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We look behind the scenes at the stars and popular content we love — the quieter stories behind the bright lights. Find them in “Enterlog.”
We are postponing the show due to internal circumstances.
That notice lands like a punch to the gut. In recent weeks, concerts and fan meetings that fans have been waiting for are being canceled or postponed at the last minute — shows are being canceled or delayed at the last minute. Announcements often offer little explanation. When statements stop at vague phrases such as “various circumstances” or “the situation,” fans are left disappointed and with unanswered questions.
We examined whether the repeated use of the phrase “unavoidable circumstances” reflects a broader pattern.
WHIB, i-dle, Kep1er…Tours Postponed or Canceled
First, the group WHIB announced on the 9th via its official channels that it was postponing its North American tour. WHIB, which held its first solo concert in Seoul last month, had planned dates in 13 major cities across Japan and the Americas through next month, including Osaka, Yokohama, New York, Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville, Chicago, Kansas City, Dallas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Tempe and Los Angeles.
WHIB said, “We regret to inform you that this North America tour, which many of you have been waiting for, has been unavoidably postponed due to the rapidly changing international situation. We will do our best to return under better conditions and with a higher-quality performance.”
i-dle also canceled its entire North American tour. The group launched its world tour in Seoul in February, then performed in Taiwan and Thailand, with additional dates planned in Australia, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, and — in August — stops in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. The band canceled all North and Central American dates, removing 10 shows across three countries — Hamilton (Canada); Newark, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Orlando, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle (U.S.); and Mexico City — a move that drew wide attention.
Cube Entertainment said, after comprehensively considering our global activity direction, local schedules and overall conditions, it decided to restructure the North American tour.
Meanwhile, Kep1er, which released its eighth mini-album, “CRACK CODE,” on the 31st of last month, canceled some fan meetings in Japan that had been scheduled for next month. Agency Klap posted on its official fan site: “Due to various circumstances, we have regrettably decided to cancel certain events. We sincerely apologize to everyone who was looking forward to these performances.”
High Oil, High Inflation, High Exchange Rates — a ‘Triple Burden’ Hitting Tours
As WHIB noted, recent international developments have become difficult to forecast.
Since the outbreak of the Middle East war last month, higher oil prices and persistent inflationary pressure have continued to ripple through many industries, and the entertainment sector is no exception.
Rising oil prices have an immediate impact. The Singapore jet-fuel average (MOPS) for March 16–April 15, which sets the fuel surcharge for May, stood at 511.21 cents per gallon (about $5.11 per gallon; $214.71 per barrel). That places it at level 33 — the highest of 33 steps (above 470 cents per gallon) — and pushes up costs not only for moving artists and staff but also for transporting stage equipment.
High exchange rates are another headache. Currency swings can help some companies but inflict heavy losses on others. Small agencies are particularly vulnerable to rising exchange rates. Major groups can offset added costs by slightly raising ticket prices for arena-, dome- or stadium-level shows or by selling tickets to tens of thousands of fans, but artists with weaker ticket power risk falling below their break-even point (BEP).
Above all, cultural and tourism sectors — live performances, film, lodging and travel — are typically the first to contract during an economic downturn. Put simply, in an era of high prices when fans are reluctant to spend, sharply higher fuel costs and mounting uncertainty about tour routing have made tours more precarious. Pressing ahead with a tour right now is essentially a trial by fire.
Concerts Become ‘Selective Purchases’ — K-pop Reconfigures Tour Routes
When oil and exchange rates swing wildly, companies tend to emphasize risk management. Rather than absorb exponentially higher costs from longer travel distances, many may concentrate on markets with lower logistics costs and proven profitability — notably Japan and Southeast Asia — or establish regional hubs to limit travel.
There is concern, however, that agencies might pass those costs on to fans. Average ticket prices are trending upward as operating costs rise. With the economy cooling and consumers’ spending power under pressure, fandoms are increasingly calculating how much they can afford. Concerts are becoming selective purchases, where fans weigh the experience against the price.
In short, both agencies and fans are doing the math more carefully. With the triple burden of high oil, high inflation and volatile exchange rates — and a more cautious fan base — industry observers are watching to see what pragmatic solutions the K-pop business will develop.
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