In june, after the Korean music group Big Bang confirmed their concert in Hanoi for 24-25 october, Thien Pham, 25 years old, from Ho Chi Minh City, spent 7,8 million dong on a round-trip flight ticket from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi for 23-26 october. He booked a room in Tay Ho district for 2,3 million dong for three nights and planned to purchase concert tickets in the 3,5-7,5 million dong price range. The total estimated cost for two people is approximately 29 million dong.

Many fans, not just Thien, began planning their trips immediately after the concert announcement. According to Traveloka data, searches for travel services to Hanoi quadrupled compared to usual after Big Bang confirmed their concert. This search demand occurred 3-4 months before the concert, with fans booking flights, accommodation, and show tickets.

G-DRAGON concert held in Ocean City, Hanoi, in 2025. Photo: *Organizers*

A VnExpress survey indicates that round-trip flight prices for the Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi route between 23-26 october range from 3,5-5 million dong, which is approximately 1-2 million dong higher than the previous week (16-19 october), when prices were commonly 2-3,7 million dong. Flights after the concert, from 30 october - 2 november, are priced at about 2-4 million dong.

Luu Thi Thu, Deputy Director of Hoang Viet Travel, stated that round-trip flight prices between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi during the concert week nearly doubled compared to regular days due to increased travel demand. In addition to the more than 80,000 attendees expected for Big Bang's two performances, Hanoi is also experiencing a high volume of business, visiting relatives, and international tourists.

According to Thu, airlines implement dynamic pricing mechanisms, allocating seats into various price categories. When lower-priced tickets sell out or flight capacity increases, the system automatically shifts to higher price points. Conversely, if demand does not meet expectations closer to the departure date, airlines may adjust prices downward to stimulate demand. Therefore, booking early does not always guarantee the lowest price, while those who book closer to the date may still find good deals if many seats remain available.

While flight prices have increased, hotel room rates in Hanoi have not seen significant fluctuations, thanks to a stable supply. However, Thu advises travelers to book accommodation early to have more choices in areas convenient for reaching the concert venue.

Beyond booking flights and hotels independently, some fans opt for ticket-hunting services or all-inclusive concert tours to mitigate the risk of not securing show tickets.

Ha Nhi from Ho Chi Minh City mentioned that she has not finalized her flight tickets yet, waiting to secure concert tickets first. She expects to spend a minimum of 10 million dong on the trip and is considering an all-inclusive concert tour instead of booking each service separately.

"I want to be sure I get a ticket, so I am willing to pay extra service fees if needed," Nhi said.

Thuy Minh, leading a concert tour organized in Ninh Binh, in june. Photo: *Supplied*

Thuy Minh, from ICEBEE Travel's tour operations department, reported that the company has received registrations for all-inclusive Big Bang concert tours since early july.

The tour includes: the concert ticket category chosen by the customer, flight, one night accommodation, airport transfer, makeup, and a pre-concert meal. Tour prices depend primarily on the cost of flights and concert tickets. Tour prices for Cat 5-Cat 1 concert seats (under 7 million dong) range from 8-15 million dong.

Minh noted that flight prices tend to increase closer to the concert date, impacting the cost of individual service packages. For the Blackpink concert in Hanoi in 2023, one-way flight tickets from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi on the final day of the event were recorded at nearly 9 million dong.

Bich Phuong