I have been a fan of K-Pop music for quite a few years now, and I previously attended two K-Pop concerts, I saw Blackpink in Barcelona on May 28, 2019, and Loona in Frankfurt on September 11, 2022 (and I talk extensively about the latter in this article). This year many groups held concerts in Europe, including some of my favorites. I was able to attend three of these, I went to see Red Velvet in Berlin on May 27, Odd Eye Circle in Warsaw on August 9, and Aespa in Paris on September 30.
In all three cases I had to travel abroad to attend these concerts, like I did for the previous two. I’m from Italy, and for some reason K-Pop companies often seem to forget about my country, since basically every European tour by K-Pop groups does not include dates in Italy. At least it’s a good excuse to travel abroad.
Anyway, here I will talk about my experience attending these three concerts, including ticketing, traveling, and waiting in line, and provide a review of the performances. A little spoiler: all three concerts were absolutely amazing.
Red Velvet in Berlin, May 27
Red Velvet was one of the reasons I got into K-Pop in the first place, so I was really excited when they announced that they would come to Europe as part of their R to V world tour. They had never held concerts in Europe before, and since we never know when, and if, this opportunity could come again, I decided that I had to go.
However, there were a few unfortunate events in the weeks leading up to the European leg of the tour. First, group member Joy had to take a break due to health problems, so it was announced that she would not take part in the following concerts, and then another member, Wendy, tested positive for COVID-19, leading to the cancellation of two concerts in Bangkok. Wendy thankfully recovered before the next concerts, but Joy could not take part in the European tour, so they continued to perform with four out of five members.
Also, in early May there was still no announcement about when tickets would go on sale, and as the weeks went on, the price of plane tickets and hotel stays for the dates of the concerts kept rising. Finally, tickets went on sale on May 11, just two weeks before the concerts. Four dates were announced: May 24 in Paris, May 27 in Berlin, May 30 in Amsterdam, and June 6 in London. I decided to go to Berlin, both because it was less expensive to travel there than to the other cities, and because I went to the German capital last year, but I could only stay very shortly, so I wanted to go back and visit the city properly (and you can read about my short stay in Berlin at the end of this article). At first I wanted to get a seating ticket, but those were sold out immediately, so I got a general admission ticket for the standing area near the stage. Way more expensive, but at least I could be much closer to the group.
Since by that point plane tickets got too expensive, I traveled by bus, arriving in Berlin in the morning of May 26. It took around 22 hours with a change in Bratislava, but it was worth it. The following day I got up early, and at around 9:30 a.m. I was outside the Verti Music Hall. The concert was starting at 8 p.m., but I got there early to try to get a good spot, since the area around the stage would be occupied by the people who bought VIP tickets. It was a very hot day and I had to wait in the sun, but in the end I got a pretty good position a few meters from the stage. So, it was finally time for the concert.
Red Velvet during their concert in Berlin on May 27, 2023. From left to right: Yeri, Irene, Seulgi, Wendy. Group member Joy was absent due to health issues.
As the title of the tour, R to V, suggests, the performances were divided into a “R”, or “red”, section and a “V”, or “velvet”, section. This reflects the two main concepts of the group, where the “red” represents their most energetic and lively songs, while the “velvet” songs tend to be more elegant and sophisticated. These concepts also extend to their b-sides, proving the versality of the group and creating what is widely regarded as one of the best discographies of any K-Pop group.
Starting with Feel My Rhythm, the group performed some of their greatest hits such as Ice Cream Cake, Queendom, and Birthday, their latest single, ending the first half of the concert with Red Flavor, maybe the best example of the “red” concept. Among the singles, the group also performed a few of their many great b-sides, of which my favorites were LP and Bing Bing.
After an intermission, the V section began with Pose, and continued with the performances of some of the most celebrated b-sides by the group, ending with three of their most successful and beloved songs: Peek-a-Boo, Bad Boy, and Psycho. The group actually performed the English-language version of Bad Boy, while a dance break was added to the choreography of Psycho.
Red Velvet performed Celebrate and My Dear during the encore, but then they came back again for a second round with three more songs. After the bubbly and cute Russian Roulette, it was time for Zimzalabim, and this was my favorite moment of the entire show. Not only the group was still full of energy despite the long concert, but the audience was also really into the song, even more so then the many other great hits, and with everyone jumping and screaming, it was truly fantastic. The last song of the concert was You Better Know, an awesome way to end what was really a magnificent night.
Throughout the concert, the group changed various outfits that reflected the songs, with more colorful attires in the first half, and elegant dresses in the second one. The group also made sure to interact and talk with fans often, and they did a great job in covering Joy’s parts in the songs. As usual for Red Velvet, the choreographies were seamless despite their complexity, and the vocals were mesmerising. A special mention for Seulgi, who stole my attention for the entire evening with her perfect performances.
