Live Nation study highlights growth of ‘Asia Pop’

A new fan insights study by Live Nation has uncovered the rise of Asia Pop in Australia and New Zealand.

The company reports a 600% increase in the number of Asian Pop live shows and a 275% surge in the number of artists since 2015, with 98% of fans now listening to music in languages other than English.

Furthermore, the Future Sound study, which was based on 1,044 responses from Ticketmaster Asia Pop live music purchases, revealed that 35% of its Australian and New Zealand fanbase are aged between 27 and 48.

“What we’re seeing is not a new phenomenon; it has been an undercurrent in our musical landscape for years, only now receiving the widespread recognition it deserves,” says Wenona Lok, Asia Pop promoter and talent buyer at Live Nation Australasia. “Asia Pop has transcended its niche status and exploded into mainstream fandom, fostering deep connections between fans and artists through social content, dance and fashion to name a few.”

Lok, who worked on Stray Kids’ record-breaking Australian shows in 2023,  was a panellist for the How K-pop Conquered the World session at last year’s International Live Music Conference (ILMC) in London.

“I think the reason K-pop is so big is because it’s really accessible,” she said. “If you go online, there are many fan groups that are happy to help educate you. Having the internet makes a big difference – it’s a right time, right place thing – but a lot of K-pop fans are women in their mid 40s, of all race groups. They come to the shows and bring their daughters because it’s something that is easy to share and get excited about.

“I don’t think we’re at the stage where it’s going to plateau yet. It’s something that people can really learn from and we’re also starting to see a lot of K-pop acts collaborate with Western artists.”

“Western consumption of Asian Pop has become so much more dynamic in the past three to four years, and globalisation of the wider genre is the clear next step”

In addition to K-Pop, Asia Pop (or A-pop) comprises a range of sub-genres, including J-Pop, C-Pop, Mandopop, Thai Pop, and City Pop, translating into record-breaking live performances.

Twice made history by playing four stadium shows in Australia in 2023, while Itzy’s performance at Auckland’s Spark Arena made them the highest-selling K-Pop act in New Zealand ever.

“All of our experiences have taught us how important the live experience is to any music lover, and given the unique offerings of a K-Pop or Mandopop or J-Pop show, we’re excited to see how the support of promoters such as Live Nation can help to amplify that impact at ground level,” says Asian Pop Weekly founder Jocelle Koh. “Western consumption of Asian Pop has become so much more dynamic in the past three to four years, and globalisation of the wider genre is the clear next step.”

Australasia has also produced homegrown talent such as Danielle and Hanni from NewJeans, Rosé from Blackpink, BangChan and Felix from Stray Kids, actor and singer Darren Qiu, and Cantopop singer Cecilia Cheung .

Upcoming tours include Stray Kids who will perform stadium shows in Sydney and Melbourne on their world tour in October, followed by Japanese virtual pop star Hatsune Miku’s first Australia and New Zealand tour in November. South Korean indie HYUKOH and Taipei-based jazz-influenced synth-pop band Sunset Rollercoaster will also perform in Melbourne this November.

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