IU impresses 15,000 fans with massive, but intimate concert finale

IU wowed 15,000 fans with a 30-plus song performance at the KSPO Dome. The "H.E.R" world tour will continue to Japan, Taiwan and Singapore.

Singer-songwriter IU kicked off her first world tour, ″H.E.R,″ at the KSPO Dome in Songpa District, southern Seoul, with concerts on March 2, 3, 9 and 10. [EDAM ENTERTAINMENT]

Even the KSPO Dome, one of Korea's largest indoor venues, was too small for IU. The singer-songwriter filled the stage on Sunday night at the fourth Seoul concert of her “H. E. R” world tour, performing 30-plus songs for 15,000 fans for more than four hours. But the highlight of the show, for many viewers, was her surprise announcement, as the main concert came to an end, that she would return to Seoul for encore concerts on Sept. 20 and 21 — at the much larger Seoul World Cup Stadium.

The venue, on Sunday afternoon, was packed with IU fans of all ages and genders. Some came with friends, some came hand-in-hand with their parents and many were repeat attendees.

“I’m very familiar with the KSPO Dome,” said Lee Jeong-hyun, a longtime fan of the singer who had traveled to Seoul from Gwangju to see her performances. “I was here last year during her fan concert, and I was also here last Saturday.”

The KSPO Dome, which typically seats up to 10,000 concertgoers, was restructured and tailored for IU's concert to accommodate a larger audience. The so-called 360-degree stage setup saw the main stage at the center of the stadium, with seats circularly surrounding the main stage. This setup seated around 15,000 audience members but, more importantly, allowed for more intimate interaction between IU and her fans. The arena also featured curved screens, stage props and lifts that moved in groups of four, each facing a different direction, all to give fans equal opportunity to enjoy the show.

Singer-songwriter IU kicked off her first world tour ″H.E.R″ with performances at the KSPO Dome on March 2, 3, 9 and 10. [EDAM ENTERTAINMENT]

IU too, assured fans that she was trying her best to perform in front of all the fans, often singing in a chair, rotating herself around the stadium.

Fans too, made use of the round venue as the special setup doubled the resonance of their chants and cheers. They embarked on 360-degree light stick waves, sending colorful and synchronized streaks around the dome.

“All of your cheers reached this circle [that I perform on], and I could hear it through my in-ears and through my microphones. It feels so good when that happens,” IU said after performing many of the upbeat songs from her discography.

“I lost more weight than I did after my performance at the Seoul Olympic Stadium [in 2022]. I think I get to walk here more because it’s a better venue to communicate with you guys.”

Singer-songwriter IU kicked off her first world tour ″H.E.R″ with performances at the KSPO Dome on March 2, 3, 9 and 10. [EDAM ENTERTAINMENT]

IU performed 23 tracks, divided into five big categories: Hypnotic, Energetic, Romantic, Ecstatic and Heroic. The intro Hypnotic category included songs “Holssi,” “Jam Jam” (2017) “Ah puh” (2021), “Bbibbi” (2018) and “Obliviate,” (2013) while the Energetic section included fan favorites like “Celebrity” (2021), “Blueming” (2019), “Coin” (2011), “Eight” (2020) and “Hold My Hand” (2011). The artist also performed fan-favorites like “You and I” (2011), “Friday” (2013), “The Meaning of You” (2014) and tracks from her latest album such as “Love wins all”: “Shopper,” “Shh…” “I Stan U.”

But IU’s concerts, arguably, truly start only after her encore stages end. The singer is known for her “en-encores,” which are famous for their impromptu nature. There is no set list; IU selects songs on the spot, with input from the audience.

“This part doesn’t count as the official performance,” IU said as her three-hour ‘official’ concert wound down. “There may be cases where I can’t sing the song as we might not have scores for specific songs, have no lyrics to display on the main screen or the singer might not have the memory,” IU warned with a laugh.

Singer-songwriter IU kicked off her first world tour ″H.E.R″ with performances at the KSPO Dome on March 2, 3, 9 and 10. [EDAM ENTERTAINMENT]

IU sang a whopping 10 songs during Sunday's en-encore, starting with verses of “Ice Flower” (2011) — her first time singing the song at a live performance — followed by “Red Queen” (2015), “Love of B” (2013), “Ending Scene” (2017), “Winter Sleep” (2021), “Someday” (2011), “Red Shoes” (2013), “Last night story” (2017), “Hey (Rock Ver.)” (2009) and “Epilogue” (2021) — songs not commonly played during her concerts, but highly requested songs nevertheless.

The second highlight undoubtedly came earlier in the performance, when it was announced in a short clip that IU would hold an encore concert in September at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Singer-songwriter IU kicked off her first world tour ″H.E.R″ with performances at the KSPO Dome on March 2, 3, 9 and 10. [EDAM ENTERTAINMENT]

The surprise announcement was met with huge excitement and cheers never seen before, which was carried on through her subsequent performance of “Shopper.”

“'H. E. R' is my first world tour […] and thankfully tickets are selling out around the world,” IU said after the clip, met with loud cheers. “I thought our Korean fans would miss me as I go on my world tour, which is why I’m having an encore concert back here.”

“The concert in Sangam will have a different atmosphere: it will be a similar yet different performance from the ones at the KSPO Dome. It also holds more people there!” Seoul World Cup Stadium, also commonly known as the Sangam World Cup Stadium, is Korea’s second-largest stadium, with a capacity of 66,000 people. Located in Mapo District, western Seoul, the venue is only short of the Seoul Olympic Stadium — currently under renovation — which seats almost 70,000. IU previously held her “The Golden Hour” concert at the Seoul Olympic Stadium in 2022.

With the upcoming concert, IU will be the first female artist to perform at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Singer-songwriter IU kicked off her first world tour ″H.E.R″ with performances at the KSPO Dome on March 2, 3, 9 and 10. [EDAM ENTERTAINMENT]

“Don’t be sad that the concerts are over: live a happy life looking back at today,” IU said as Sunday's show came to an end.

“This won’t be the end. You guys know it too.”

IU will continue her world tour in Yokohama on March 23, followed by concerts in Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Thailand and the United States, before returning to Seoul for her encore.

“It was very difficult to get a ticket to the concert. I really don’t think [KSPO Dome] was big enough for IU,” said Fung, a fan who'd traveled to Seoul from Hong Kong for the show.

“I'm glad to see IU perform at a bigger venue. I'll come back to Korea and watch the concert — if I manage to get a ticket, that is.”

Singer-songwriter IU kicked off her first world tour ″H.E.R″ with performances at the KSPO Dome on March 2, 3, 9 and 10. [EDAM ENTERTAINMENT]

To find out more about IU, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]