AIKEN PROMOTIONS WAS swift out of the traps with its defence of the K-Pop Forever! Tribute concert that opened the Irish leg of its tour at the SSE Arena in Belfast last night.

By midnight, Aiken and the venue had released identical statements that they were “aware of some feedback” on that evening’s concert – which has another 22 Irish dates to go over the coming months, from Castlebar to Co Kerry, including three nights at Dublin’s 3Arena and two in Cork.

The promoter and venue claimed the “majority” had “enjoyed the show” but admitted the performance was “not what some expected”. 

Comments from disgruntled parents under Aiken’s post on Facebook make it clear that some had brought their children along to Belfast’s SSE Arena expecting a performance more strongly themed on Netflix’s hit kids’ movie KPop Demon Hunters. The show covered Korean pop more generally.

The poster for the concert featured animated characters, albeit not from the movie.

Promotional material for the show depicted animated characters. Aiken Aiken

Others took to social media to complain that the show was inappropriate for children, despite being marketed at them, with the performers described by some parents as “half naked”.

By this afternoon, a new front had opened up against K-Pop Forever! Tribute when RTÉ Radio 1′s Liveline heard from parents upset at the “sexualised dancing”, “cursing” and “grinding”. Some mothers who phoned in noted that there was no age restriction on the show, and its marketing material had promised a “party for all ages”.

‘The full K-pop genre’

In its statement on the controversy, Aiken said the show’s content, design and choreography were designed to represent “the full K-pop genre, featuring songs from BTS, Blackpink and Katseye, as well as eight hits from Demon Hunters including ‘Golden’, ‘Takedown’ and ‘Soda Pop’.”

“We are content that the show delivered was an arena-standard tribute to the entire K-pop genre,” the statement concluded.

One woman wrote on Aiken’s page: “Tickets were purchased based on the advertising referencing ‘smash-hits including songs inspired by KPop Demon Hunters’. Many children in attendance were dressed as demon hunters, clearly reflecting expectations around that theme.”

She said much of the first half of the concert comprised “unfamiliar material” and the audience was not engaged. By the time KPop Demon Hunters songs were performed later in the show, some families had left, she said.

KPop Demon Hunters was a huge hit on Netflix last year. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Both on social media and on Liveline, other parents also reported seeing families leaving before the end of the show.

However, others had positive reviews, with one Belfast woman saying her five-year-old niece had “the time of her life” and it was a “brilliant night”.

“We knew it was a K-pop tribute so expected songs other than the obvious KPop Demon Hunters. For example they sang [Rosé and Bruno Mars's] APT and the whole arena bounced, it was brilliant. Confetti popping, streams bursting and a young group of eight artists singing live, multiple outfit changes bringing their own style to the performance.”

Marketing material for the show states that it includes four singers and four dancers, as well as “eye-popping lighting and effects”, “breathtaking choreography” and “songs inspired by the record-breaking film KPop Demon Hunters”.

Several upcoming Irish dates for K-pop Forever! Tribute are sold out, and there are limited tickets still available for others. Tickets are priced between €40 and €64 without booking fees at a number of Irish venues.

Korean pop music has garnered a global audience in recent years, led by hugely successful acts such as boy band BTS and girl group Blackpink but with a growing number of new artists also breaking through.

A 2024 report by American investment bank Morgan Stanley stated that revenues at the four largest Korean music agencies tripled between 2019 and 2023 to nearly 4 trillion Korean won (€2.3bn), and predicted further growth.