SM Entertainment’s upcoming SMTOWN Live concert in Mexico City — part of its 30th anniversary world tour — is under fire as ticket sales remain dismal just days before the May 9, 2025, show.
With the 65,000-capacity Estadio GNP Seguros still mostly empty despite tickets being available since December 2024, Korean netizens and even international fans are calling for the concert’s cancellation.
Seat maps circulating online show that some sections are up to 90% unsold, including premium floor areas.
In response, SM has reportedly slashed the expected capacity to 50,000 seats, but the public reaction has been far from forgiving.
Korean netizens on forums like Instiz have labeled the tour a “waste of time,” with many suggesting the company spare the idols a 14-hour flight from Seoul to Mexico City, especially given that they must perform in Los Angeles just two days later.
Some fans argue that the idols themselves are likely frustrated with the chaotic planning and tight schedules.
International criticism is equally intense. Fans point to poor lineup transparency, exorbitant pricing, and lack of meaningful fan perks.
The full lineup remains incomplete, with Red Velvet performing as a trio (after Wendy and Yeri left SM), Taeyeon absent entirely, and several headlining acts from SHINee and EXO missing.
The controversial inclusion of SM’s AI performer naevis and an unrevealed male rookie group, SMTR25, also disappointed many.
Ticket prices have been a major sticking point. General admission ranged from $60 to $400 USD, with the top-tier “Ultimate VIP Pink Blood” package priced at $920 USD — an outrageous figure given the average monthly wage in Mexico is around $660 USD.
Fans were particularly frustrated by the lack of benefits even at this premium level, which only includes early access and limited soundcheck access to a handful of artists.
“What is wrong with them?? $19,000 MXN (about $900 USD) and they don’t even give a full lineup?” one fan wrote on X.
To salvage attendance, SM has resorted to desperate promotional tactics. In Los Angeles, pop-up events offered vouchers to purchase SMTOWN tickets for just $30 USD, a staggering drop from the original pricing.
Yet even the LA and London shows have not sold out, with the London venue seeing better floor section sales but still far from full capacity.
Ultimately, fans see the Mexico concert as a glaring example of mismanagement by SM Entertainment — from failing to consider local economic conditions to overpricing an underdelivered product.
With just days left before the show, the pressure is mounting for SM to either drastically revise its plans or pull the plug altogether.
