Claudia Sheinbaum Steps Into the BTS Frenzy, Asks South Korea for More Concerts After Sellouts and High Ticket Prices in México

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that she has formally sent a letter to South Korea's president asking for additional concert dates from global K-pop sensation BTS after ticket demand in Mexico far outpaced supply.

"Everyone wants to go," Sheinbaum said at her daily morning press briefing, referring to the overwhelming interest from fans that followed the announcement of BTS' Mexico City shows. "Around 1 million young people want to buy tickets, but there are only 150,000 tickets available," she added, underscoring the scale of the problem.

Sheinbaum confirmed that she had sent a diplomatic letter to South Korean President Lee Jae-myung asking for more performances or alternatives to accommodate fans, though she said a reply had not yet been received.

The request comes amid a wave of frustration from BTS' Mexican ARMY fan base after the first three shows in Mexico City sold out in minutes during presales and general sales, leaving millions of hopeful attendees without tickets. Mexico has one of the largest and most active BTS fandoms in the world, and the unprecedented demand quickly became a national talking point.

The concerts are part of BTS' Arirang World Tour, their first full-band global tour in nearly four years after members completed South Korea's mandatory military service. The tour supports the group's upcoming studio album Arirang, due March 20, and is scheduled to begin in Goyang, South Korea, on April 9, before spanning over 80 shows across 34 cities and five continents through early 2027.

In Mexico, BTS is slated to perform at Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City on May 7, 9 and 10, marking the septet's most significant run in the country since their early international breakthrough.

But the excitement has been tempered by widespread complaints about the ticketing process. Thousands of fans reported difficulties accessing tickets and irregularities with pricing and seat assignments. Mexico's consumer watchdog, Profeco, opened an investigation into Ticketmaster and sanctioned resale platforms such as StubHub and Viagogo for allegedly "abusive and disloyal practices" related to the BTS ticket sales. According to reports, tickets originally priced from roughly 1,800 to 17,800 pesos (~$100–$1,030) on the official platform were being resold for 11,300 to 92,100 pesos (over $5,300) on secondary markets.

Profeco has also been working with promoters OCESA and Ticketmaster Mexico to push for clearer pricing, seat maps, and transparency in the sales process, an effort that gained direct support from Sheinbaum's office as officials sought to respond to fan outrage.

While promoters have said no additional dates are currently scheduled, the president's diplomatic gesture highlights the extraordinary level of public interest and the challenges of managing demand for one of the most anticipated concert tours in years.