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Inspire Arena looks to build on success with more events, easier commutes

Published: 18 Feb. 2025, 19:11 Updated: 18 Feb. 2025, 19:17

LEE JIAN
[email protected]

Exterior of Inspire Arena, a multipurpose performance hall within Inspire Entertainment Resort in Yeongjong Island, Incheon [INSPIRE ENTERTAINMENT RESORT]

YEONGJONG ISLAND, Incheon — Inspire Arena, a multipurpose performance hall within Inspire Entertainment Resort, saw 519,000 guests last year, 60 percent of whom were foreigners, according to General Manager Jamie Jang on Tuesday.

“Large-scale K-pop awards and festivals used to take place abroad because there weren’t sufficiently equipped domestic venues, but with Arena’s debut, the industry has been able to host those events here and bring in a significant influx of tourists to Korea,” Jang said during Inspire Arena’s one-year anniversary press conference at the Incheon resort.

A shot of the 2024 Melon Music Awards held at Inspire Entertainment Resort last December [INSPIRE ENTERTAINMENT RESORT]

Inspire Arena, which opened in December 2023, is Korea’s first performance-specialized indoor arena with a capacity of 15,000 seats.

Its close vicinity to the Incheon International Airport, just around a 15-minute drive, is also seen as playing in favor of foreigners.

The venue staged 69 shows over 36 different events in 2024, nearly 63 percent of which were live concerts. The rest consisted of awards ceremonies, corporate events, sports games and festivals, which the venue categorizes as shows that feature multiple artists at once.

Notable events included concerts by Taeyang, Maroon 5, Westlife and Linkin Park, the 2024 World Table Tennis Championships and Valorant Champions 2024.

Players competing at the 2024 World Table Tennis Champions held at the Inspire Arena in February 2024 [INSPIRE ENTERTAINMENT RESORT]

This year, it aims to stage at least 85 shows over 45 different events and attract more than 700,000 visitors, which Jang says is achievable by upping the operating rate from the current 65 percent to 85 percent and decreasing the maintenance periods that tend to be longer for nascent venues.

It also plans to facilitate easier commutes — something that Inspire Arena struggled with at the beginning. There is no direct public transportation to and from the resort, and it has resorted to operating free shuttle buses to the nearest subway station. During its early concerts, thousands were kept waiting for hours for the shuttle bus pickup after shows.

Jang said that his team has since developed an efficient shuttle bus system. Nowadays, it takes audiences a maximum of two hours to reach Seoul from Inspire Arena. He hopes to reduce that time frame to 90 minutes this year.

For event-goers driving themselves, there is ample parking available, with about 4,500 official spots in the resort.

K-pop star Taeyang performs at the Inspire Arena last December. [INSPIRE ENTERTAINMENT RESORT]

Inspire Arena also intends to solidify its position as a producing house in 2025. Last year, it produced “Inspire Salute,” celebrating the resort’s grand opening in March 2024, and co-produced the Melon Music Awards. By 2026, it aims to attain a 50:50 ratio of self-produced shows and buyouts.

In addition to Inspire Arena, the resort's Discovery Park, a 100,433 square meter (25 acre) outdoor park, is set to stand out more as an entertainment venue this year.

It is slated to host EDC Korea 2025 in April, one of the world’s largest electronic dance music festivals, and a duathlon dubbed Descente Awaken Korea in May.

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]