Netizens Call Ticketing For IU’s Sold-Out American Shows “Traumatic” — They Expose Multiple Reasons Why

Netizens had a “traumatic” experience trying to get tickets ahead of IU‘s 2024 world tour.

The discourse around the difficulty of buying IU tickets in Korea has always been well-known. Even IU had to experience stress as she attempted to buy tickets for her own show to understand how netizens felt at the time.

After IU announced her first world tour, it wasn’t surprising that netizens were terrified when ticketing was announced for the US shows.

Dearest UAENA,
IU HER WORLD TOUR IN USA goes on sale today! See you soon ❤

🔗 https://t.co/2CbWTwJ44Y#아이유 #IU#HER #HER_WORLD_TOUR_IN_USA pic.twitter.com/rOnOTh1VDU

— 아이유(IU) (@_IUofficial) March 7, 2024

For netizens trying to get tickets, it was definitely an experience they won’t forget.

Along with the fact that tickets were sold out almost instantly, the main discourse was about how “traumatizing” the experience of buying tickets was. Fans pointed out that even though IU had never held shows in the US, the queues were in the tens of thousands as fans across the country waited for a chance to buy tickets to the shows.

And y’all say IU is not popular in the USA. This is my worst queueing number… pic.twitter.com/agtXvhTTTR

— IVAN 🌻🐶 | TWICE LV FREEBIES! (@younggeon_multi) March 7, 2024

so you’re telling me i sat in the queue for 25 minutes just for the tickets to be all sold out? 😭#아이유 #IU #HER #HER_WORLD_TOUR pic.twitter.com/Keda2AGoXH

— lily 🤍 IS SEEING MELANIE, IVE, AND ITZY (@HU3N1NGS) March 7, 2024

i mean i’m not mad about iu selling out arenas and venues, like as she mf should!! but i’m just saying how ridiculous the ticketing experience was 😭 like knowing how famous she is, live nation didn’t think about doing a presale? 😭😭 #아이유 #IU #HER #HER_WORLD_TOUR

— lily 🤍 IS SEEING MELANIE, IVE, AND ITZY (@HU3N1NGS) March 7, 2024

There was even a clip showing a whole office trying to buy tickets in real-time, and it is every bit as stressful as Korean netizens explained during their own ticketing.

This is crazy 😭 pic.twitter.com/FMtLXUSUUr

— ดิว’s ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚ (@sibreeze__) March 8, 2024

Fans even joked that because IU hasn’t been to the US, it would be easier to get tickets compared to K-Pop groups like BTS and BLACKPINK, just to have an equally tough time.

Me: IU’s not as well known in the US, so it’ll be easier for me to get tickets than BLACKPINK and BTS were

Ticketmaster: ‘8,000 people are ahead of you’ pic.twitter.com/gcEwy6zdr9

— Lena🏳️‍🌈⁷ (@Shin_Cromartie) March 7, 2024

Yet, the reason why the “sold-out” status was even more shocking was because of the prices.

Fans pointed out that all of the tickets had sold out, even when Ticketmaster had implemented “dynamic pricing” and shot the price of many tickets after seeing the demand for IU tickets.

 

iu dc capital one arena concert tickets sold the f out, not even a platinum resale in this mfer pic.twitter.com/NStL0dVKDV

— i hate sports (@formobear) March 7, 2024

IU: Ticketmaster:
Don’t let others
put a price tag on
what you love pic.twitter.com/N5mmMhPzsZ

— A (@amsssxxx) March 8, 2024

ticketmaster charged $100+ on top of the platinum pricing… this is so outrageous. #HER_WORLD_TOUR the original ticket price was $579.50 pic.twitter.com/tA5jd9GV1u

— eris / IU HER WORLD TOUR (@smeraldoflora) March 7, 2024

Sadly, even though there was evidence of scalpers buying tickets and reselling them at huge prices, it didn’t stop many fans from being able to get tickets and being willing to spend hundreds of dollars so they didn’t miss a chance of seeing IU in person.

 

UPDATE I WAS ABLE TO SECURE ATLANTA TICKETS TO #HER_WORLD_TOUR AND IT IS *DRUMROLL* SEC 1 ROW C SEAT 10 ITS SO CLOSE. and at what cost you may ask, $750. i’m ashamed. IU queue was insane pic.twitter.com/NxRpDP1vmu

— eris / IU HER WORLD TOUR (@smeraldoflora) March 7, 2024

i cant believe i spent more on iu tickets than i did on beyonce and agustd combined… kpop is truly not leading anyone to jesus free me

pic.twitter.com/VwWH6dG6gk

— MB (@marbrittof) March 7, 2024

iu dc capital one arena concert tickets sold the f out, not even a platinum resale in this mfer pic.twitter.com/NStL0dVKDV

— i hate sports (@formobear) March 7, 2024

With other tour date locations yet to go on sale, including in Europe where there are only two shows, it isn’t surprising that netizens are even more stressed as they all hope to get a chance to finally watch IU perform in person.