On the afternoon of November 8th, ahead of the G-DRAGON 2025 WORLD TOUR [Übermensch] IN HANOI, presented by VPBank concert in Hung Yen, the atmosphere around the venue was bustling with various side activities organized spontaneously by fans and street vendors.
Alongside well-organized food and tourist services, many informal business activities also thrived, from ticket exchanges and snack sales to souvenir vending.
Notably, impromptu souvenir stalls set up by individuals and small households were directly competing with the official merchandise booth organized by the concert organizers.
According to Dân trí reporters, the sidewalk stalls offered a diverse range of items such as daisy-shaped lightsticks, G-Dragon printed T-shirts, daisy keychains, and more. All featured the Korean singer’s exclusive symbol.
These items were also available at the official merchandise booth for G-Dragon’s global tour, located directly opposite, allowing customers to compare prices and quality.
While the official booth listed prices, required registration for purchase, and even limited the quantity each individual could buy, at the sidewalk stalls, visitors could purchase any item without restrictions.
When approached by reporters, a vendor at a sidewalk stall offered a G-Dragon daisy keychain for 200,000 VND, a price that was only a quarter of the official price of 820,000 VND.
G-Dragon T-shirts were sold for 200,000 VND, compared to the official price of 2.7 million VND. Idol photo cards ranged from 50,000-100,000 VND depending on the design, while the official price was 760,000 VND. Other small accessories were around 50,000 VND each, whereas official items cost 670,000 VND.
Overall, the fake merchandise was sold at prices ranging from 50,000 VND to 1.6 million VND, significantly lower than the official prices which ranged from 460,000 VND to 3.92 million VND.
Despite vendors constantly luring customers and aggressively promoting their counterfeit products, reporters clearly observed that their quality could not match that of the official merchandise and they did not guarantee the light connectivity or concert experience that genuine products offered.
Some fans stated that they knew the items were fake but still bought them, believing that the important thing was the souvenir and having something to take photos with for check-ins, preserving the memorable experience and moments at the concert.
However, this was only the opinion of a few. Most fans patiently queued to buy official merchandise, disregarding the cheaper products.
International visitors from China, Thailand, and Japan expressed surprise at the prices of the sidewalk goods but were cautious not to buy, having witnessed similar situations at other concerts.
Audience member My My, from Guangxi (China), queued with a friend to buy official keychains and mini lightsticks, each priced at 820,000 VND. She shared that even though she had purchased a daisy lightstick in China, she still wanted to own an official product at the concert to fully experience the lighting effects and atmosphere of the performance.
She did not buy the sidewalk items, even though she was offered them.
Fans line up for a long time to buy official G-Dragon merchandise.
Hoang Tam (born 1996, Quang Ninh), attending a G-Dragon concert for the first time, said she was willing to queue for 1-2 hours to buy official products.
“I saw the accessories outside were so cheap, the price was attractive, but only official merchandise connects synchronously during the concert. I’d rather queue a bit longer than buy cheap items and miss out on the real experience,” Tam said.
Amidst the widespread sale of counterfeit goods, the event organizers also repeatedly reminded the audience to only purchase official products to ensure their rights and maintain synchronous connection with the concert’s effects.
Tonight, G-Dragon will perform the first night of his two-day tour in Vietnam. Fans are very excited to meet the “King of K-pop.”
G-Dragon (real name Kwon Ji Yong, born 1988) is the leader of BIGBANG, one of South Korea’s top idol groups.
Dubbed the “King of K-pop,” G-Dragon is known for his comprehensive talents in songwriting, music production, choreography, and unique fashion style, and is considered one of the most influential global artists.
G-DRAGON 2025 WORLD TOUR [Übermensch] IN HANOI, presented by VPBank is part of the “King of K-pop”‘s third global tour, organized to promote the album of the same name released in 2025.
This is also G-Dragon’s first global tour in eight years since Act III: MOTTE World Tour (2017).
Hanoi being chosen as the final international stop not only demonstrates Vietnam’s growing position on the map of international music events but also opens up opportunities to attract a large international audience.
