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ICA-Live-Asia boss hails Summer Sonic’s Thai debut

After partnering with Creativeman on the spin-off event, Tommy Jinho Yoon tells IQ he has a brand-new festival in the offing

By James Hanley on 16 Sep 2024

Summer Sonic Bangkok


ICA-Live-Asia president Tommy Jinho Yoon tells IQ he is planning to launch a new festival after working on the debut edition of Summer Sonic Bangkok.

Yoon partnered with promoter Creativeman on the two-day event, which was held from 24-25 August at the 12,000-cap Impact Challenger Hall in Muang Thong Thani, Thailand.

Headlined by OneRepublic and Lauv, the lineup included further overseas stars such as Laufey, Aurora, Suede and Nothing But Thieves. Ticket prices ranged from 3,500 (€89) to 11,000 (€278) for a one-day pass, and 6,500 (€164) to 20,000 (€506) for two-day entry.

“Summer Sonic Bangkok 2024 went extremely well, especially with it being its first year in Bangkok,” says Yoon. “This was the very first time Summer Sonic was officially licensed anywhere outside of Japan.”

Aside from numerous upcoming headline shows throughout the continent, Yoon reveals his company has a brand-new event in Seoul, South Korea, in the offing – the name of which will be confirmed shortly.

Yoon is also international artist programmer for Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival – the first major festival of its type to be established in Korea back in 1999 – plus Yoursummer and Legend of the Guardian Festival.

He launched US-based ICA to cater to the growing demand for live events in Korea, China, Asia and the Philippines, and created a mini-Asian tour for Britpop icons Suede, taking in KBS Arena in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, and Zepp Kuala Lumpur, alongside their slot at Summer Sonic Bangkok.

“Most territories in Asia have limitations on how high ticket prices can go”

“They did extremely well in Seoul, selling out, and also had a great performance at our festival in Bangkok, but faced some difficulties in Kuala Lumpur,” explains Yoon. “Like Europe, territories in Asia differ, and international artists have specific markets that work for them and others that don’t.

“To put it simply, the overall market for international artists in Asia is generally positive at the moment. We anticipate even more positive outcomes as the market continues to expand.”

According to Yoon, current challenges include increased competition among promoters in the region, “leading to bidding wars and higher artist fees”.

“Most territories in Asia have limitations on how high ticket prices can go,” he continues. “For example, in Korea, there is no concept of overpriced or high-priced VIP tickets. On the opportunity side, the international music scene is becoming more mainstream, with audiences expecting more shows and tours to enter the market. Ticket sales are generally reflecting these positive trends.”

And Yoon, who hosted a panel on K-pop at last year’s International Live Music Conference (ILMC) in London, says there are few signs of the phenomenon dying down any time soon.

“K-pop is still going strong globally and has expanded even further on a global scale,” he adds. “On the domestic scene, it has diminished slightly. But with foreigners entering Korea and becoming the primary ticket buyers, the market remains strong.”

 


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