K-pop superstar G-Dragon faced heavy backlash after his Übermensch concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, left many local fans frustrated. The two-day event on July 19 and 20, 2025, was marred by ticket scalping, empty VIP seats, and a lack of crowd engagement, leading to accusations of unfair treatment toward Malaysian supporters.
Fans Struggle to Get Tickets Due to Scalping
Many Malaysian fans reported extreme difficulty in securing tickets during the official sale. Scalpers allegedly used bots to buy tickets in bulk, reselling them at inflated prices. Some tickets originally priced at RM1,339 (VVIP) were being resold for up to RM28,000 online.
“I couldn’t buy pre-sale tickets despite joining his fan club. Then I saw them resold at crazy prices by scalpers.” – Siti Aishah Hashim, a disappointed fan
Organizer Star Planet tried to address the issue by re-releasing a limited number of tickets and canceling suspected scalped tickets. However, many fans still missed out, forcing some to gather outside the venue just to hear the music.
Empty VIP Seats and Foreign Buyers Dominate the Crowd
Despite the concert being officially sold out, many VIP seats remained empty at the start. Fans noticed unclaimed VIP lanyards at registration counters, suggesting scalpers failed to resell their tickets. Some empty seats were later filled, but many believed they were taken by international fans, particularly from China, rather than locals.
“90% around me was ‘them’—they only knew a few famous songs. Other times, they were just on their phones watching TikTok. This is Ubermensch in Malaysia, not some other country.” – Johnny Tang, a concert attendee
Lack of Crowd Energy and Poor Engagement
Malaysian K-pop concerts are usually known for loud cheers, but G-Dragon’s show had a noticeably subdued atmosphere. When he spoke in Malay to connect with fans, the crowd barely reacted. Many speculated this was because a large portion of the audience didn’t understand the language.
“When GD spoke Malay, there was no reaction. Most of the crowd were foreigners.” – A fan on social media
Fans outside the venue grew emotional, chanting and booing, asking staff to let them in. Some even cried as G-Dragon’s team collected handwritten messages from those who couldn’t attend.
Organizer Faces Criticism for Lack of Response
Star Planet Malaysia has not issued an official statement addressing the backlash. Fans are demanding better ticketing systems, stricter anti-scalping measures, and fairer treatment for local supporters in future events.
“We blame Star Planet, but the attitude toward GD was rude. This happened in other countries too—not just Malaysia.” – A TikTok user
Calls for Legal Action Against Scalpers
Consumer groups in Malaysia are urging the government to pass laws against ticket scalping, similar to those in the UK and Singapore. The issue has become a recurring problem, with past incidents during concerts like Coldplay’s Malaysia show.
“Scalpers deserve 3 days of non-stop diarrhea.” – A frustrated fan on Facebook
Despite the controversy, G-Dragon’s performance itself was praised for its creativity and stage presence. Fans now hope for better organization if he or BIGBANG returns to Malaysia.
Also read: G-Dragon Cancels Bangkok Concert Amid Fan Protests Over Poor Management and Agency Mismanagement
Credits: Reports from The Star, Hype.my, and social media reactions.
