k-pop

WINTER Wonderland tickets have dropped today with a whole host of new attractions and cheaper tickets.

The UK’s largest Christmas event has released its tickets for this year’s event which will run from November 19 to January 3.

And this year there will even be £1 tickets available.

All entry tickets from Monday to Thursday throughout November will be off-peak and priced at just one quid per person.

New attractions at this year’s event include a K-Pop circus as well as a frozen ‘Neverland’.

Gandeys K-Pop Dragon Circus, will debut exclusively at Winter Wonderland featuring storytelling, comedy and “breathtaking visuals with an electrifying soundtrack”.

The Magical Ice Kingdom will then be home to ‘Neverland’ in association with Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity).

Inside, people can explore ice sculptures and for the first time ever, visitors will be able to step though the Jolly Roger and into a world inspired by Neverland with Peter Pan and Wendy.

Fan favourites will also return including The Giant Wheel, which is the world’s largest transportable wheel, stretching 70 metres high.

And of course, there’s the UK’s largest open-air ice rink too.

Little ones are left out of the fun, as Winter Wonderland is home to the UK’s largest free Santa’s Grotto as well.

Also new for this year, is The Coaster Pass which allows visitors to head on all the rollercoasters.

There’s The Explorers Pass, which gets fans access to the most loved attarctions including the Real Ice Slide and the Haunted Mansion.

Great for families, there’s The Sand Land Unlimited Ride Pass, where you can go on the 16 Santa Land rides as many times as you like for £27.50.

There are three different advance entry ticket options including off-peak for £1, standard for £5.50 and peak for £8.25.

Entry fees are also waived when visitors spend £25 on activities in advance.

K-pop group BLACKPINK will hold a fan event in Seoul for the tenth anniversary of its debut, sources said Friday. In this August 2022 photo, members (L-R) Lisa, Jisoo, Jennie and Rose arrive at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards in Newark. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

K-pop girl group BLACKPINK will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its debut with a small-scale meet-and-greet for fans in Seoul, bringing all four members together for a rare domestic fan appearance, industry sources said Friday.

The quartet is scheduled to attend the event Saturday, the date of its debut in 2016, at the National Museum of Korea with 40 selected fans, according to the sources.

YG Entertainment, the group’s agency, said details of the event would be provided individually to those selected to attend.

Earlier this week, BLACKPINK unveiled the “BLACKPINK Heritage Collection,” a collaboration with Mu:ds, the museum’s merchandise brand in commemoration of the band’s 10th anniversary.

The group also worked with the museum in February for a project that included cultural-heritage programs and activities linked to the group’s music to mark its comeback.

It will be the first time that all four have appeared together for fans in South Korea since July last year, when the group held a stop of its “Deadline” world tour in Goyang in the northwestern suburbs of Seoul.

Since debuting under YG Entertainment in 2016, BLACKPINK has become one of the most influential acts in global pop, turning each release into a chart-topping hit, and extending its reach into fashion, luxury branding and advertising.

Its 2022 album “Born Pink” made history as the first by a female K-pop act to top the U.S. Billboard 200, while also reaching number one on the British Official Albums Top 100.

In February, the group returned with its third EP, “Deadline,” its first group project in more than three years, which debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200.

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K-pop exports reached a record high in the first half of 2026, South Korean government data showed Friday, In this March 21 photo, a billboard advertising the Netflix livestream of a BTS concert is seen in Seoul. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo

South Korea’s exports of K-pop albums hit a record high in the first half of the year, government data showed Friday, driven in part by BTS‘ fifth studio album, “Arirang.”

K-pop album exports reached US$257.48 million in the January-June period, up 125 percent from a year earlier, according to import and export trade statistics from the Korea Customs Service.

The United States was the largest importer of K-pop albums during the period, with imports totaling $74.12 million, followed by China and Japan at $61.18 million and $45.61 million, respectively.

Rounding out the top 10 were Germany, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Britain, France and Poland.

BTS, one of the world’s top boy bands, released its first new album in three years and nine months in March. Both the album and its lead single topped Billboard’s main charts.

Earlier in February, BLACKPINK released its third mini album, “Deadline,” which had sold nearly 2 million copies as of June.

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A sign welcoming ARMY, the fandom of K-pop superstars BTS, hangs outside a convenience store near Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul in Maech The band returned for “BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang,” its first concert in nearly four years after going on hiatus in 2022 to complete mandatory military service. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo

SANTIAGO, Chile, July 7 (UPI) — Chile’s government is facing an unexpected political controversy after the suspension of three BTS concerts scheduled for October prompted coordinated protests by the K-pop group’s fans across the country.

President José Antonio Kast’s administration has been forced to reconsider its decision to bar the concerts from the National Stadium after ARMY, BTS’ global fan community, organized simultaneous demonstrations in 11 Chilean cities.

About 5,000 fans marched Sunday to protest cancellation of the performances at Chile’s main sports venue, where all tickets had already sold out. Authorities cited technical concerns over the impact the concerts could have on the stadium’s playing field.

BTS, one of the world’s most successful K-pop groups, uses a 360-degree stage that weigh about 600 tons. The structure would be installed in the center of the field, directly above the stadium’s irrigation system.

Sports Minister Natalia Duco said the production could damage “the country’s most important sports asset” and declined to authorize the venue for the concerts. About 200,000 people were expected to attend the three shows.

“It is impossible to cancel something that was never confirmed,” Duco said after criticism of the decision began.

The move prompted an immediate backlash from BTS fans. ARMY Chile, which has more than 130,000 followers on Instagram alone, organized through social media to pressure the government and called for demonstrations in the streets and outside La Moneda presidential palace.

Supporters also flooded the social media accounts of the Sports Ministry, Duco and concert promoter DG Medios with messages demanding that the shows be held at the National Stadium. “BTS at the National Stadium” became the movement’s main slogan.

“All our support to our Chilean sisters. We sincerely hope this situation can be resolved in the best possible way and that you will receive good news very soon,” ARMY Peru wrote on social media.

The dispute has also spilled into politics. Opposition lawmakers criticized the government and demanded an explanation for the decision, while other public officials and even soccer clubs have offered their stadiums as alternative venues.

Facing mounting pressure, the government said it is willing to reconsider its decision if the concert promoter can meet the conditions required to protect the playing surface. Meanwhile, thousands of fans continue campaigning on social media as they await a final decision.

BTS member Jungkook, seen here performing in New York’s Central Park in September 2023, topped 3 billion Spotify streams with his single “Seven,” his agency BigHit Music said Tuesday. File Photo by John Nacion/UPI | License Photo

“Seven,” a hit solo track by BTS member Jungkook, has surpassed 3 billion streams on Spotify, making him the first Korean artist to hit the threshold with a single song, his agency BigHit Music said Tuesday.

“Seven” is also the only song released in 2023 globally to reach the milestone, according to the agency.

A passionate serenade about wanting to spend every day with a loved one, “Seven” blends a catchy melody with a warm acoustic guitar sound and rhythms from UK garage, a genre of electronic music that emerged in Britain in the early 1990s.

The song’s music video surpassed 600 million views on YouTube in April.

Since its release, “Seven” has enjoyed worldwide success, debuting at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and reaching No. 3 on the British Official Singles Chart Top 100.

K-pop supergroup BTS, to which Jungkook belongs, is currently on its largest-ever scale world tour, “Arirang.”

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