EL PASO, Texas (KTEP) - El Paso promoters knew for months the Sun Bowl had a strong chance of landing another large musical act following a successful two-day showing with Coldplay.
For nearly a year, the University of Texas at El Paso’s Office of Special Events had quietly made its play to bring BTS, the popular South Korean group, to the Sun City. By Fall, promoters between the university and Live Nation Entertainment began discussing available dates for an unspecified act at the Sun Bowl, hinting at El Paso’s chance to land another large international group.
“That’s when you know,” Jorge Vazquez, the University of Texas at El Paso’s executive director of special events said. “We had to check a lot of boxes that are very unique to our industry.”
Vazquez said his team never received a formal notice or “congratulations” on being picked to host the group but was not surprised to see the city’s name listed on the K-Pop band’s world tour announcement.
“It is never a sure thing,” he said. “For as long as I’ve been doing this, you can start putting two-and-two together and until they disclose what it is, and then we keep it a secret for a long time while we work on the ticketing and financials and everything.”
Vazquez and other local officials anticipate the South Korean group’s scheduled visit on May 2nd and 3rd will bring fans from all over the world. El Paso is the only location on the U.S. Mexico border for BTS' world tour and one of two Texas cities to have a scheduled concert date.
“I dare to say we have put El Paso on the map of the biggest entertainment acts in the world,” Vazquez said. “Now the world knows El Paso.”
He attributes the latest success to the “Coldplay effect,” making El Paso a strong candidate to host another international group. He said over 90,000 tickets were sold for the British band’s performances.
A study done by UTEP and the city of El Paso estimated Coldplay’s shows contributed to an additional $6.08 million spent on the local economy last June.
BTS’ visit is expected to spur economic activity surpassing last year’s figures, Vazquez said.
“It generates revenue for the city, for the county and it creates more amazing opportunities for all of us,” he said.
BTS and Coldplay have a history together. The two bands collaborated on the hit single “My Universe” on the 2021 album “Music of the Spheres.” And, BTS did a cover of Coldplay’s “Fix You” for MTV Unplugged the same year.
In 2022, BTS member Jin released “The Astronaut” in a debut single as the K-POP group prepared for mandatory military enlistment in South Korea . The song was co-written with Coldplay.
Jim Ward, co-founder of At the Drive-In and front man of Sparta, said he is excited to see BTS come to El Paso. He expects to see the city get more visits from artists.
“They are booking it because this is a destination that they feel is safe and reliable and the infrastructure is there,” Ward said.
Lead singer Chris Martin credited Ward for introducing the band with El Paso and playing a key role in the group’s decision to visit the Sun City. It is unclear if Coldplay had an influence on BTS’ decision to choose the Sun Bowl for their tour.
Ward said El Paso will have to be flexible in understanding what acts want but also remember its strengths.
“We are rich in humanity,” he said. “I think that will always be our greatest asset, the kindness and generosity. The supportive nature of our culture. I think it is going to go a long way with both bands and promoters and visiting fans.”
Excitement around BTS’ scheduled shows is already showing impact on the local economy.
Terra Maguregui, president of the El Paso Hotel and Lodging Association, said the hospitality industry is seeing early booking patterns for BTS comparable to Coldplay’s visit.
A quick search for room availability at 12 local hotels found rooms are already scarce ahead of the band’s presale of tickets this Thursday.
“The fact that rooms are selling quickly reflects both the demand for major entertainment and El Paso’s growing ability to host large scale events,” she said.
Brooke Underwood, executive director of Visit El Paso, said the city is ready for another large turnout this May and is ready to host visitors from all over the world. She said at least one representative from each state made it out to see Coldplay, with the exception of Vermont.
Underwood said there will be a focus on messaging to welcome visitors who will share their experiences with others about their stay in El Paso.
Online, El Pasoans have spoken out against other concertgoers bemoaning the band’s choice to come to the Sun City.
Underwood encouraged El Pasoans to remember the rich culture and ability to host large entertainment events.
She said Visit El Paso has an ambassador training available on its webpage to provide tools and information about the region.
“We have got to get together and stop asking why us and start asking why not us,” she said. “This community has an amazing trajectory and we all need to start telling people about it.”
