Did they overestimate their popularity?
Girl group ILLIT has attracted attention online after photos from their recent concerts appeared to show noticeably empty seats throughout parts of the venue. The group held an encore on October 17 and 18, in Seoul.
While the events gave fans an opportunity to see the members perform live, some of the circulating photographs attracted attention for an entirely different reason. Netizens noticed that several sections of the audience appeared to have unoccupied seats, raising questions about ticket sales and attendance. Seats were empty towards the outer corners of floor areas…
…as well as the upper floors.
The rows of empty chairs prompted discussion about whether the concerts had attracted the turnout expected for a group under HYBE. As the images circulated, some social media users began questioning ILLIT’s domestic popularity and the size of their concert-going fanbase.
One called it “legendarily completely empty.”
역대급 텅텅이라는 아일릿 콘서트 근황 pic.twitter.com/EMTFjANpRv
— 돈백이 (@donbaek2) October 18, 2026
A screenshot from a reservation page provided by a netizen dated October 15 showed that as the concert date neared, more seats opened up due to cancellations. A bulk of the floor seats remained available.
The team also announced free upgrades to better floors.
The discussion is notable given the group’s high-profile debut and the considerable attention they have received since entering the K-pop industry. ILLIT debuted in March 2024 under BELIFT LAB, a subsidiary of HYBE, and quickly achieved commercial success with their debut single “Magnetic.”