TXT’s “ACT: PROMISE” Tour Concert In Seoul Slammed For Poor Stage Set-Up

On May 3, TXT started off their new world tour, ACT: PROMISE, with a three-day concert at the KSPO Dome in Seoul. Each day of the concert was sold out, which means that about 33,000 fans will be experiencing the tour in Seoul over this weekend!

And as could be expected from the TXT members, they didn’t disappoint on the first night with their performances.

240504 Miracle #TXT pic.twitter.com/crq3KX2ShM

— 곰 (@19304s) May 4, 2024

THE VOCALS AND THE ENERGY HERE?!? WE FCKING LOVE U TXTpic.twitter.com/ZssY8ZXyP6

— Maryam 誓い ( fan account) (@txtdom) May 4, 2024

I want to experience a txt concert so badpic.twitter.com/eSFqLZDAoc

— Maryam 誓い ( fan account) (@txtdom) May 4, 2024

However, despite the members themselves doing all they could to give their audience an entertaining show, there was an aspect out of their control that upset a lot of fans: The stage set-up.

Seeing the seating map like this, it seems like the stage is set up in a way that is fair to everyone in the audience, and allows the members to get close to all of the fans who paid for floor seats thanks to the arms going out into the audience. Those that paid for the F1 and F2 seats probably paid the most, though, since they’re closest to the main stage, where you would assume most of the performances would happen.

However, it turns out that of the 25 songs performed at the concert, only 3 of them were performed on the “main” stage, with the rest taking part in that middle area. Again, this might have been okay had the performances been done in a 360-degree way, but it was used as though the majority of the fans were in front of them, leaving those in the F1 and F2 sections — as well as the VIPs in areas 1 and 15 — to mostly see the backs of the members’ heads.

Along with this, staircases were used for some of the performances as well, which blocked the stage view from a large portion of the audience.

Fans who paid high prices for those premium and VIP seats are understandably furious.

돌출무대를 메인 스테이지로 많이 썼는데 본무대쪽 가면서 돌출나갔을때 뒷모습인거는 감안했지만 이렇게까지 본무대를 안쓸줄이야… 그리고 돌출을 보고싶었는데 애들을 향해 쏘는 조명때매 내가 조명을 보는지 애들을 보는지…. 구조물때문에 다가리고 댄서들로 다 가려지는 무대… pic.twitter.com/1gyIFn1umb

— 레아 (@Re_A0913) May 3, 2024

They used the extended stage a lot as the main stage, but when they went out to the extended part of the stage, I expected to see them from behind, but I didn’t expect them to not use the main stage to this extent… And I wanted to see the extended part, but because of the lights shining towards the kids, I couldn’t tell if I was looking at the lights or the kids… The stage was obscured by the structures and covered by the dancers…

Netizens have been reacting to the poor stage planning online as well, sympathizing with those who paid high prices for a less-than-ideal experience.

• “They should have given fans a heads-up on that.”
• “When I saw it on Kakao, I heard that there were some students crying… Considering the price and waiting time, I would have been really, really upset.”
• “3 songs on the main stage. Shouldn’t they be refunded?”
• “If you’re going to do that, take out F1 and F2 and make the protrusions bigger.”
• “The fans must have been upset, what is that?”
• “I guess they wanted to take a picture with fans in the background lol, if that’s the case, sell it f*cking cheap.”
• “Why did you set up the stage like this?”
• “It’s worth getting angry, they should have either not sold it at all, or sold it at a very low price with limited visibility.”
• “Isn’t the main stage the main stage? Ugh.”
• “If you’re going to do that, then do 360 degrees.”

Hopefully this won’t be an ongoing problem for the rest of TXT’s performances in Seoul or for the rest of their tour.