Asia’s Expansion: Opening Up New Markets For International Acts And Hothousing New Talent For Export

By Eamonn Forde

New data shows that the biggest touring act in Asia this year was Coldplay, selling more than 883,000 tickets in the region and grossing more than $129.3 million. While other major Western acts ranked high on Pollstar‘s Asia Focus: Artists chart, K-pop and Asian acts made up half of the top 10. Among them were South Korean acts SEVENTEEN (ranked No. 2 with 827,000 ticket sales and a gross of $90.4 million), TOMORROW X TOGETHER  and ENHYPEN, alongside J-pop acts BE:FIRST  and Japanese singer-
songwriter Masaharu Fukuyama. 

There are a multitude of dynamics happening across the region that are reshaping the live business there. Domestic acts in key markets are exporting not just within the region but also globally, with J-pop and T-pop (from Thailand) hoping to echo the international breakthrough of K-pop. Meanwhile, international acts are prioritizing more territories in Asia. The net result is that the touring season in Asia is getting longer and the diversity of acts drawing huge crowds there is getting broader. It is a perfect storm. 

“With regard to the K-pop sector, artists are starting their tours earlier than in previous years, with larger-scale performances becoming the norm,” says a Hybe representative. 

Japan, a major market that for a long time skewed towards domestic acts and only exported to select neighboring markets, is generally expected to start replicating the international impact of South Korea from next year onwards. 

“In the past it was believed that J-pop could achieve a large-scale tour only within Japan,” says Naoki Shimizu, CEO of Japanese promoter Creativeman. “However, in recent years there has been an increase in acts that could do arena tours across Asia and beyond. Contrary to K-pop, J-pop isn’t just an idol-based genre, but also has its own uniqueness established among each of them.” 

Tsuyoshi Tamura is president of the K-Arena in Yokohama, Japan, comfortably the busiest venue in Asia this year, with 1.5 million ticket sales and a gross of $124.5 million. Tamura says, “Taking a cue from the globalization of Korean artists such as BTS, Japanese artists have also been strengthening their activities to target overseas markets. It is expected that more and more artists will seek to go abroad in the future.”

Live Nation notes that artists from more Asian markets are gaining a stronger foothold in Japan. “K-pop remains strong in Japan,” says Kei Ikuta, president of Live Nation Japan, “but we’ve also noticed a growing trend of success for acts from China, Taiwan and Thailand, and acts from the US with Asian heritage.”

Ikuta adds, “We’ve had tremendous successes using the Live Nation global network to book international tours for J-pop and J-rock artists in other markets, helping them develop bigger audiences. These acts include Man With A Mission, Chanmina, Band-Maid, Yama and Scandal. The most recent and notable example of this is Kenshi Yonezu where we recently announced shows in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris and Seoul.”

Ross Knudson of LAMC Productions in Singapore says the market there is “still relatively underdeveloped”, but suggests it is brimming with potential, especially as the population there is incredibly cosmopolitan. “Singapore,” he says, “is multiculturalism on steroids.” He adds that he is seeing “tremendous creativity coming out of Singapore’s heavy metal community,” suggesting that, with nurturing, it could sharply grow its export potential.

Knudson cautions, however, that international touring acts need to be aware that certain behaviors are clamped down on in Singapore. The death penalty for drug trafficking still exists and acts must avoid negatively commenting on issues like race, religion and the government in their lyrics or on-stage pronouncements.

Singapore made headlines earlier this year when Taylor Swift played six shows in March at the Singapore National Stadium (owned by the government). Swift’s only other stop in Asia on her blockbusting “The Eras Tour,” was Japan’s Tokyo Dome, with accusations she got a sweetheart deal from the government to play Singapore.

Knudson says his company spent many years courting international acts to help put Singapore on touring schedules and it is really paying off. Now promoters in markets like Thailand are looking to replicate what Singapore has achieved. Where it has really benefited is in pushing midweek shows so that acts playing weekend festivals in Australia or Europe can add stops. 

Music tourism is also an important dynamic in the region. Enid Low, chief strategy officer of AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong, says its position geographically “allows us to draw a significant number of visitors from mainland China, particularly from the Greater Bay Area, who are keen on exploring top-tier entertainment options in Hong Kong. Our data indicates that 50% to 80% of attendees at various K-pop concerts are international visitors, predominantly from mainland China.”

