BTS 'Arirang' tickets in Manila cost more than most Asian tour stops

The excitement surrounding BTS’ long-awaited return to the Philippines has taken a costly turn for many Filipino ARMYs, with concert tickets being sold at higher prices compared to those in neighboring countries.

A comparison of ticket prices across BTS’ Asian tour stops shows that Filipino fans are paying some of the highest rates in the region, particularly for premium seats.

In the Philippines, VIP tickets are priced at P25,000, while Tier 1 seats cost P20,000, Tier 2 tickets are sold for P13,500, and Tier 3 seats are available for P7,500. When converted to Philippine pesos, VIP tickets in neighboring countries are generally cheaper.

Indonesia offers the lowest VIP price at around P15,750, followed by Thailand at P14,742. Singapore’s VIP tickets cost approximately P18,702, Taiwan’s are priced at P18,291, and Malaysia’s at P20,028. Hong Kong is the only market with a higher VIP ticket price, reaching about P25,963.

The same trend is evident in lower seating categories. Tier 1 tickets in the Philippines are priced at P20,000, exceeding those in Singapore (P15,810), Taiwan (P15,561), Malaysia (P15,363), Thailand (P12,852), and Indonesia (P12,775). Only Hong Kong’s Tier 1 tickets are comparable at around P19,667.

For Tier 2 seats, Filipino ARMYs pay P13,500, which is higher than Indonesia’s P9,800, Thailand’s P11,907, Malaysia’s P13,031, Singapore’s P13,882, and Taiwan’s P13,611. Hong Kong again posts a slightly higher rate at approximately P14,945.

Among the lowest-priced categories available in the Philippines, Tier 3 tickets cost P7,500. Comparable seats in Indonesia are listed at around P8,050, while Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong range from roughly P10,000 to P11,800.

The figures indicate that while the Philippines offers fewer seating tiers than several other tour stops, its ticket prices rank among the most expensive in Asia, especially for premium sections.

Tax structure, scalping concerns

Concert tickets in the Philippines are largely expensive because of the 30 percent amusement tax imposed on gross ticket sales, which is immediately deducted before any other costs are covered.

This means that for every P100 earned from ticket sales, P30 goes to taxes right away, leaving only about P70 to be split among the artist, promoters, production teams and other stakeholders. Since concerts also involve high fixed expenses like venue rental, stage production, logistics, security and marketing, the remaining revenue is quickly stretched thin.

As anticipation builds for BTS’ March 2027 concerts in Bulacan, Filipino ARMYs who were unable to secure tickets are now turning to secondary marketplaces, where prices have surged to staggering levels.

The issue has also reignited discussions on ticket scalping in the country. Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan renewed his push for legislation aimed at curbing the practice, citing complaints received by his office regarding the inflated prices attached to BTS concert tickets.

According to Pangilinan, fans who patiently wait for official sales and save up for months are often left empty-handed when tickets are purchased in bulk and resold at significantly higher rates.

Under his proposed Anti-Ticket Scalping Act, individuals found profiting from excessive ticket markups could face fines and possible jail time. The measure also seeks to strengthen monitoring mechanisms among ticketing platforms and event organizers to discourage unauthorized resale activities.

BTS' Arirang concert will take place at the Philippine Sports Stadium on 13 and 14 March 2027, with each show expected to draw around 25,000 attendees.