TWICE's 750-Seat 11th Anniversary Fan Party Draws Criticism

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TWICE fill stadiums around the world, but only 750 fans will be in the room when they celebrate their 11th anniversary. JYP Entertainment announced on Monday, October 5, that the group will hold a fan party called "ONCE UPON A THRI11" in Seoul on Saturday, October 17, 2026. The scale has drawn criticism from the fandom. How the event works The nine members will meet fans across three sessions, at 2pm, 4pm and 6pm. Each session holds 250 people. Entry is by lottery and is limited to fans aged 15 and over who are fifth-generation members of the official fan club, ONCE, The Korea Herald reports. The venue has not been made public and will be sent only to the winners. Key facts Event: ONCE UPON A THRI11, TWICE 11th anniversary fan party Date: October 17, 2026, in Seoul Sessions: 2pm, 4pm and 6pm KST, 250 fans each Total capacity: 750 Eligibility: fifth-generation ONCE fan club members aged 15 and over, by lottery Venue: disclosed only to selected fans Why fans are unhappy Much of the frustration is about numbers. "Shouldn't a meaningful event as this be something that as many fans as possible can attend?" one fan wrote on X, as quoted by The Korea Herald. "Why should a fan meeting become an occasion that only a lucky few get to enjoy?" Others pointed to the fan-club rule. Anyone who started following TWICE after the latest membership drive in April 2025 cannot apply. A separate fan statement circulated on X called the 750-person capacity "outrageously low". "We are not demanding a full-scale or elaborate fan meeting," it read. "We simply ask that the 11th anniversary event be made reasonably accessible to Once, so that more fans have a fair opportunity to celebrate this meaningful occasion with Twice." The complaints have history. TWICE held their eighth and ninth anniversary events at Olympic Hall, and last year's tenth-anniversary meeting at Korea University's Hwajeong Gymnasium sold out in the fan-club presale, after which restricted-view seats were added. Even then, some fans felt the venue was too small. A stadium act in a small room The contrast with TWICE's touring is stark. Their sixth world tour, This Is For , wrapped up in July with finale shows at KSPO Dome in Seoul. The Korea Herald says it covered 81 shows across 44 cities and regions, drawing about 550,000 people in North America and 640,000 in Japan. allkpop adds that the group became the first foreign act to perform at Japan's National Stadium in Tokyo. Other groups have gone bigger for the same milestone. Seventeen marked their 11th anniversary with a fan meeting at Incheon Asiad Main Stadium in June that drew around 58,000 people over two days. In 2024, Jin hosted an in-person event for BTS's 11th anniversary at Jamsil Indoor Stadium for thousands of fans. TWICE are not the only girl group to face this criticism, either. BLACKPINK invited around 40 fans to a meet-and-greet for their tenth anniversary in August, and Jisoo later apologised during a livestream for what she called a "communication issue". A period of change The anniversary also falls during a period of transition. TWICE, who debuted in October 2015, are discussing their future contracts with JYP. The Korea Herald reports that Jeongyeon moved to a new agency in August and that Chaeyoung will continue her solo career independently after leaving JYP. Rumours that Jihyo and Tzuyu may also leave have not been confirmed by the members or the label. Members are still active. Nayeon made a surprise appearance at Charlie Puth's Goyang Stadium concert on October 11. More group news is in our K-pop section, and the group's back catalogue includes the album Twice as Tall . What's next Before the party, a special vinyl album of live recordings from the final This Is For show comes out on October 16. Then, on October 17, fans will be watching to see whether the members say anything about the group's future. JYP has not responded publicly to the criticism. Sources: The Korea Herald | The Korea Herald | allkpop