K-Pop tribute act organisers respond after show dubbed ‘boring load of dribble’

The organisers behind a tribute act known as K-Pop Forever! were forced to respond to rising backlash after droves of dismayed fans ditched a recent show.

The sold-out event took place at the SSE Arena in Belfast on Thursday, with two more shows lined up for this Monday, February 23 and Saturday, May 16.

The official description promises the audience a ‘truly one of a kind, all-action concert’, with smash hits from Blackpink, BTS, Twice, Soda Pop and chart-topper Golden as well as ‘songs inspired by the record-breaking film K-Pop Demon Hunters’.

Described as ‘the ultimate non-stop party for all ages’, the performers include four live vocalists and four ‘world-class dancers’.

Those who attended the show, however, have documented a very different experience.

One viral TikTok from user tara_conaboy, showed a glimpse of the audience all sat on their seats, largely in silence – far from the party atmosphere promised.

The caption read: ‘May aswell of burned the £250 spent on our 5 tickets… The most confusing, underwhelming, boring load of dribble I’ve ever witnessed in my 42 years!’

Other clips circulating online show whole groups of people streaming out of the arena during the show.

Meanwhile, one parent of a seven-year-old attendee told BBC News that some sections seemed ‘raunchy’ and ‘inappropriate’, and another added it was ‘just horrendous’.

One attendee, Steven Hunter, told Irish News: ‘We knew we were going to a tribute show for the genre, so we understood there would be songs that were unknown to us.

‘Overall, the show was a shambles, from poor sound quality, microphones cutting in and out throughout the show.’

And another, Laura Matthews, said her daughter wanted to ‘leave as soon as it started’.

Following the backlash, Aiken Promotions and the SSE Arena said in statement that 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,’ reiterating the content promises listed on the site.

It concluded: ‘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.

Several onlookers have come to the defence of the show, saying people should have properly read what was involved and managed their expectations.

‘This is K-Pop music at a K-Pop concert. Hope this helps,’ TikTok user Joanna__ wrote after watching one video.

‘Genuinely wondering what she thought the K on K-Pop stood for,’ another echoed.

‘I feel so bad for the performers that worked so hard on this just to get complaints,’ odie shared.

‘You went to a tribute show with tribute performers for the entire K-Pop genre. This is on you,’ Derby Pascal pointed out.

The tribute act has global shows planned across 2026, including in Ireland, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

The genre has seen an explosion in popularity in recent years, and is especially loved among a younger demographic.

Hype is already skyrocketing for the long-awaited return of BTS, who are about to embark on a world tour.

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