Fans Queue for Hours as CORTIS Merchandise & Light Stick Demand Struggles to Keep Pace

On Saturday, July 18, rookie group CORTIS kicked off their "2026 PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN" tour in Incheon, South Korea. The two-day concerts at Inspire Arena marked the beginning of the group's first-ever tour less than a year after their debut.

Held at Inspire Arena, a venue located near Incheon International Airport and considerably farther from central Seoul than many major concert venues, the event was not open to the press. However, K-POPIT attended after purchasing tickets during the general sale in June.

Outside the venue, fans gathered for the sale of concert merchandise and CORTIS' first official light stick. Even before the booths opened, lines had already begun forming as early as 8:30 a.m., with many hoping to secure items that had previously sold out through Weverse Shop. While HYBE did not disclose stock quantities, demand quickly appeared to outpace supply at the merchandise booth. At the same time, numerous individuals carrying large suitcases were seen purchasing significant amounts of merchandise, raising renewed concerns about large-scale resale activity, an issue that has repeatedly surfaced around CORTIS merchandise.

The situation was particularly noticeable at the designated "Express" light stick booth, where wait times ranged from approximately 40 minutes to as long as two hours. Considering that Weverse Shop already offered on-site pickup for the group's albums, the absence of a similar pickup system for light sticks and merchandise was difficult to overlook. Other HYBE artists, including BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER, have previously used advance pickup systems to help streamline merchandise distribution. Meanwhile, resale listings quickly appeared online, with some proxy sellers charging service fees that exceeded the retail price of the items themselves.

As CORTIS' popularity continues to grow, the weekend demonstrated that merchandise operations may need to evolve alongside fan demand. One measure that worked well was security checking concert tickets before allowing fans into the final purchasing area for light sticks, helping confirm that buyers were attending the show rather than purchasing solely for resale. However, it remains unclear whether this verification process was in place throughout the day or only after crowds had already formed.

For a first arena tour, some logistical challenges were perhaps inevitable, and the weekend ultimately highlighted just how quickly CORTIS' fandom has expanded. Going forward, expanding advance pickup options, introducing earlier purchase verification, and continuing to strengthen anti-scalping measures would likely improve the experience for genuine fans. At the same time, the growing presence of large-scale resellers remains a challenge that organizers alone cannot solve, making continued efforts to discourage bulk purchasing and resale an important part of future events.