Blinks, or the official name of the fandom of Blackpink, are probably dying to see their favorite K-pop band perform live during the Deadline World Tour in the US that’s kicking off this weekend. Blackpink started the tour last week in South Korea before traveling to North America and Europe, where they’ll perform from July to September.
While Blinks who scored tickets to the upcoming Blackpink tour already know everything there is to know about the show they’re about to attend, the Korean girl group will make it even easier (or more fun) to get where they need to go.
Blackpink announced a partnership with Google Maps across their social channels for the Deadline World Tour. Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa will encourage fans to use Google Maps to get to their shows. Even without the band explicitly promoting Google Maps to reach local venues, Google’s navigation app is still one of the best tools to get around.
Google Maps will let you find the best navigation options to the crowded stadiums where Blackpink is set to perform. You can choose between driving and public transit, inspect live traffic updates, and even combine transit, walking, and driving modes to get to the shows as efficiently as possible (as seen above).
Most people will use Google Maps on their phone to navigate to the Blackpink concert nearest to them, but Blackpink and Google Maps will give Blinks who use the desktop app a neat Easter egg to celebrate the tour.
Load up Google Maps on your computer, search for Blackpink’s three upcoming venues (SoFi Stadium, Soldier Field, and Citi Field), and look for the Street View icon on the right side of the screen. You’ll find a Blink replacing the Pegman you’re used to seeing in Google Maps.
Here are the dates for the three Deadline World Tour concerts above:
- Sofi Stadium, Los Angeles – July 12 and 13
- Soldier Field, Chicago – July 18
- Citi Field, New York – July 26 and 27
Of course, if you’re a Blink, you’re already well aware of these dates. Scoring tickets is another matter. If you haven’t bought yours, you might struggle to find any.
As for why Blackpink and Google Maps are partnering for this event, Blackpink’s management team, YG Entertainment, said in a statement that the band is always on the road, and Google Maps is their navigation app:
Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa are always on the road, and Google Maps helps keep them on the go. Now they’re sharing their favorite tips and tricks to help Blinks get to the Blackpink World Tour Deadline. Whether you’re driving, biking, or taking public transit – or all of the above – Google Maps can help you find the best route and get there on time so you won’t miss a beat.
I think that Google has every reason to support talented artists like Blackpink. Most Google Maps users might not know this, but Google Maps turn-by-turn navigation is not available in Korea, even though Google has been trying to bring its navigation app to the country for years. Partnerships like this one might help Google’s chances. The South Korean government should decide by August whether to grant Google’s latest request.
