Cortis asked fans to stop filming during concerts, sparking online debate.
The band’s Put Your Phone Down tour promotes screen-free concert experiences.
One fan revealed spending $460 on a Cortis ticket before recording.
K-pop boy band Cortis has sparked a viral debate over concert etiquette after asking fans to put their phones down during a packed show. The group’s members were faced with thousands of raised screens as they performed, prompting one member to repeatedly tell the audience to stop filming.
Cortis asks fans to stop filming concerts
Cortis launched its global tour in Incheon, South Korea, in July, where the five-member group was welcomed by screaming fans and a sea of illuminated smartphones. Despite the request, only a few audience members lowered their phones while thousands continued recording.
The instruction is also the name of Cortis’ ongoing Put Your Phone Down tour. The group has long encouraged fans to experience its performances directly rather than watching them through six-inch screens.
Clips from the concert have since circulated online, triggering a wider discussion about whether filming at concerts should be discouraged or banned altogether.
Several fans supported Cortis’ stance. One TikTok user argued that fans who were not engaging with the performers should reconsider attending concerts. Another suggested that short clips were reasonable but recording the entire show prevented people from enjoying the experience.
Fans defend recording concert moments
Others strongly disagreed. Some argued that concertgoers had every right to record performances as personal memories. One fan said recording was inevitable because people wanted something to remember the experience by, while another bluntly declared that their phone would not be put down.
The cost of tickets also became part of the argument. One fan planning to see Cortis in the US said they had paid $460 for a ticket and therefore intended to record the performance.
Some fans also defended concert recordings as a way of making live music accessible. One user said that although the group’s message was understandable, the videos shared online were valuable to people who could not afford or attend concerts.
Cortis’ global tour began in July, with the Incheon show setting the tone for a debate that appears unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
