A K-pop tribute concert in Belfast, Ireland, has gone viral after parents complained the show was too mature for younger fans and not the Demon Hunters-focused event they expected.
The K-Pop Forever Tribute show performed at The SSE Arena, Belfast, on February 19, as part of a world tour, but social media quickly filled with criticism from parents during and after the show concluded, who said the performance didn’t match what they believed they were booking.
Many said they expected a show centred on Netflix’s massively successful K-Pop Demon Hunters, only to find a broader tribute covering multiple K-pop acts instead.
Reactions to the event
Promotional material described the event as an “all-action concert” featuring songs from major acts including Blackpink, BTS and Twice alongside tracks like Soda Pop and Golden from Demon Hunters, stating the show included “songs inspired by the record-breaking film K-Pop Demon Hunters.”
The listing also described the concert as an “ultimate non-stop party for all ages.”
Numerous clips uploaded on TikTok from parents have since gone viral, with one user’s video description reading:
“This was supposed to be a very special night for so many kids, including my own. Based on the advertising for the SSE K-pop show, families expected something very different, including K-pop Demon Hunters, as is clearly shown on all their marketing and advertising, and this was not the case.”
Several songs from K-Pop Demon Hunters, specifically, were performed towards the climax of the show.
Another clip showed the K-Pop Demon Hunters track, Free, being performed, accompanied with the caption, “Not long left [at] the SSE Arena Belfast after attending a K-Pop Demon Hunters tribute show with my daughter. There is so much I have to say that I don’t even know where to start,” followed by angry emojis.
While confusion was a common theme among parents, others said their child “had an absolute ball,” but could “definitely see why people were disappointed.”
Venue responds to criticism
Following the backlash, the venue issued a statement on Facebook addressing complaints.
“We are aware of some feedback received following the K-Pop Forever Tribute show this evening at The SSE Arena, Belfast,” it said, adding, “The show played in Belfast tonight as part of a world tour, and the content, design and choreography has been built to represent the full K-Pop genre, featuring songs from BTS, Blackpink and Katseye, as well as eight hits from Demon Hunters including ‘Golden’, ’Takedown’ and ‘Soda Pop’.”
“Whilst the majority of customers enjoyed the show, we understand that this was not what some expected; however, we are content that the show delivered this evening was an arena-standard tribute to the entire K-Pop genre,” it continued.
