Parents might not have been aware of the advertisements
A KPop tribute concert at The SSE Arena in Belfast, Ireland, was mistaken for a full-blown KPop Demon Hunters show. The tribute is currently under fire because parents said the event did not match its advertising, which appeared to be linked to the Netflix animated hit.
The concert, known as The KPop Forever Tribute, took place on February 19, 2026, as part of a world tour. Promotional material described it as an all-action concert featuring music from major groups such as BLACKPINK, BTS, and TWICE, along with songs from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack.
However, some families believed the show would focus heavily on Demon Hunters because marketing referenced the record-breaking Netflix film. Instead, the performances covered a wide range of KPop acts, which did not resonate with several attendees. According to the concertgoers, the tribute left the KPop Demon Hunters songs in the second half, causing children to lose interest.
Venue responds after videos go viral
After the event, parents shared videos and comments on TikTok, claiming the concert felt more mature than expected and not centered on the animated film, KPop Demon Hunters. One widely shared post stated that many children were disappointed because the show did not reflect what they thought they had booked.
In response, the SSE Arena issued a statement on Facebook acknowledging the feedback. However, the organizers explained that the show was designed to represent the full KPop genre and included eight KPop Demon Hunters songs such as Golden, Takedown, and Soda Pop. While noting that most attendees enjoyed the concert, the venue admitted that it did not meet. Despite this, the organizer affirmed that the show was based on KPop as an entire genre, and not only on KPop Demon Hunters.
“Whilst the majority of customers enjoyed the show, we understand that this was not what some expected; however, we are content that the show delivered this evening was an arena-standard tribute to the entire K-Pop genre,” it said.
Read the full statement here:
KPop Forever: Did it cross a line, or was it a matter of misinformation?
Conservative parents voiced out their discomfort because the concert allegedly featured suggestive dance moves and songs with explicit lyrics during the performances. The organizer defended the tribute, saying that it was made to honor the KPop genre as a whole.
Even though KPop Demon Hunters is primarily targeted at children and families, some online users have clarified that KPop as a whole is not completely family-friendly. While KPop Demon Hunters and other acts, such as RIIZE, Hearts2Hearts, NewJeans, TWICE, or KickFlip could appeal to children and younger audiences, not all KPop artists have this public as their primary audience.
Some of KPop’s most popular acts, including BLACKPINK, BTS, ATEEZ, Stray Kids, and LE SSERAFIM, are not necessarily family or children-friendly. A lot of their lyrics, dances, and music choices can come off as provocative, suggestive, or too intense for kids. Due to these reasons, many online commenters have urged parents to research what type of events they book with their children to approve of the music and performances they will be seeing.