Passage of antiscalping law pushed ahead of BTS Manila concert

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has pushed for the immediate passage of his proposed antiscalping measure following widespread reports that tickets to the Manila concert of K-pop group BTS are being resold at exorbitant prices.

Pangilinan, who expressed concern over several reports that reached his office from frustrated ticket buyers, said that scalping places an unfair burden on Filipino fans eager to attend the highly anticipated event next year.

He urged his fellow lawmakers to pass his proposed Senate Bill No. 1989, or the Anti-Ticket Scalping Act, and work toward its immediate enactment, citing the increasing prevalence of online ticket reselling and the need for updated regulations in the digital marketplace.

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Citing social media posts by the K-pop band’s Filipino fans, Pangilinan said tickets for the sought-after BTS World Tour Arirang Concert in March 2027 were being resold at prices ranging from P30,000 to P90,000 each.

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READ: BTS brings ‘Arirang’ world tour to Manila in March 2027

VIP Soundcheck tickets are priced at P25,000 each, while tickets for the Bleachers 2 section are at P7,500 each.

“Based on reports reaching our office, BTS fans have been waiting for almost a decade for a concert to be held here again. It is not right for scalpers to exploit the fans’ excitement and anticipation,” said Pangilinan.

The last time the Korean superstars were in the Philippines was in 2017.

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Penalties

Pangilinan said the proposed antiscalping legislation aims to explicitly ban ticket scalping and protect consumers’ rights.

READ: BTS 2026-2027 world tour: What we know so far

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“[I]t seeks to deter abusive resale practices by imposing penalties on individuals and entities that resell tickets beyond a regulated price threshold,” he added.

Under the proposed measure, penalties for ticket scalping will be as follows: P100,000 or imprisonment of six months, or both, for the first offense; P250,000 or imprisonment of one year, or both, for the second offense; and P500,000 or imprisonment of three years, or both, for the third offense.

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Pangilinan said the measure also aims to promote greater accountability among ticketing platforms and event organizers through enhanced monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. /cb