SM Entertainment’s highly anticipated “SMTOWN LIVE 2025” world tour, celebrating the company’s 30th anniversary, is facing challenges with low ticket sales.
The concert will be held in Mexico City for the first time ever on May 9, but according to recent reports, more than half of the tickets for the event remain unsold, despite the concert being just two weeks away.
The event is scheduled to take place at Estadio GNP Seguros, which has a seating capacity of approximately 60,000.
Similarly, the “SMTOWN LIVE 2025 in LA” concert, which will occur on May 11, is also experiencing issues with ticket sales, with just over 50% of tickets sold at Dignity Health Sports Park, which holds around 27,000 seats.
Netizens have expressed their surprise and disappointment over the low sales. Many K-netizens have commented that the high ticket prices may be deterring fans from attending, while others feel that the venue sizes are too large for the type of event.
Some fans are frustrated by the fact that the concert will feature multiple artists, with each performing only a few songs.
This has led to speculation that the event may not be as appealing to international fans who are not as interested in the “SMTOWN” concept, preferring solo concerts by specific artists instead.
The lineup for the “SMTOWN LIVE 2025 in Mexico City” includes popular SM Entertainment artists such as TVXQ, Super Junior, SHINee’s Key and Minho, EXO’s Suho and Chanyeol, Red Velvet’s Irene, Seulgi, and Joy, NCT 127, NCT DREAM, aespa, WayV, and others.
In addition, “SMTOWN LIVE 2025 in LA” will feature EXO’s Kai. Despite these star-studded lineups, many fans feel the concerts are not living up to the hype.
The situation has sparked debate within the fan community about whether the format of the “SMTOWN” tour should continue or if it would be better for SM Entertainment to focus on solo performances for their artists, particularly in smaller venues.
