Real Madrid Abruptly Cancels KBS 'Music Bank' Concert, Sparking Fan Outcry

The overseas concert of KBS's "Music Bank," scheduled to take place at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of the Spanish soccer club Real Madrid, next month, has been abruptly canceled by the club.

On the 20th, the production team for KBS's "Music Bank" released a statement expressing their deep regret over the unilateral cancellation by Real Madrid, stating, "We cannot accept the club's arbitrary decision made without prior consultation." They noted that Real Madrid announced the cancellation through local media about a month before the event, demanding an official explanation and apology.

The "Music Bank in Madrid" concert was set for the 12th of next month and was to feature popular K-pop groups such as ENHYPEN, aespa, BOYNEXTDOOR, RIIZE, NMIXX, and KISS OF LIFE, with approximately 33,000 fans from 87 countries having already purchased tickets.

However, on the 13th, Real Madrid declared in Spanish media that it would cancel all music performances at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium until March of next year due to noise complaints from nearby residents. As a result, preparations for the concert were disrupted. The "Music Bank" production team stated that until the local media reported the news, Real Madrid had not made any formal requests or engaged in discussions with the organizers. They also emphasized that there has been no official explanation or apology from the club to date.

In response to the cancellation, K-pop fans quickly rallied, demanding the concert's reinstatement. A petition titled "Please allow the 2024 Music Bank Bernabéu performance to be held again" was posted on the world's largest petition site, 'Change.org', and has garnered over 13,000 signatures so far.

The production team is urging Real Madrid to collaborate in resuming the concert and is prepared to explore all measures to alleviate fan disappointment, including adjusting or shortening performance hours and minimizing noise.

Despite these efforts, fans' disappointment continues to grow, and the outcome of future discussions with Real Madrid remains to be seen.