CORTIS' Debut Tour Plagued by Repeated Songs, Shortened Show, and 'Fake Fan' Allegations

BigHit Music's new HYBE boy group CORTIS held their first world tour, "2026 CORTIS TOUR ," at Incheon's INSPIRE Arena on July 18 and 19. Both dates sold out, but opening night quickly ignited controversy due to a "heavily repetitive setlist and an early finish." Discussion threads on Korean online forums surged past 1,100 comments. The agency's overnight adjustments for the second day only fueled more anger among first-day attendees, who demanded refunds. Allegations of "hired actors" in the standing section to boost the atmosphere further intensified the uproar. Meanwhile, 17-year-old *maknae* Keonho (건호) performed both nights with casts on both hands, prompting sympathetic fans to declare, "The problem isn't the members; it's the company."

12 Songs in 1 Hour 40 Minutes: "Feels Like a Concert to Make You Unfan"

CORTIS debuted on August 18, 2025, and has only released approximately 12 official songs to date. The concert was initially advertised as lasting about two hours but ran for only about 1 hour and 40 minutes, with a heavily repeated setlist. According to Korean media and concertgoers, "YOUNGCREATORCREW" was performed five times throughout the night, and "REDRED" four times. The show featured no cover songs, no VCR interlude videos, and no costume changes, a stark contrast to typical K-pop concerts that often run for three hours or more with elaborate segments. Ironically, the tour's theme, "PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN," was intended to encourage fans to "put down their phones" and immerse themselves in the live experience, with members repeatedly urging this from the stage. Instead, the performance content itself came under scrutiny.

A first-day attendee posted on the Korean forum theqoo, calling it a "performance that feels like it will make you unfan": "The concert in Incheon was super far, and I waited over two hours in the scorching sun just to get a light stick. The more I think about it, the emptier I feel. Everyone was walking out complaining. BigHit really..." This review garnered over a thousand agreeing comments: