By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-06-14 03:11:31 | Updated at 2026-06-14 06:46:32
3 hours ago
KUALA LUMPUR – Student Ain Rasyiqah Roslan has reliable internet at home in Subang Jaya, Selangor. But when BTS tickets went on sale on June 3, the 24-year-old took a train and travelled about 40 minutes to a cybercafe instead.
Like many Malaysian fans, she had been persuaded by fellow BTS fans on X that a cybercafe might improve her chances in one of the year’s fiercest ticketing battles.
Besides successfully scoring tickets, she found herself enjoying something she had not expected.
“The fandom experience was great! You can feel a sense of connection and togetherness when you’re around other fans trying for tickets, even though it’s an every-man-for-himself situation,” she said.
Across Malaysia that morning, cybercafes filled with fans hoping to secure tickets for the popular K-pop boy band’s upcoming concerts in South-east Asia.
Social media feeds showed crowded cybercafes as ticket sales opened from June 3 to 5.
These scenes highlight how the role of cybercafes has evolved. Once among the few places where young Malaysians could get online, they have largely become spaces where gamers gather to play alongside friends, now that most people have fast internet at home and on their phones.
Yet on major ticketing days, concert fans still return – not necessarily because the internet connection is faster, but because they get to experience the anxious, nail-biting wait alongside others trying to secure the same coveted tickets.
Ain recalled that fans were cheering each other on, and congratulated those who secured tickets.
“It was a beautiful thing to witness,” she said.
The rush for tickets came as BTS prepares for its highly anticipated Arirang World Tour 2026-2027, its first major world tour since members completed mandatory military service. Tickets for the Kuala Lumpur and Singapore shows in December sold out quickly amid strong demand.
Official ticket prices for the BTS shows in KL ranged from RM338 (S$107) to RM1,288.
Across the South China Sea, similar scenes played out in Kuching.
Insurance industry manager Jenelle Bannavong was among fans in the Sarawak capital who had booked a spot at a cybercafe before tickets went on sale.
“The cybercafe was packed. There were not enough PCs, so some used their own laptops, iPads and mobile phones while using the cybercafe’s Wi-Fi,” said the 38-year-old.
She spent three hours there and paid RM15 but remains unconvinced that the venue itself improves a person’s odds.
“It doesn’t really make a difference. It is about luck.”
Still, she understands why fans do it.
“It’s quite common for people to go to cybercafes to buy tickets. People would actually cheer for each other when they get the tickets. Some even ask for tips and hacks because you have to be as fast as possible inside the ticketing site.”
While the experience was memorable for fans, the surge in traffic is unlikely to change the cybercafe industry’s longer-term outlook.
At Redsea Esport Centre in the KL suburb of Wangsa Maju, BTS fans started arriving as early as 6.30am on June 3.
Staff member Norman Nazlee said all 88 computers were occupied until late afternoon. “We were full on that Wednesday from morning until 4pm,” he told ST.
The cybercafe, which operates four branches, saw similar demand across its outlets. Under normal circumstances, it runs at about 60 per cent capacity on weekdays and is busiest on weekends, with gamers making up the bulk of customers.
Revenue for the 9am to 9pm shift rose by more than half compared with a typical weekday, Norman noted.
The surge in cybercafe demand during BTS ticket sales was not limited to larger operators.
At Double Crit Cyber Cafe in Cheras, KL, owner Johann Dang found himself fielding seat reservations through Instagram and WhatsApp even before ticket sales began.
“Wednesday (June 3) and Thursday (June 4) were full house,” he said.
The 20-computer outlet, which has been operating for three months, normally opens at noon but opened at 10am on the first day of ticket sales after receiving many customer requests.
The cybercafe charges RM12 for unlimited use until 10pm and serves food and drinks, allowing fans to refuel during what many expected to be a long wait for tickets.
“I see people coming to buy tickets for other concerts as well, but I don’t think many concerts would see the same crowd size as for BTS,” Johann said.
Still, a few sold-out concerts are unlikely to transform the business overnight.
Cybercafes were once a fixture of youth culture, offering internet access and multiplayer gaming before smartphones and affordable broadband became commonplace.
For many who grew up in the late 1990s and early 2000s, getting online was an event in itself, often involving a household telephone line and the distinctive beeps and static of a dial-up modem.
Now, there is widespread internet access through mobile networks and home broadband, reducing reliance on cybercafes for connectivity.
While concert ticket sales can provide a temporary boost, gaming remains the core business for cybercafes.
There are currently more than 100 known cybercafes operating nationwide, according to Bronson Chuah of the Selangor and KL Cybercafe Owners Association. There is no central official data tracking the number of cybercafes in Malaysia as they are licensed under local municipal authorities rather than a single national registry.
Local media reported that more than 300 cybercafes closed during the early phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, highlighting how much the industry has shrunk from its heyday.
Those that remain have largely shifted to providing gaming-focused venues for customers without high-performance computers while also hosting e-sports tournaments.
Thaqif Azmi, 20, who works part-time at a cybercafe in Selangor, said the venues continue to serve a niche market of students, many of whom live in hostels or rental homes and do not own gaming computers.
The cybercafe opened at 8.30am instead of noon for ticket sales on June 3, with fans having booked seats in advance. By 10am, all 17 computers were occupied.
“It was out of the norm,” he said.
Revenue that day was almost double that of a typical weekday.
For Ain, though, the experience offered a reminder that cybercafes can serve a purpose beyond gaming.
“Before this, I never even thought of setting foot in a cybercafe,” she said.
