Big Bang concert sends Hanoi hotel bookings soaring, spurring tourism services

With just a week to go before the Korean group takes the stage, demand for flights, accommodation and concert-related services is rising sharply. The two shows, part of the Big Bang 2026-2027 World Tour XX: COSMOS, are attracting fans from across Vietnam and overseas, turning the event into a major draw for Hanoi’s tourism market.

Fans book flights and hotels months ahead

According to data released by online travel platform Trip.com on October 8, flight bookings to Hanoi for October 23-26 rose 74% year on year, while passenger numbers increased 76%. Searches and bookings for trips to the capital in October were also up 45% on the platform.

The leading source markets for travel to Hanoi during the concert period included Ho Chi Minh City, Seoul, Taipei, Nagoya, Da Nang and Busan, indicating that the event is drawing both domestic and international audiences.

Demand began rising after the concert dates were announced on June 11. When early ticket sales opened on August 14, flight and hotel bookings surged to six times their daily average, according to Trip.com.

Fans have also been planning their trips well in advance. Flight bookings were made an average of 70 days before departure, with 51% booked at least 60 days ahead. Hotel reservations were made an average of 76 days in advance, while 65% were booked at least 60 days before arrival.

Accommodation around My Dinh Stadium has felt the impact particularly strongly. Trip.com reported that hotels listed within a three-kilometre radius of the venue had sold out for the concert period as early as July 29. Hotel bookings for October 23-24 were around 15 times the daily average for the month.

The demand is also reflected in online ticket sales. When additional tickets were released through the CTicket platform on October 5, nearly 70,000 people queued online within minutes. All the additional tickets sold out in about an hour, following three earlier sales rounds in August.

Merchandise and other services ride the concert wave

Beyond travel and accommodation, merchandise is emerging as another part of the concert economy. Official Big Bang merchandise shops opened in Hanoi on October 17, offering nearly 70 product lines, including a 20th-anniversary light stick and Hanoi-exclusive T-shirts. Sales points have been set up in Lang Ha and Me Tri, as well as at My Dinh Stadium during the concert period.

The wider trend extends beyond Hanoi. According to Trip.com, searches for domestic travel linked to Big Bang’s Hanoi concerts rose more than fourfold compared with normal levels. The platform also reported increased travel demand around other major music events, suggesting that concerts are becoming an important factor in trip planning.

International performances are drawing Vietnamese fans abroad, too. For The Weekend’s After Hours Til Dawn concert in Bangkok on October 11, travel bookings for October 9-11 were seven times the city’s daily average for the month. In Kuala Lumpur, bookings for November 2-4 were nearly 22 times the daily average ahead of the singer’s November 4-5 shows.

Domestic concerts are generating similar effects. Trip.com reported that flight bookings to Ho Chi Minh City for October 16-19 rose 77% year on year around the Tinh ha say hi and Anh trai vuot ngan chong gai concerts scheduled for October 17-18.

The figures point to the growing role of live music in shaping travel choices, with the impact extending beyond ticket sales to flights, accommodation, shopping and other services used by concertgoers. For Hanoi, the Big Bang shows offer a timely example of how a major entertainment event can generate demand across the visitor economy.

Big Bang to thrill Vietnamese K-pop fans

VOV.VN -Big Bang, a well-known pop band from the Republic of Korea (RoK), will perform at the Vietnam National Convention Center in Hanoi on October 20 at the invitation of Tan Hoang Minh Group, according to a Korean website K Crush - News & Gossip.