Last Updated on September 24, 2023 by Eden
There’s nothing worse than trying to get tickets to a kpop concert only to have them sell out in minutes. The bigger the group, the faster ticket sales tend to move.
ARMY who saw how quickly BTS presale tickets for their Los Angeles concerts sold out know firsthand. There was nothing left for general public ticketing after the presale ended, which left plenty of fans fuming at Ticketmaster.
So what do you do? You could resign yourself to not seeing any of your favorite kpop idols at live events and letting your light stick collect dust. Or you could buy kpop resale tickets instead.
Buying resale tickets to a kpop show is sometimes the best way–and really, the only way–to see your favorite groups in person.
Today, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about kpop resale tickets, including where to buy them and whether they’re worth it.
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Table of Contents
What Are Kpop Resale Tickets?
Resale tickets are k-pop concert tickets that someone else has purchased and is now reselling.
Why do people resell tickets to kpop concerts?
Sometimes, the person who bought the tickets can’t make it to the concert. So to try to get back some of the money they spent on tickets, they’ll resell them.
But what’s more common is for scalpers to buy tickets through the official ticketing site when they go on sale, then resell them at higher prices.
Is that ethical? Not really, since resale ticket prices can be much higher than the ticket’s actual face value.
But that doesn’t stop people from making ticket purchases through resellers. And why?
Because as long as kpop music fans are willing to pay higher prices, the resale marketplace will continue to thrive.
How Much Do Kpop Resale Tickets Cost?
The amount of money you pay for resale tickets really depends on the ticket reseller.
Resellers can list tickets for sale at the original price they paid for them. It’s more common, however, for resellers to list k-pop concert tickets at a steep markup.
That’s not really specific to kpop either.
It can happen with other types of events, including mainstream shows for pop artists like Billie Eilish or multi-day music festivals like Lollapalooza. Even country artists like Chris Stapleton or Luke Combs aren’t immune to having scalpers or fans resell concert tickets at higher prices.
So, how much can you expect to pay for kpop resale tickets?
If you’re talking about market-based pricing, it really comes down to how popular the group is and how in demand the tickets are.
For example, resale ticket prices for BTS hit nearly $20,000 when they performed in Las Vegas
in 2022. Meanwhile, the cheapest tickets on the floor were going for around $500.
soooooo if ARMY who bought bts tickets still have 2 days left before they’re able to transfer tickets, please tell me how there are suddenly hundreds of bts tickets up for verified resale now? @Ticketmaster #PTD_ON_STAGE_LV #PTD_ON_STAGE_LasVegas #PTD_ON_STAGE_LAS_VEGAS pic.twitter.com/PYQkwYlpPU
— trinh ⁷ ⟭⟬ (@trinhers) March 5, 2022
You don’t have to be a math genius to know that the resale tickets were significantly more expensive.
I’ve personally purchased kpop resale tickets on multiple occasions to see Ateez, Tomorrow X Together and Seventeen. Each time, I paid two to three times what the tickets originally sold for.
And that’s just the ticket price. When you’re buying kpop tickets from resale sites, the sites can tack on their own processing fees.
Those fees can make what’s already an overpriced ticket even more expensive.
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Where to Buy Kpop Resale Tickets
If you’re interested in buying resale tickets to a kpop concert, there are several places you can find them. Some of the most popular websites for buying kpop concert tickets include:
- Live Nation
- Ticketmaster
- AXS
- Vivid Seats
- StubHub
- SeatGeek
You can use any of these sites to buy resale tickets on the secondary market in the U.S. and North America. If you’re trying to buy resale tickets while in South Korea, your options for getting tickets to see your favorite artists might be different.
Related post: Are Kpop Concerts Safe? [Your Ultimate Fan Guide]
Should You Buy Resale Tickets to a Kpop Concert?
If you’re not fast enough to score tickets in the first sale, then buying resale may be your only option for seeing your favorite idols in person.
Buying resale isn’t the worst experience, if you’re taking time to compare ticket prices and choose ones that give you the best seats for the money.
On the other hand, you’re almost always going to pay much more for resale tickets than what the event organizers originally priced them for.
If your favorite groups are planning an upcoming tour, then you can try to skip the resale line altogether by snagging tickets when they first go on sale. But if tickets sell out too quickly, you’ll have to ask yourself how much you’re willing to pay to see live music performed by your favorite groups.
Related post: Kpop Concert Etiquette: 10 Things Kpop Fans Should NEVER Do!
Tips for Buying Kpop Resale Tickets
Smart k-pop fans know that it pays to do your homework about reselling, especially if you’re trying to get the best tickets available, based on what you can afford to pay.
If you’re buying resale tickets to see your favorite idol for the first time, here are a few key things to keep in mind.
- VIP benefits may not transfer. Buying VIP tickets to a kpop concert can be an amazing experience if you’re able to see your faves up close and get a spot on the barricade. But, as Stray Kids fans can tell you VIP benefits don’t always transfer when you’re buying resale tickets. So it’s a good idea to read up on the resale site’s policy before shelling out extra money for VIP resale.
