While Singapore fans scramble for BTS concert tickets, this 19-year-old already has his seat
Eddino Abdul Hadi
The Straits Times
June 3, 2026
Full-time national serviceman Thevin Ong knows what it feels like to lose the online ticketing war.
For K-pop girl group Blackpink’s National Stadium concerts in November 2025, the 19-year-old Singaporean spent hours in the queue across three devices, but came away empty-handed. He eventually got to attend one show only because his secondary school friend managed to get a ticket that cost him around $230.
It was the same with American singer Bruno Mars’ concerts at the same venue in 2024. Ong tried, failed and ended up going only because his then-girlfriend had tickets.
But for the BTS concerts at the National Stadium in December, he will not have to go through any of that when pre-sales begin on June 3. All he has to do is send a WhatsApp message.
As the winner of the inaugural The Kallang Pass, a signature all-access pass introduced and given away during the Countdown 2026 At The Kallang show on Dec 31, 2025, he gets a pair of complimentary Category 2 tickets to any event at the National Stadium and Singapore Indoor Stadium throughout 2026.
His seats are secured the moment he replies to a list of upcoming shows sent to him via text by his dedicated liaison at The Kallang.
“How does it make me feel? A bit special,” he tells The Straits Times.
He has been listening to the K-pop boy band’s discography and is looking forward to watching them for the first time. But he is trying to avoid any news, videos or social media posts about their Arirang world tour, as he does not want any spoilers.
Ong has attended over 20 events since January, an average of one a week – from American pop-rock band OneRepublic and Icelandic-Chinese singer Laufey to K-pop boy band Seventeen and Hong Kong singer G.E.M. – and has more planned.
Before winning The Kallang Pass, he went to perhaps one concert a year, and only for acts he already liked.
“Now, it feels like every week, there’s something to look forward to,” he says.
The Kallang Pass has exposed him to shows for which he would never have bought tickets on his own. At a Silence Wang concert at the Indoor Stadium in March, he barely knew any of the Chinese singer’s songs going in, but was “hooked all the way”.
His most cherished outing to date was taking his 57-year-old mother, Lau Li Ping, to Hong Kong pop couple George Lam and Sally Yeh’s concert at the Indoor Stadium in April – her generation’s music, not his.
“It was the first time I went to a concert with my mum,” he says. “We were dancing, standing up, singing along. She definitely enjoyed it a lot.”
The Kallang, which includes venues such as the National Stadium and Singapore Indoor Stadium, is making an exception for Ong for the upcoming Xinyao 44th Reunion Concert at the Indoor Stadium on July 3. He will be allowed to take along his grandmother, uncle and aunt – three guests, instead of the usual plus-one.
For most events, though, his go-to companion is a 20-year-old university student who wants to be known only as Elyana, the friend who was indirectly responsible for Ong’s VIP status.
On New Year’s Eve 2025, Ong went to the National Stadium to hand her a power bank. She was there for the Countdown 2026 At The Kallang show, and persuaded him to stay and drop his name in the registration box for The Kallang Pass contest. He ended up winning the lucky draw.
The contest will be an annual affair and the next winner is expected to be selected at the 2027 countdown show.
Ong is also a regular at The Kallang outside of concert nights. He plays basketball at the OCBC Arena once every few months and has attended sporting events on his pass, including the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup in April and the Singapore versus Bangladesh Asian Cup qualification football match at the National Stadium in March – his first time watching the national team play at home.
With Dec 31 approaching faster than he would like, he admits he will feel the loss when the year is up. But for now, he has no complaints.
“I will feel sad that I won’t be able to go to more events using The Kallang Pass in 2027, but 2026 will forever be a core memory for me.”
Explore more on these topics
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
