Kanye West, now officially known as YE, is set to return to South Korea for his first solo concert in nearly a decade. But even before a single note has been played, controversy is already swirling ¡ª not over his music, but over his ticket prices.?
The concert, titled Bully, will take place on May 31 at Incheon¡¯s Munhak Stadium. It will feature the first live performance of his latest track, also called Bully?following the earlier teaser version Bully V1.?For many fans, the excitement is real ¡ª this is Kanye¡¯s first solo appearance since his 2016 tour.
According to ChosunBiz, standard tickets are priced at 165,000 to 176,000 won. Seated tickets range from 88,000 to 250,000 (?5,450¨C?15,500) won depending on location. So far, the pricing aligns with major international acts. The issue lies in the premium VIP options.?
The most expensive option, the Vip Experience package, is priced at a steep 840,000 won (?52,000 approx.) It includes a front-row P grade seat, official merchandise, and the opportunity to take a photo on the stage ¡ª after the concert, and notably, without Kanye present.
Fans were quick to react. One user commented, ¡®You¡¯re paying nearly a million won to take a photo on an empty stage. That¡¯s not a VIP experience, that¡¯s a scam.¡¯ Another wrote, ¡®I¡¯d rather buy a flight abroad and watch someone who actually meets fans.¡¯
Not everyone is angry. A few fans defended the tiered pricing. ¡®The regular tickets aren¡¯t badly priced,¡¯ one user said. ¡®You¡¯re not forced to buy VIP. It¡¯s an option.¡¯ Still, others argue that the value of the premium packages simply doesn¡¯t add up.
Coupang Play, the concert¡¯s organizer, confirmed: ¡®None of the VIP packages involve interaction with the artist.¡¯?
Kanye West's ¡®Bully¡¯ concert is a listening event for his most recent solo album. Bully, which he announced during a performance in Haikou, China, back in September 2024.The title of the album was inspired by an incident involving his son, Saint, who reportedly kicked another kid and called him??¡®weak¡¯ which caused West to contemplate the idea of bullying/ The album is a concept album that reflects West's experiences living in Tokyo, and he is the only producer.?
Interestingly, Bully features AI-generated vocals, which West defended by comparing it to the back-lash of using Auto-Tune in its early days.?Beyond the new track BULLY, no official setlist has been released.?
Kanye hasn¡¯t confirmed if the concert will include older hits, material from his Vultures album, or unreleased songs.?And with no guests announced and no album tour backing the event, fans are going in with more questions than answers ¡ª and little clarity on what kind of show they¡¯re paying for.
At this point, it¡¯s less ¡®can¡¯t miss¡¯ ¡ª and more ¡®wait and see¡¯.