Asia News: Gaming Event Bomb Threats; G-Dragon Cleared On Drugs; Cotai Arena Renos; Beijing Revenue Spikes

JAPAN

Bomb Threats Precede Gaming Events

A concert scheduled Jan. 13 with the Falcom jdk Band, the in-house music ensemble for game developer Nihon Falcom, was canceled two days out because of a bomb threat sent to the Tokyo venue Club Seata.

Another bomb threat was received by a different venue where the band was scheduled to play, Osaka’s 246 Livehouse Gabu, but since the concert there won’t take place until Jan. 26 and the threat targeted a different timeframe, it is going ahead as planned.

According to Animenewsnetwork.com, the cancellation announcement said that the threat was emailed to Club Seata on Jan. 6, stating that the bomb would go off “within a specified timeframe that includes the Falcom jdk Band concert’s Saturday date.”

Police said that a number of venues in Japan had been receiving “similar threats” though no bombings had actually happened. In the end, Nihon Falcom decided to cancel the concert in Tokyo.

Siliconera.com noted these were not the only game-related events in Japan that have been targeted in recent months with violent threats. In December, Nintendo canceled its Nintendo Live 2024 Tokyo event because of safety concerns after the company received online threats against staff and others who would be attending.

KOREA

G-Dragon To Embark On World Tour

G-Dragon, the leader of veteran boy band Bigbang, is about to embark on a major world tour following months of public scrutiny for alleged drug infractions that proved unfounded, according authorities.

According to K-pop fansite Allkpop.com, it is the second time in his career that G-Dragon had been accused of using drugs and then subsequently cleared.

As a result, the producer-performer has decided to make as big a comeback as possible, and local reports say he is in discussions with Madison Square Garden Entertainment, the U.S. sports and entertainment company, for a possible series of performances at Sphere, an 18,600-seat venue in Las Vegas. Details of what the performances would entail remain undisclosed.

G-Dragon is now represented by a relatively new talent agency, Galaxy Corporation. The artist and Galaxy CEO Choi Yong-ho appeared at CES 2024 in Las Vegas on Jan. 9, where they toured the booths of Korean industrialists like Samsung, LG, SK and Hyundai.

Since G-Dragon’s contract with YG Entertainment expired in June, Bigbang’s future as a group is uncertain. They did release a single last spring and have not officially broken up, even though several members have already left the group.

SINGAPORE

Yoasobi Sells Out Resorts World Sentosa

Japan’s No. 1 pop duo Yoasobi played their first Singapore concert at Resorts World Sentosa in front of a sold-out crowd of 5,500 on Jan. 11. The next day, the duo – composer/multi-instrumentalist Ayase and singer Ikura – had a press conference to express their appreciation for the reception.

Yoasobi are famous in Japan for their hit song “Idol” from the anime series “Oshi no Ko,” and for emerging during the COVID pandemic. Now they are the hottest act in J-pop, and their fame has spread abroad.

According to AsiaOne, Ayase expressed wonderment that the fans in Singapore knew the lyrics to all the songs they played. When the group was first asked to play in Singapore, Ayase thought, “Are there really fans here?”

Ikura added, “This is our first time performing … in Singapore, and yet they sang along from start to finish … I was almost going to cry.”

In addition to Singapore, Yaosobi’s Asia tour includes Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Taipei.

MACAU

Cotai Arena Closes For Renovations

Cotai Arena recently closed for renovations, with concerts moved by operator Sands China Ltd. for the time being to Londoner Arena, according to GGRAsia.

Sources in the know say that the work is likely to take months but, when approached for a comment, Sands China had no immediate comment.

Apparently, Sands China has promised the Macau government that it would upgrade the Cotai Arena as part of its deal for a gaming concession.

The arena, which opened in 2007, has a maximum capacity of 15,000. Its last public event took place in December.

The Londoner Arena, on the other hand, is designed for “Las Vegas-style music residences and touring-level concerts,” and can hold up to 6,000.

All six Macau casino operations have promised the local government to increase the amount and variety of “non-gaming entertainment and amenities.”

CHINA

Beijing Reports Spike In Performance Revenue

Beijing took in the equivalent of $320.9 million in commercial performance revenue in 2023, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism says, as reported in The People’s Daily Online. This money was generated by a total of 49,524 commercial performances staged in Beijing that attracted 11.39 million people.

These figures represent a “strong recovery [for] Beijing’s performing arts market.” Compared to 2019, the number of performances in 2023 was up by 117%; audience volume increased by 9.5%; and box office receipts by 32.1%. More significantly, compared to 2022, performances increased by 143.8%, audience volume by 204.1% percent and box office by 266%.

The best-performing sectors were music, drama and dance, all of which doubled in performances, audience and box office. Concerts added greatly to the city’s economic development since they also drew people from outside of the city, thus boosting tourism, transportation, accommodations and catering.