The concert lasted more than two and a half hours, but it didn’t feel too long at all, and actually my first thought after leaving the venue was that I wanted to see them again. I truly had a blast and I hope that they can come back to perform in Europe again soon, and when they do, I’m sure I’ll be there.
Setlist
R
- Feel My Rhythm
- Bamboleo
- LP
- Ice Cream Cake
- Oh Boy
- On a Ride
- Eyes Locked, Hands Locked
- Queendom
- Bing Bing
- Birthday
- Red Flavor
V
- Pose
- Beg for Me
- Zoom
- Bye Bye
- In & Out
- I Just
- Peek-a-Boo
- Bad Boy (English Version)
- Psycho
Encore 1:
- Celebrate
- My Dear
Encore 2:
- Russian Roulette
- Zimzalabim
- You Better Know
Odd Eye Circle in Warsaw, August 9
Loona is by far my favorite group of all time, no question about that (don’t forget that I did all of this last year), and I was already lucky enough to be able to attend their concert in Frankfurt last year. I will not get into the issue of the dispute between the group and their former company that arose since November 2022 here, but what matters for this article is that, as the members of Loona started to get out of their contracts, they signed with new companies. Among the first to obtain the termination of their contracts and to sign with another company were the three members Odd Eye Circle (Kim Lip, JinSoul, and Choerry), one of the original sub-units of Loona.
In June it was announced that Odd Eye Circle would release a new album in July and embark on an European tour with four concerts: August 5 in London, August 7 in Berlin, August 9 in Warsaw, and August 11 in Paris. Not a world tour with some dates in Europe, but a tour with only concerts in Europe, not even in Korea or anywhere else. It was also surprising that they could hold concerts this soon after coming back, and among fans there was also doubt about which and how many songs they would be able to perform, given that the rights to their older songs are still apparently held by their former company.
Anyway, it’s Loona, so there was no doubt that I was going. Since traveling to Poland was the less expensive option, I decided to go to Warsaw, even though I visited the city last year (and I have an article about this too, you can read it here). However, I got worried when it was announced when the tickets would go on sale, since I was going to be at a wedding exactly at the same time. Luckily, the tickets went on sale when the ceremony was already over, and I was able to easily get the ticket with my phone without anyone even noticing. I again got a general admission ticket for the area near the stage, but this time along with a VIP ticket that included early entry, soundcheck, and meet & greet event after the concert.
This time I traveled by plane, but I went to Poznań, and then I took a train from there to Warsaw, since doing this was cheaper than taking a plane directly to the Polish capital. I arrived in Warsaw on the evening of August 8 and the following morning I got out early. I had VIP tickets and I was aiming for first row so I got at the venue, called Palladium, at around 7:30 a.m., just to find that around 20 people were already there. Thanks to some fans, the queue was well organized and we all had numbers reflecting our position in line, so one could leave and come back later without losing their spot. I stayed there for most of the time anyway despite the intermittent rain, and throughout the day I was able to talk with many people that were waiting in line around me.
During this wait, something surreal happened when I was just outside the entrance to the venue with some other fans: Kim Lip, one of the members of Odd Eye Circle, walked by and entered the arena, passing a few centimeters from me. She was with a couple of staff members and I was completely frozen when I saw her, so I was just barely able to say hi, but seeing her got me even more excited. Most of the other fans around me didn’t even see her since they were turned to the other side and she passed by very quickly. Kim Lip later revealed in a livestream after the concert that she went to a gym in the afternoon, so she was likely coming back to the venue from there.
People with VIP tickets were allowed to enter the arena at 5 p.m., and I managed to get an amazing spot at the center. I was almost in the front row, since I found myself between two people who were in the front, so there was nothing to obstruct my view and I was maybe around a meter from the stage. At 5:30 p.m. the group arrived for the soundcheck, greeting the fans and singing, if I remember correctly, Chaotic, Lucid, and Air Force One. This event lasted around 15 minutes and then we waited until 7:30 p.m., when the actual concert began.
Odd Eye Circle during their concert in Warsaw on August 9, 2023. From left to right: JinSoul, Kim Lip, Choerry.
The first part of the concert was a journey through the early history of Odd Eye Circle, building up from the solo performances, then the duets, and finally the full group. The concert started with Eclipse by Kim Lip, followed by Singing in the Rain by JinSoul, and then Love Cherry Motion by Choerry. It’s hard to describe how exciting it was to see these performances up close, as these are among my favorite songs and I didn’t think I would ever see them being performed live and a few meters from me. With Kim Lip’s iconic dance, JinSoul’s complex choreography with metal poles, and Choerry’s mix of pretty and seductive parts with a heavy beat drop (with which the fans went crazy), there could not have been a better way to start this amazing night.
