“They offered us a chance to win merchandise if we left positive reviews”
The K-Pop Forever Tribute show(Image: Supplied)
A mother who went to the K-Pop Forever Tribute show at SSE Arena Belfast on Thursday night has described the event as a “cash grab” after attending with her six-year-old daughter.
The woman, from Newtownards, said she tickets to the show were Christmas present for her child. She said the event was billed as “no other K-pop act show will come close to this”.
The pair arrived expecting a family-friendly tribute performance, but said the experience fell far short of expectations.
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She told Belfast Live that she believed the show would be a tribute to the animated K-Pop Demon Hunters franchise.
“Thousands of children were dressed up like the characters,” she said. “There was K-Pop merchandise flying out the door, even though it was expensive. We knew we weren’t going to see the characters themselves, but we expected the performers to sing the songs and dress like them. We thought it would be a proper tribute show — but it wasn’t.”
She said merchandise on sale included bags, glow sticks, hoodies, hats and clothing.
According to the mother, her daughter became upset shortly after the main act took to the stage.
“My six-year-old said straight away, ‘You’ve brought me to the wrong concert,’” she said.
“She started crying and said she wanted to leave. Within 10 minutes, a lot of other children were crying too.”
She also raised concerns about the performers’ outfits and choreography.
“The clothing they were wearing was not appropriate for children of that age — they were half-naked,” she said. “Some of the dance moves were sexualised. There was no attempt to look like a K-pop tribute act aimed at kids.”
The mother also claimed that before the interval, the performers encouraged audience members to leave positive reviews in exchange for the chance to win free merchandise.
“They said if you leave a good review, they’d pick a winner for free merch,” she said. “People were actively encouraged to leave positive feedback.”
She added that when the performers — numbering around half a dozen — spoke into the microphones, they were difficult to hear, leading her to question whether parts of the performance were mimed.
The mother said she spent £105 on two tickets for herself and her daughter.
“It was absolutely a cash grab,” she said. “The venue was sold out — there wasn’t an empty seat — but people were leaving early. Some were sitting watching YouTube on their phones. It’s a big deal to sell out an arena, and they’re holding several shows.”
She claimed parents were advised by other attendees to contact Ticketmaster about refunds, but were told they were not eligible.
“This show was advertised as suitable for all ages,” she said. “It was not age-appropriate for a six-year-old. If I had known how they’d be dressed or how they’d be dancing, I would never have taken her.”
She added that while the show featured a number of Korean-language songs, the audience appeared disengaged.
“They sang songs nobody had heard of. If they had mixed in more familiar tracks, people might have stayed interested,” she said. “They finally sang one of the Demon Hunters songs after the interval, but by then people had lost interest.”
She described the atmosphere as upsetting for families.
“It was bad enough for parents to sit through, but seeing children crying was devastating,” she said. “Some people asked, ‘What did you expect?’ We expected a K-pop tribute act. It wasn’t what was advertised.”
Following the event, SSE Arena Belfast issued a statement on social media acknowledging feedback while defending the production.
It said the show formed part of a world tour and was designed to represent the wider K-pop genre, featuring music from BTS, Blackpink and Katseye, alongside eight songs from the Demon Hunters franchise.
“Whilst the majority of customers enjoyed the show, we understand this was not what some expected,” the statement said. “However, we are content that the show delivered was an arena-standard tribute to the entire K-pop genre.”
The mother remains unconvinced. She added: “I think refunds are warranted. The venue says the majority of parents were happy — I’d like to know where that information comes from, because social media and the reaction around me showed the opposite.”
She added: “There was a queue of people trying to lodge complaints. I had to go home and put K-pop on the TV so my daughter could dance and calm down. She told me it was the worst night she’s ever had — and this was her Christmas present.”
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