So This is How They Do Concerts in Seoul?! (Coldplay Concert, Best Night Ever)

This post is dedicated to the best concert I've ever attended so far: Coldplay A Head Full of Dream Tour, Seoul!!! Actually at first I only wanted to post pictures here, but I think I have a unique experience worth sharing while I was attending the concert.

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I've stayed in Seoul for around two months now (by the time I wrote this, around April) and this is the first concert I've ever attended in here so far. I've watched some international music concerts back in Jakarta and one in Tokyo a few years ago, but this time I gotta say that they do it differently in Seoul. Well OK, I don't know if they do it generally in every concerts in Seoul, so let's just say that they do this particular Coldplay concert differently.

Just like how I used to watch concerts, I went to the venue as early as possible so I can be at the front row (I bought the standing ticket). My friend and I knew that they will open the gate at 5pm, so we were already there at the venue at 1. After we got there, we bought the t-shirt, changed our clothes, peed etc until around 1.30. The guy told us that we can enter the G2 waiting area at 2 pm, so we waited outside.

When the clock striked 2, we quickly walked toward the G2 waiting area so we can run to the front row when they open the gate at 5. So there, in the G2 waiting area was where things got pretty unusual..

As I entered the waiting area, the officer asked me what my entry number is and I was slightly surprised because i didn't realize that there was an entry number. As you can see, there are gate and entry number written on my ticket (of course, in Korean). So my gate number is G2 and apparently my entry number is 4474. Because my friend and I bought the ticket separately, whe have a total different entry number, hers is 1898. Apparently they divide us into different rows based on our entry numbers and each row consists of 200 people. So it doesn't matter if you come early, you'll still have to pass the gate based on your entry number!

So yeah.. I got seperated from my friend in the waiting area, she's waaay in the front and I'm in the back (this is not fair since we paid for the same price and I was really sad because I came early + I didn't get to choose my entry number )

The rows based on our entry number

What's more 'crazy' is that they did not only ask us to queue in the right row, but we have to be in the exact position according to our number. So i had to stand behind the person with the entry number 4473 and in front of the person with the entry number 4475. And. They. Really. Checked. One by one. After they made sure that every one are where they're supposed to be, they let us in row by row. 

I found it really weird that they really made thousands of people enter the building based on their entry number, but well.... they managed to do it. I didn't know if it's how they do concerts in Seoul or if it's just this one particular concert, but when I asked a Korean in front of me, she didn't seem to be surprised by the regulation. Then I started to question, 'Is it only in Jakarta that people have to come early to be in the front row?'  but then the Malaysian girls behind me told me 'No'. They went to the previous Coldplay concert in Melbourne and they've watched so many concerts in Malaysia and they have the same rules as Jakarta. Glad I'm not the only one who found it weird and too organized. Don't get me wrong, I love how Koreans are very organized, but this one is too much. I mean.. it's a concert after all?!

Later I found out from a Korean friend that it's not only this particular Coldplay concert, but this is how they do concerts generally in Seoul. AND the entry number is NOT random, We can choose it if We buy the ticket at the official website. I couldn't choose the entry number because I bought the ticket from someone else, not from the official website.

Luckily I managed to meet my friend inside the venue and We got into the 2nd row :D And yes, We enjoyed it a lot!

ONE MORE THING: If you're planning to watch a concert in Korea, I recommend you to buy the ticket from ticket.interpark.com. I knew this website from a Korean friend (sadly I heard about this after I bought my Coldplay ticket) They sell all kinds of performance tickets in Seoul with reasonable price. The Malaysian girls I met at the venue also bought it there and they only paid half the price I paid for the same ticket (I bought it from ticketb*s).