The duo performances of Love Letter by Kim Lip and JinSoul, and Puzzle by JinSoul and Choerry were up next and, after an outfit change, all three members were finally on stage together. The first full group track was Uncover, and you could feel the excitement of the audience to see this rarely-performed song. Next up was Chaotic, and then a surprise: a cover of Say So by Doja Cat. It looked like the group was having a lot of fun with this song, especially during Choerry’s rap part. The second section of the concert ended with Love Me Like and Je Ne Sais Quoi. Both these performances were majestic, with the latter seeing the audience loudly screaming the title of the song.
The final part of the concert began with Starlight being performed with the beautiful background of a starry sky with shooting stars in the screen behind the stage, and then Lucid, during which the members took the fan-made banners and copied the picture that was on them. Then it was time for three of the most anticipated songs of the concert: first was the English version of Loonatic, then their latest release Air Force One, and finally Sweet Crazy Love, maybe my favorite performance of the entire night.
The encore began with My Secret Playlist, and continued with their debut song Girl Front. The last song of the concert was another surprise: Hi High by Loona, a song that represents the union of all 12 members of the group, something that all fans wish to see again. During this performance the girls also interacted more with the fans, even filming videos with phones taken from the audience, before finally saying goodbye.
Since I had a VIP ticket, there was one more chance to see the group during the meet & greet. First, we walked past the members giving them high fives and then, divided into small groups, we took pictures with them. During this event I was able to say a few words to the girls, but with my limited knowledge of Korean and my brain being completely fried just by the sheer fact of being so close to them, I could only say that they did great, the concert was awesome, and that I love them, before finally waving goodbye. I then left the venue after getting my signed poster, which was also included in the VIP ticket.
The concert lasted just under two hours and, between the different sections, some funny videos of the members playing games were shown, which provided a fun intermission. The order of the performances was well thought out, building up from the solos, then the duets, and then the full group, ending with their most popular songs. The fact that most of the songs have been rarely, if ever, performed live, also created much anticipation and excitement among the fans, and the group perfectly lived up to the hype.
Loona is known for their complex and beautiful choreographies, and Odd Eye Circle confirmed this reputation with their performances during this concert, while alluring the fans with their charming vocals. It looked like the girls were having a lot of fun too, and you could see that they were really enjoying performing their songs in front of a very passionate and loud audience.
The members were also great in their interactions with the audience, especially Choerry, who was always smiling, winking, waving, and sending hearts to the fans. Also, throughout the entire evening, including during the soundcheck and while waiting for the concert, the audience cheered for the group by stomping their feet on the ground. The group really loved this, and encouraged the fans to do it multiple times during the show. The girls also laughed a lot every time the audience was cheering just after they talked in Korean, before listening to the translation. Choerry was also having fun lip-syncing the Polish phrases as if she was the one saying them, with Kim Lip and JinSoul playing along and laughing with her.
My expectations for this concert were high, but Odd Eye Circle managed to surpass them and create what was truly an incredible night. Since Kim Lip, JinSoul, and Choerry will likely continue as part of the new ARTMS project along with fellow Loona members HeeJin and HaSeul, this concert might have been a unique and unrepeatable experience, so I feel very lucky that I was able to attend and I can’t wait for what they are going to do next. In any case, like I did last year and this year, if any member of Loona is performing in Europe, I’m going to be there, around the front row.
Setlist
- Eclipse (Kim Lip solo)
- Singing in the Rain (JinSoul solo)
- Love Cherry Motion (Choerry solo)
- Love Letter (Kim Lip & JinSoul duet)
- Puzzle (JinSoul & Choerry duet)
- Uncover
- Chaotic
- Say So (Doja Cat cover)
- Love Me Like
- Je Ne Sais Quoi
- Starlight
- Lucid
- Loonatic (English Version)
- Air Force One
- Sweet Crazy Love
Encore
- My Secret Playlist
- Girl Front
- Hi High (Loona cover)
Aespa in Paris, September 30
I have followed Aespa since their debut in November 2020, and they quickly became one of my favorite groups, so when they announced that their world tour Synk: Hyper Line would include some dates in Europe there was no doubt that I was going. The concerts would be on September 25 in Berlin, on September 28 in London, and on September 30 in Paris. This time I decided to aim for Paris.
