Korean fans slam 'unprofessional' Ariana Grande
By Woo Ji-won
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The official poster for Ariana Grande's "Dangerous Woman Tour" concert in Seoul / Courtesy of Hyundai Card
American pop star Ariana Grande has finished her first concert in Korea with a seemingly impeccable performance. But there remains strong criticism of her “unprofessional” attitude off stage and the concert coordinator’s mistreatment of VIP customers.
All 20,000 tickets for her “Dangerous Woman Tour” concert at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Tuesday were sold out in three minutes. The sellout came despite the venue’s heavy security checks following the bombing at Grande’s Manchester, U.K., concert in May.
The pop star was scheduled to arrive at Gimpo International Airport late Monday, but was delayed a day.
She eventually arrived at 5 p.m. Tuesday, just three hours before the concert. This led to the cancellation of her rehearsal and a meet-and-greet session with fans, making those who purchased VIP tickets to watch the rehearsal waste 650,000 won ($579).
Korean fans’ rage increased when Grande shared a video on Instagram showing her warming up her voice in a bathroom near the airport just an hour before the concert.
Her attitude on stage was also a topic of criticism. The concert started 10 minutes late but Grande made no comment or apology. She finished her performance without an encore and took a flight to Taiwan around midnight, staying in Korea for only seven hours.
Critics said her delayed arrival was to avoid the media. Others pointed out the pop star’s double standard, referring to her attitude in Japan where she arrived two days before her performance.
“Unlike the other tickets, the VIP tickets were directly sold by Grande’s management company, so the compensation must be done by the company,” an official from Hyundai Card, the concert’s sponsor, said. Grande’s management company has so far said nothing about a refund.