Arena Market: Taiwan

Four years ago, Taiwan made global headlines by being the first Asian country to showcase a live arena show while the rest of the world was still in a Covid-enforced lockdown. Eric Chou’s jam-packed two-day August 2020 shows at the Taipei Arena weren’t just a testament to the country’s effective handling of the virus but also the ever-booming demand for live entertainment on the small island.

While being a mainly one-city territory presents its own challenges, a plethora of international acts have been stopping off at the Taipei Arena since it opened to the public 19 years ago. In recent years, the 15,000-capacity venue, which is divided into the main hall and the ancillary ice rink, saw Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, and Celine Dion perform to sold-out crowds. IU and and Hong Kong crooner Jacky Cheung already stopped off there this year, with the latter performing seven of ten scheduled shows in June (with three cancelled due to illness), as well as a summer show by K-Pop girl group ITZY.

The other major entertainment venue in Taiwan is the K-Arena, located in the city of Kaohsiung on the south of the island. Nicknamed the ‘Big Egg’ due to its striking oval design, the venue (which holds up to 15,000 spectators) is mainly used for sporting events but has also welcomed local talents such as Zhang Qing Fang, Rene Liu, and A-Lin over the past 12 months. The Big Egg has also showcased several K-Pop acts, including STAYC, BOYNEXTDOOR, ZEROBASEONE, (G)I-DLE, and more, as part of the one-night Golden Wave in Taiwan, heralded as a coup for the venue given its small stature compared to its counterpart in the country’s capital city.