Scottish K-pop Fans Crave Concerts Closer to Home, Not Just London

K-pop, which stands for Korean pop music, has become a worldwide sensation. Its catchy tunes, energetic dances, and talented idol groups have attracted fans from every continent. In Scotland, the K-pop fan community is growing, but many fans feel left out because their favorite artists rarely perform concerts there. Most big K-pop tours only stop in London, which means Scottish fans have to travel hundreds of miles just to see a show. Many of them dream of the day when K-pop stars will recognize their Scottish audience and bring concerts closer to home.

One of these fans is Laura McKee, a teacher from Glasgow. Laura discovered K-pop by accident when she was watching Netflix one evening. She was feeling stressed from work, and Netflix started playing a Chinese drama. Laura got hooked on Asian dramas, which led her to Korean dramas and eventually to K-pop music. Her favorite group is Stray Kids, whose music reminds her of the songs she loved when she was younger. Laura says that K-pop brings back the excitement of buying CDs and reading messages from the artists. It also helped her reconnect with herself, reminding her that she is more than just a mother or a worker. Last summer, Laura and her daughter traveled to London to see Stray Kids perform at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It was her daughter's first concert, and they both described the experience as magical. Inspired by K-pop, they are now learning Hangul, the Korean alphabet, together.

Despite their passion, Laura and other Scottish fans are frustrated that K-pop groups rarely tour in Scotland. Laura points out that Scotland has large venues like Murrayfield and Hampden that could host major concerts. She believes that if artists performed in Scotland, fans would spend more money on merchandise and fan experiences instead of travel costs. For students like Daniela Sanchez, K-pop is not just about the music; it is also a way to make friends and be part of a community. Daniela joined her university's K-pop society, where she meets other fans, talks about new releases, plays games, and hangs out. She says that K-pop is popular in Scotland for the same reasons it is loved around the world: the music is catchy, and there is a strong sense of community. Daniela thinks people should not judge K-pop too quickly. If it makes people happy, that is what matters most.

At the University of the West of Scotland, Marlene Asare and Carly Chan run the K-pop Society. They say that K-pop brings joy and helps people connect with each other. Marlene listens to K-pop when she is studying or bored, and sometimes she dances along. Carly loves the choreography and hearing different languages in the songs. Both agree that it feels special when idols try to speak their language. However, they are disappointed that big groups like BTS do not include Scotland in their tours. BTS is extremely popular in Scotland, and many fans wish they could see them perform live without having to travel so far. The Scottish K-pop community hopes that one day, their favorite artists will recognize their support and bring concerts to Scotland, making it easier for fans to enjoy the music they love.