This news came in May, just a few days before the Red Velvet concert, but again the timing of the tickets going on sale was crazy for me: May 25 at 10:00 a.m. CEST, precisely the date and time when I had to take the bus to Berlin. Thankfully the bus came much earlier so I had time to got in and sit, but I was still very nervous about losing the tickets. I had the website opened on my phone for a hour, but that did not matter at all since at 10 a.m. I got assigned a random number for the queue, and of course I got something like 7800, which is way higher the number of seats in the arena. When my turn came, all tickets were gone. I didn’t want to give up, so I kept refreshing the page hoping for some ticket to appear. Every once in a while there was a ticket here and there, but as soon as I clicked on it, someone else already got it. This went on for two hours, but finally I was able to get a seating ticket, a bit in the back but pretty central. This was by far the most stressful ticketing in my life, but at least I made it.
To reach Paris I again traveled by bus, but this time it was a very frustrating experience. One hour before the bus was supposed to leave, I got a message saying that the departure time was moved from 4:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., without any explanation as to why. I was already traveling to another city to take this bus so I had to go back home and return there later. I ended up arriving in Paris in the late evening of September 29 instead of the early morning, since the bus was also more than one hour late. I lost an entire day of exploring Paris, but luckily I had already planned to arrive one day before the concert, exactly to avoid being late because of this kind of problems. Despite the travel issues, my excitement for the concert remained high, and I was still able to see enough of Paris.
Even though this time I had an assigned seat, I still arrived at the venue, the Dôme de Paris, a few hours before the concert. I was already quite tired from the journey of the previous day and from walking a lot to visit Paris, so I wanted to rest a bit outside the venue while waiting for the concert. While I was there, I had a fun time talking with various fans.
The doors were opened quite late, less then a hour before the concert, and when the show started there were still people finding their seats, even though it began 20 minutes late. Luckily, since I arrived early, I was seated in time, and from my seat I had a good view of the stage.
Aespa during their concert in Paris on September 30, 2023. From left to right: Ningning, Giselle, Winter, Karina.
The show began with an introductory video that led into the first song, Girls. This performance included Winter playing the electric guitar for a bit and an extended dance break, and was followed by two other powerful songs, Aenergy and Savage. A trio of spectacular performances and a perfect way to start the concert.
After a small break, it was time for the first solo of the evening, Menagerie by Karina, a wonderful song with an engaging choreography. Following this, every section of the concert began with one of the solo performances of the members. The second one was Lips by Winter, a beautiful ballad that showcases her sensational voice, and next was 2HOT4U by Giselle, a charming track with a seductive choreography that really fits her perfectly. The last section opened with Wake Up, a thrilling and impressive performance by Ningning.
Throughout the concert the group performed all their greatest hits, including their latest releases Spicy and Better Things, along with most of their popular b-sides. Among these, the most stunning performances were those of Lucid Dream and Welcome To My World, while Yeppi Yeppi was maybe the one that saw the loudest cheers from fans. A special mention for Hold On Tight, which was also loudly cheered thanks to its addictive melody, and was among my favorite performances of the night. The concert closed with the outstanding Next Level, arguably the group’s most popular song, and finally their debut track Black Mamba, which saw the audience going crazy for the iconic dance move of the chorus.
Next, the audience was shown live on screen, with the fans dancing to various songs before the group came back for the encore. After performing ‘Til We Meet Again and ICU, the group said goodbye thanking the fans for the concert and the entire tour, since this was the last concert of the Synk: Hyper Line world tour.
The show lasted around two hours and twenty minutes, and was amazing from beginning to end, with many phenomenal performances and the audience cheering excitedly for every song. Aespa’s discography includes several powerful and high-energy tracks that really shine in a concert setting, but thanks to the members’ flawless vocals and performances, the other songs were also outstanding. The group also performed two unreleased songs, Don’t Blink and Yolo, and I really look forward to seeing these tracks being probably included in their upcoming album. It was also great to see the four mind-blowing solo performances of the members, with unreleased songs made specifically for this tour. I also want to praise the fantastic graphics and videos that were shown on the screen behind the stage during the performances, they really added a lot to the atmosphere.
This was another crazy night and a fantastic concert, totally worth the hype. I’m sure Aespa will have many more tours and amazing performances, and I can’t wait for their next releases. I said the same thing for Red Velvet and Odd Eye Circle, but it’s absolutely true that, if I have the opportunity, I will without a doubt go see an Aespa concert again.
Setlist
- Girls
- Aenergy
- Savage
- Menagerie (Karina solo, unreleased song)
- Illusion
- Thirsty
- Lucid Dream
- Dreams Come True
- Lips (Winter solo, unreleased song)
- Life’s Too Short (English Version)
- Welcome To My World
- Don’t Blink (unreleased song)
- 2HOT4U (Giselle solo, unreleased song)
- Yeppi Yeppi
- Yolo (unreleased song)
- Hold on Tight
- Spicy
- Better Things
- Wake Up (Ningning solo, unreleased song)
- Salty & Sweet
- Next Level
- Black Mamba
Encore
- ‘Til We Meet Again
- ICU