The “Show! Music Core in Macau”, a K-pop concert slated for 7 to 8 February in the SAR is reportedly facing headwinds, with the venue yet to be confirmed and visa issues for Japanese performers, according to several South Korean media outlets.
The South Korean broadcaster and events organiser MBC announced a lineup including Enhypen, Alpha Drive One, WayV, and Zerobaseone, among others on 12 January. Ticket sales, originally intended to commence in mid-January, have yet to be launched.
Visa issuance difficulties for Japanese members have reportedly caused some groups to withdraw entirely, while organisers and agencies are urgently discussing compromises for others, such as performing without the Japanese members.
Despite online rumours circulating on Chinese social media asserting the concert will be held at the Macao Outdoor Performance Venue, the venue itself stated this week that the booking had not received final confirmation, according to the Korea Herald.
[See more: Japanese singer Mika Nakashima cancels Macao concert]
This follows earlier reported difficulties, as MBC is said to have pursued a Hong Kong venue before relocating to Macao.
The developments follow the recent cancellations of the shows in Macao by Japanese singers Mika Nakashima and Ayumi Hamasaki. Last December, singer Maki Otsuki was escorted off stage mid-song at Shanghai’s Bandai Namco Festival.
The cancellations come amid a continued downturn in Sino-Japanese relations after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan suggested that Tokyo would intervene militarily if Taiwan were attacked, which Beijing sees as an affront to its sovereignty over the island under the One China policy.