MENA used to be a “stepping stone” location between Europe and the most mature Asian markets, but it is slowly establishing itself as a touring priority in its own right. “There is more content coming through because there seems to be a want by local and international promoters as the market is maturing – so therefore there’s more confidence in being able to sell tickets,” says Paul Sergeant, Executive Vice President, Asia & The MENA Region, at ASM Global. “In the Middle East, there are more venues and it’s a bigger territory. As the promoters become more established and more experienced, and the service providers and the venues also become more experienced, then it becomes less of a risk to the tour than it might have been in the past.”

Iain Campbell, EVP of MENA at Oak View Group (Pollstar’s parent company) concurs. “The region offers an expanding network of cities, making it possible to design efficient touring routes that cover multiple Middle Eastern markets in a single run. Tapping into this framework unlocks fresh opportunities and fosters long-term success in one of the world’s most exciting markets for live entertainment.”

He adds, “As event activity surges, especially in rapidly developing markets like Saudi Arabia, we anticipate that both solo artists and large-scale productions will expand their touring routes through the region, mirroring established patterns in Europe and Asia.”

Oak View Group announced a joint venture with Abu Dhabi-based event management and venue operator Ethara in 2023, marking OVG’s expansion into the Middle East. Ethara operates venues including Etihad Arena, Etihad Park, Yas Marina Circuit, and Yas Conference Centre.

The touring season is also expanding in the UAE, although tours will have to be conscious of the religious period of Ramadan, something which shifts every year as per the solar-based Gregorian calendar because the Muslim calendar is a lunar one. The country also changed its working week in 2022 to run Monday to Friday to better align with international business partners (it was previously Sunday to Thursday), meaning Thursday to Sunday has become the prime period for live shows.

Mark Jan Kar, general manager of the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, says shows there have a much shorter lead time, typically announced just 10 weeks in advance, although the venue is working to eventually push this to a 12-month lead time. 

Its location and demographic makeup due to immigration (Dubai is made up of more than 200 nationalities) means acts from Southeast Asia, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia and the Balkans, alongside the major Western acts, can all draw large crowds here. Arabic acts are also, according to Kar, increasingly “arena-ready,” noting that the Coca-Cola Arena put on 14 shows by Arabic acts in the past 12 months but is doubling this to 28 shows in the next 12 months.

“It’s no longer an afterthought,” says Kar of Dubai’s position on more international touring schedules. “But we still have a lot of work to do to be able to be there as part of the world tours. Currently, what is happening is the tours are being announced in Asia and Europe, and then we try to fill in the gaps.”

It is not just about opening up more Asian markets to international acts. Brint Jackson, chief venues officer at Ethara, says investing in and supporting local talent is critical so they can be exported outside of their home country and even home region. “Ethara’s Regional Artist Spotlight program is a key initiative aimed at developing and showcasing the export potential of domestic acts,” he says. “Since its inception in 2021, the program has featured 25 artists from 12 countries, providing them with performance opportunities and global exposure.” 

There is also considerable experimentation in the region with what a ticket purchase can include, with multiple upsell options being introduced. Hybe, one of K-pop’s powerhouses, is leading the charge here. “There are package deals that often include hotel accommodations and shuttle services, creating a seamless experience for fans as soon as they touch down at the airport,” says a Hybe spokesperson. “A standout feature of the premium packages is that, on top of the added convenience, it also offers exclusive access to concert soundchecks and meet-and-greet events offering close-ups with their favorite artists.”

Hybe has also developed The City concept, showcased during BTS’s Las Vegas event in April 2022 and then exported back to Asia with ENHYPEN’s show in Jakarta on their Fate Plus tour. “[It] featured exclusive pop-up stores, sing-along parties, F&B collaborations, and photo exhibitions across the city,” explains the Hype spokesperson. 

Low says AsiaWorld-Expo is also moving to meet changing audience expectations. The venue has adopted the concept of “festivalization” which she says “generally involves elements of music, live performances, immersive installations, and extensive engagement”. This includes setting up photo booths at the venue and also bringing in “themed street snack counters at selected events, offering a taste of the performer’s home country.”

Everyone Pollstar spoke to for this piece is effusive about the health of the Asian market, pointing to its phenomenal growth in recent years, especially post-pandemic. They are all projecting strong future growth ahead as major markets continue to mature and newer markets come through as priority touring destinations. 

There are, however, some macroeconomic issues in some markets to currently contend with. Inflation, for example, is heavily affecting the Japanese market. Talking of the Asian touring market in broad brush stroke terms is a mixed pursuit as every individual market has its own cultural and economic differences, which impact what types of shows will work. 

It is clear, however, that it is a region bursting with promise. As more venues and local promoters make their presence felt, it is fast becoming a crucible for nurturing local talent for export while simultaneously broadening out the touring potential for international talent.