FIFA refuses request for BLACKPINK’s Indonesia concerts to be held at GBK stadium

FIFA has refused a request to allow the usage of the Gelora Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia next year for activities other than football, including BLACKPINK’s upcoming concerts at the stadium.

• READ MORE: Going behind the ‘Born Pink’ tour with its creative director: “We could do a six-hour BLACKPINK rock opera”

The football authority made their stance on the usage of the stadium clear in an email read out by Football Association of Indonesia Secretary General Yunus Nusi, Detik reported. The letter by FIFA Men’s Tournament Manager Christian Schmolzer read: “After consultation with FIFA field management, we have to inform that we cannot agree on the schedule presented. Holding two concerts with several days of preparation and demolition of activities on the playing field, will certainly greatly hinder us from implementing the field management program as planned.”

“Given the significant investment the government has agreed to spend in providing a high-quality football field, it would be contradictory to let this event take place as close to the tournament as possible. We hereby kindly request to extend this input to GBK Stadium Management.”

Nusi added that footballing activities such as Asean Football Federation games are allowed, however.

The FIFA U-20 World Cup is set held from May 20 to June 11, with the GBK Stadium set to undergo renovation works this month ahead of the tournament. Indonesian Minister of Youth and Sport Zainudin Amali previously shared that he had submitted a letter to FIFA inquiring about the use of the stadiums for concerts following his comments early last month that the stadium will be closed to concerts and all public activities and events until the U-20 World Cup.

BLACKPINK are scheduled to perform in Jakarta on March 11 and 12 as part of the Asian leg of their ‘Born Pink’ world tour, which also includes stops in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Taiwan, Manila and Singapore between January and May next year. Tickets to the Jakarta concerts went on sale on November 15, notably listing the stadium as the venue for the concerts despite Amali’s comments.

Tickets for both days have already sold out.

Joint promoters Live Nation and IME Indonesia have yet to comment on the ongoing situation.

FIFA’s decision is also set to affect a concert by Indonesian singer-songwriter Raisa set to be held at the venue on February 25. The minister has proposed Pakansari Stadium in Bogor and Patriot Stadium in Bekasi as alternative venues as those stadiums are not set to be utilised for the tournament.

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