The majority of the VIP tickets were bought by resellers, and the benefits don’t transfer. Is there ANYTHING that can be done about this?? I and so many other fans would’ve paid for VIP, and now it’s useless. @Ticketmaster @LiveNation @VIPNation @Stray_Kids @jypnation #straykids pic.twitter.com/q5oYyAklpd
— shell (@derpdraco) April 24, 2022
- Ticket limits may apply. If you’re buying resale there may be a certain number of tickets you’ll have to purchase. For example, it’s not uncommon to see resale tickets sold in blocks of two or four. If you’re planning to go to see your favorite k-pop groups solo, you might have to spend double the money just to get a ticket.
- Waiting to buy tickets could pay off. As the day of the event approaches, resellers can clash their prices to get tickets to move. If you’re okay with waiting until the last minute to try and get a ticket, that could save you a ton of money when buying resale.
- Check the fees. Processing fees can be insanely high and make resale tickets much more expensive. If you have a set amount of money you can spend on resale tickets, remember to factor in the fees when choosing from the different seats available.
- Cheap tickets can still be good. You might want to get the best seats possible to see your favorite kpop group but if resale prices are sky high that may not be realistic. Settling for cheaper seats further away from the stage in the concert venue might be a bummer but you can still have a great time seeing your favorite idols perform.
Keep in mind that if you’re buying resale tickets to a show in a different country, ticket prices might be shown in the local country. So you’ll need to convert them to U.S. dollars or whichever currency you’ll be paying in to see how much the tickets actually cost.
Here’s another tip: Watch out for kpop concert ticket resale scams.
For example, it’s not uncommon to see k-pop fans reselling tickets to concerts on social media. But if you spend enough time on kpoptwt or Instagram, you’ll very quickly learn that there are plenty of “fans” who are really just scammers.
For example, you might see someone selling official Platinum seats to a show at a bargain price. You send them money through Venmo or another payment app, expecting to get a ticket link in return.
Only, no link ever shows up. Why? Because the person you bought the tickets from never had them to sell to begin with.
🚨 scammer alert for atinys who are selling ateez concert tickets 🙄
— Bummy 🐶 Yunho month 🎉 (@tinybeeni) October 12, 2022
Do not engage with @/young4reals pic.twitter.com/hytce3N3vH
If you’re going to buy kpop resale tickets or festival passes, the safest way to do it is through an official resale site. You might pay more for the tickets overall once the processing fees are added in but you’ll know that you’re getting verified tickets.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best place to buy kpop tickets?
Some of the best places to buy kpop tickets include Ticketmaster, AXS, Vivid Seats and Stubhub. Where you can purchase tickets to a specific show can depend on the event organizers and which ticketing sites they’re partnered with. You can also buy resale tickets on these same sites.
Is resale on Ticketmaster illegal?
Reselling on Ticketmaster and other ticketing sites is not illegal but it can be frustrating if you’re paying a steep markup or high fees to get tickets. Resellers can charge prices for tickets that are well above their face value and the ticketing sites can add on processing fees.
Is StubHub resale legit?
Yes, StubHub is a legitimate site for purchasing resale tickets to kpop concerts and other events. In terms of how reselling on StubHub works it’s similar to buying resale tickets on Ticketmaster, AXS or any other reselling site. You can buy tickets at the price set by the seller, along with any fees StubHub charges.
How do I resell kpop concert tickets?
If you purchased tickets to a k-pop concert through an official ticketing site, you can resell them through the same site. You’ll need to log in to your account, select the tickets that you want to resell and name your sales price. If someone buys your tickets, you’ll just need to transfer the tickets over to them. The ticketing site will pay you the purchase price, less any fees owed.
How much can I resell kpop tickets for?
The amount of money you can get for reselling kpop concert tickets can depend on the group and how hard those tickets are to come by. The location of the seats can also make a difference in how much someone might be willing to pay. If you’ve got front-row seats to BTS, for example, then you can command a much higher price than you would for nosebleed seats to a brand-new group that just debuted.
Can you resell tickets to kpop fan sign events?
A kpop fansign is something you typically don’t buy tickets to; you win them instead. Most kpop fan signs do not allow you to transfer tickets to someone else. If you can’t show up for the fan sign event on the day that it’s scheduled, then your ticket just goes unused.
Do VIP benefits transfer when reselling kpop concert tickets?
Buying VIP tickets to a kpop show can unlock lots of added benefits, such as early access to sound check and fun freebies, like a group photo or special photocards. However, those benefits may not transfer when reselling VIP tickets. If you’re hoping to score VIP tickets on the secondary market, it’s important to keep in mind that you might only be able to get the tickets themselves and nothing else.
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Final thoughts on kpop resale tickets
With so many k-pop groups announcing tour dates, you might be panicking about being able to buy tickets to them all. If you’re not quick enough to get tickets during presale or the general admission sale, buying resale can keep you from missing a minute of the fun. Just remember to consider the value you’re getting for the money you might have to spend.
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