Summary: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has sent a diplomatic letter to South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung requesting assistance to arrange additional concerts by K-pop group BTS in Mexico, saying demand outstrips supply by a wide margin. The government's consumer protection agency has opened a probe into how tickets were sold and sanctioned resale platforms, as the band prepares a world tour tied to a new album.
President Sheinbaum told reporters at her daily morning press conference that she had asked South Korea's leader to intervene because demand in Mexico is exceptionally high. "Everyone wants to go," she said, and added that she had formally sent a diplomatic letter seeking more concerts. She quantified the imbalance between demand and supply: "Around 1 million young people want to buy tickets, but there are only 150,000 tickets available," she said.
The band, which has been on hiatus since 2022 while its members completed South Korea's mandatory military service, is scheduled to launch a new world tour in April. The tour follows the release of BTS's first album in three years. The album, titled "Arirang," is slated for release in March, and the tour is due to begin in Goyang, South Korea, on April 9.
Mexico is identified as one of the group's largest fan bases, and the announcement of the tour produced intense demand for tickets. Three shows have been scheduled in Mexico - all at Mexico City's GNP Seguros Stadium - running from May 7 to May 10. That schedule leaves a relatively small allocation of tickets relative to the number of fans seeking admission.
Mexico's consumer protection agency has stepped in following complaints. The watchdog said it has launched a probe into Ticketmaster and is sanctioning resale platforms StubHub and Viagogo for "abusive and disloyal practices" related to the BTS ticketing process, without providing additional details. The agency also said it will help develop new guidelines to better regulate ticket sales for concerts and festivals, including requiring prices and locations to be established prior to ticket releases.
Reported pricing differences underscore the regulator's concerns. Tickets on Ticketmaster were listed from about 1,800 pesos to as much as 17,800 pesos for VIP tickets - approximately $100 to $1,030 using the provided exchange rate of $1 = 17.3032 Mexican pesos. On resale platforms, prices ranged widely higher, with listings on the day of reporting showing tickets selling from 11,300 to 92,100 pesos - amounts that exceed $5,300.
The companies named by the regulator did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Ticketmaster, owned by Live Nation Entertainment, has faced previous controversies in Mexico. In 2022 it reimbursed around $1 million to customers after more than a thousand fans reported being denied access to a Bad Bunny concert at Mexico's Estadio Azteca. At that time, Ticketmaster criticized resellers and fraudulent ticket vendors and called for stronger control measures.
Officials and fans alike are now confronting a market imbalance: very strong consumer demand concentrated in a limited supply of shows, amplified by secondary market activity and complaints to regulators. The government's diplomatic approach seeks to expand concert availability through engagement with South Korean authorities, while domestic regulators pursue enforcement and policy changes aimed at curbing abusive sales practices.
Exchange rate noted in reporting: $1 = 17.3032 Mexican pesos.