ticket website. Then wait for the news on weverse about the presales and register for them using a membership card. Pre—sales are a special option for fans, which takes place the day before the general sales. But as a rule (and as it was this time), all tickets are bought up at pre—sales, up to the full sold out," the blogger and author of the telegram channel about doramas and Asian pop culture, eat, sleep, explained to Izvestia. & kdrama by Jan Felton.
Tickets to the VIP area near the stage cost about 15 thousand rubles, the cheapest in the stands - about 10 thousand rubles, she added. The prices seem adequate, but there is an unpromising queue behind the tunnels, leaving only hope for a miracle.
— I was 155 thousand people. And that's lucky! There were more than a million people queuing for tickets at the pre—sales in Munich," Felton said. — I stood in line for three hours. The seats were almost all sold out, but I managed to snatch a ticket for April 12th.
As the "survivors" say in this game, you have to compete not only with real fans, but also with outbiddings.
"They sweep away tickets with the help of special programs and resell them at an inadequate price,— says Anna Rina, another Izvestia interviewee, who also managed to buy a ticket for BTS. — You're competing with the whole world in luck. My queue was 100,000+. Next is a terrible map of the stadium itself, where there are no empty seats, and you have to literally poke at every sector to find a couple of free tickets. It takes 10 minutes to scroll through the entire stadium for three dates and pay for a ticket. If you don't make it, you're thrown back to the end of the queue. Buying tickets is a whole quest.
The winner, she says, is not the fastest, but the prepared one. Anna recommends that before buying, make sure that the Internet is working smoothly and try to go all the way in a test mode in advance.
As part of the tour, BTS will also perform concerts in Tokyo, Las Vegas, Madrid, London, Paris, Los Angeles, Sydney and other places on the world map. Perhaps the most accessible in their schedule for Russians are Bangkok (Thailand), where three shows will be held in December 2026, and Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China), where the guys will arrive in March 2027. Russian residents do not need visas there. Ticket sales for these dates are not open yet, so there is still a chance to compete for them.
The growth of event tourism
Industry experts say that Russians' interest in traveling to concerts and other events around the world continues to grow.
— We can say that event tourism as a whole has shown an increase of about 10%. These are not only concerts, but also sporting events — football matches, tennis tournaments, Formula 1," Dmitry Gorin, vice president of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT), told Izvestia about the dynamics in 2025.
According to him, the strong ruble contributes to the growing popularity of outbound international tourism, as well as an increase in international air travel, both direct and transit. In 2026, if the industry does not face new challenges, the trend will continue. The determining factor when planning a trip to a concert is the need to obtain a visa. Another one is the number of transfers.
— What kind of visas are we doing now? Italy, Spain, France, Greece. But it's getting harder and harder to get visas. It is very difficult to get even recording windows for France and Spain," Aleksan Mkrtchyan, vice president of the Alliance of Travel Agencies of Russia, told Izvestia. — Where are people going? The number one is Turkey, without any competitors. Number two — Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, China. This is all with a huge lag. By the way, they also go to Dubai for concerts of stars, and to Japan.
A Linkin Park concert took place in the UAE in January 2026. Only the show as part of the From Zero World Tour was held not in Dubai, but in Abu Dhabi, which is also a popular destination for fans of event tourism.
— If we are talking about the Emirates, then you can get there without any delay with documents, and this saves you a lot of nerves and money — you do not have to pay any consular fees, you do not have to pay agents for visa processing. This is a huge plus. Another one is that you can get from Moscow without a transfer. It's very convenient," Natalia Pavlova from Moscow, who was at the concert, told Izvestia. — It was nice to see so many compatriots! People sang Russian songs in the queue, for example, MakSim. Wherever you turn to, you've heard Russian everywhere. And in the middle of the concert, the whole hall chanted the word "Thank you", and there was a feeling of unity, delight and happiness. It was worth it!
The trip cost about 200 thousand rubles for two people. This amount includes concert tickets (which had to be paid with a foreign card), air tickets, housing and household expenses.
What other concerts should I go to in 2026
In 2026, the United Arab Emirates confidently holds the status of one of the most popular and affordable destinations for concert tourism. On February 7, Mariah Carey will perform in Abu Dhabi as part of the Saadiyat Nights Music Festival. Later, on April 17, a show by Turkish stage star Tarkan will take place in the UAE capital, and on the 24th, the city will become a point of attraction for Christina Aguilera fans. The hits of the American band The Neighborhood will be performed in Istanbul on April 26 and 27. Alice Cooper band will perform there on June 13.
Singer Mariah Carey
For electronic music lovers, the Zamna International Electronic Music Festival is on the calendar for 2026, which will be held at the foot of the Giza Pyramids in Egypt from April 24 to 26. It will bring together the main representatives of the trend and art in the form of art installations. Another music marathon in a few days is Lollapalooza Festival. From March 13 to March 15, it will be held in Buenos Aires, bringing together international and local artists on its stages. Rising star Sabrina Carpenter will also travel to Latin America: she will perform in San Isidro, Argentina, on March 15, and in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on March 20.
On April 26 and 27, P!nk will give concerts in Mexico.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
