aespa's Brazil Concert Sparks Debate Over Audience Numbers and Empty Seats

aespa's recent concert in São Paulo, Brazil, has generated significant discussion in Korea regarding its audience numbers and the presence of empty seats. Despite attracting over 20,000 fans, images circulating online showed noticeable vacant sections, leading to a debate about the concert's overall success and the ambitious scaling of the venue.

The concert, held on September 4, 2026, at the Pacaembu Arena, had a capacity of approximately 28,732 seats. Official reports indicate that 21,652 tickets were sold, representing about a 75% sales rate. A day before the event, the organizer, Live Nation, offered a 60% discount on standing and north-side seats as part of a "Concert Week" promotion, which also applied to other artists. This expansion was a significant jump from aespa's 2023 Brazil concert, which sold out 8,000 seats.

Local bloggers and attendees expressed mixed feelings; while the artists' performance was praised, the large number of unsold seats and the discount left some fans who paid full price feeling disappointed. The situation has led to differing interpretations: some view the 20,000+ attendees as a substantial achievement, while others argue that expanding the venue threefold from the previous concert was an overestimation of the local market's capacity, despite the growth in their fanbase.