When a K-pop group drops details of their upcoming tour, many international fans look forward to seeing their country’s name on the list. Unfortunately, ATEEZ (에이티즈) fans in Southeast Asia are more than disappointed to learn that the group has skipped the entire region for their next world tour.
The eight-member group recently announced their upcoming world tour, “IN YOUR FANTASY”. As shown in the official poster, the new world tour will include stops in North America and Japan, as well as the kick-off concert in Seoul. There are also reports that the group will perform in several European cities for the tour. However, fans noted that the new tour lacks stops for all Southeast Asian countries.
Despite having done several tours, the last time ATEEZ visited Southeast Asia for a concert tour was in 2023. Even then, the group only performed in Singapore and Manila. In addition, the group’s latest tour doesn’t include any Asian countries besides South Korea and Japan. Following the new tour announcement, Southeast Asian fans took to social media to voice disappointment towards the group and its agency, KQ Entertainment.
While some argue that the group might announce more cities later on, an industry insider suggested that ATEEZ has no plans to visit Southeast Asia. According to the rumours, KQ Entertainment has already booked venues in Indonesia, suggesting that Southeast Asia was initially part of the tour. However, the agency allegedly cancelled their Indonesian show because they no longer want to perform there.
This new allegation has sparked more anger towards KQ Entertainment, with fans arguing that the agency is ignoring the group’s Southeast Asian fanbase in favour of American and European fans. Some also pointed out that fans in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore are amongst ATEEZ’s top listeners on Spotify, showcasing the level of support in the region. Others added that ATEEZ’s fans in Latin America also got the short end of the stick.
For now, some fans are raising the issue in hopes that KQ Entertainment would reconsider including Southeast Asia in the new tour. Meanwhile, others also voice concern for the group as they had only concluded their latest tour last month. What are your thoughts on this?
