Did BLACKPINK really sell out Wembley Stadium? Amid comparisons with Taylor Swift and BTS, empty seat videos go viral

Time of India

3 days ago

BLACKPINK's Jisoo, Jennie, Rose and Lisa made history with their ongoing DEADLINE world tour, as they performed two back-to-back shows (August 15 and August 16) at London's iconic Wembley Stadium, a venue long associated with musical legends like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Queen, Oasis, Taylor Swift and the Spice Girls. With a seating capacity of 90,000, Wembley is often seen as the ultimate benchmark for global artists — and the girl group's name is now etched among those who have taken its stage.
But the big question fans are now debating online is whether BLACKPINK truly sold out the stadium. Their long-time rivals BTS famously sold out Wembley in 2019, according to multiple Korean media outlets. While reports quickly claimed BLACKPINK matched the feat, videos circulating on X tell a different story. Clips allegedly show staff covering large patches of empty seats with black fabric, sparking speculation that the shows may not have been complete sellouts after all.
Did BLACKPINK cover empty seats at Wembley Stadium?
If you've spent any time on K-pop Twitter (now X), you'll know that stans often put more energy into dragging rival groups than cheering for their own. So when headlines claimed BLACKPINK had sold out London's iconic Wembley Stadium, it didn't take long for sceptics to start posting 'receipts'.
One viral clip showed staff members covering rows of seats with black fabric and allegedly relocating fans to other areas. In a TikTok video, a concertgoer asked, 'Wembley/BLACKPINK N1, what's going on? The whole of section 126 is covered even though we all bought seats in that section with no explanation.' The fan went on to claim that two full sections had been cut off without notice, forcing attendees to visit customer service and get reassigned to unsold seats.
Another user piled on, writing, 'BLACKPINK failed to sell out Wembley Stadium, as the agency is covering up the empty seats with big black curtains! Despite the media's play and buy-one-get-one-free promos, they still couldn't sell it out!'
🚨 BLACKPINK failed to sell out Wembley Stadium as the agency is covering up the empty seats with big black curtains! Despite the mediaplay and buy one to get one free they still couldn't sell it out! Congratulations Blackpink pic.twitter.com/So8ZG3dP0L
[🚨] During Blackpink's concert at Wembley Stadium, some seats were covered and fans were moved to unsold seats. pic.twitter.com/4y1b6nc2WC
Several other fans also claimed that their seats got upgraded due to unsold arenas and tickets, with many wondering if the group should have planned only one night at the iconic stadium.
The BTS vs BLACKPINK debate intensifies: What's the truth?
A BBC report stated that BLACKPINK's first night at Wembley drew an audience of around 70,000 fans — a strong turnout, but not the full 90,000 capacity that was widely circulated online. Interestingly, this isn't the first time confusion has surrounded the numbers at Wembley. When BTS performed at the same venue in 2019 for their Love Yourself World Tour, the BBC similarly reported an audience of about 60,000, even though fans insisted they had sold out all 90,000 seats. Notably, BTS were the first K-pop group to headline Wembley.
So why the discrepancy? It's important to understand that 'stadium capacity' figures can be misleading. While Wembley's maximum seating is listed as 90,000, not all of those seats are typically made available for concerts. Large-scale productions like K-pop tours involve massive stages, extended runways, lighting rigs, and camera equipment that take up significant space. Entire sections can be blocked off for technical setups, safety regulations, or restricted-view seating. In some cases, promoters deliberately close off sections to improve the overall fan experience, ensuring that the audience is concentrated closer to the stage rather than scattered across the stadium.
This means that while artists can proudly say they've performed at Wembley, the 'sell-out' number often refers to the tickets that were actually released for sale—not the absolute maximum of 90,000 seats. As a result, both BLACKPINK's 70,000 and BTS's 60,000 still represent massive, history-making crowds, even if the raw capacity figure paints a different picture.