Westlife HCMC concert-goers ask for refunds

Spending VND2.1 million (US$87) for a ticket, purchasers of a seating section of the concert said the technical team’s tents interfered with their views of the stage, leaving them frustrated and demanding refunds from the concert organizers before the concert started.

The highly-anticipated shows in Ho Chi Minh City of the Irish pop group Westlife officially kicked off on Tuesday at Thong Nhat Stadium.

The organizers subsequently had to relocate the audience in this section to another location with better views.

Tents set up by the organizers’ technical team obstructed views of the stage. Photo by Phong Kieu

Many also voiced their dissatisfaction with the show since the organizers announced last week that they added standing-room tickets for the show, which are both closer to the stage and more affordable than their seated counterparts that had been on sale earlier.

Audiences were relocated to other seats with better views of the stage. Photo by Phong Kieu

The Irish boy band landed in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday to the warm welcome of local fans. They are set to perform for one more night on Wednesday before immediately traveling to India, the next stop of their "The Wild Dreams Tour."

Scores of concert-goers arrived at the venue several hours before the concert’s starting time on Tuesday and queued in lines to get in the stadium. Many had prepared glow sticks, ready to see their favorite artists in real life after knowing them decades ago.

This two-gig show marks Westlife’s second time performing in Vietnam, after their 2011 show in Hanoi as part of their "Gravity Tour."

Westlife was formed in 1998 in Dublin with five members. The group disbanded in 2012 before reuniting again in 2018. The group's current members are Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne.

They are holders of four Guinness World Records, including the top-selling group in the 21st century in the United Kingdom.