Words by: Sophia Fraser
Photos by: Christian Bertrand
By the time I reached the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on the 12th of September, it already felt as though Barcelona belonged to K-pop fans. Fans sported bags decorated with photocards, plush keychains and merchandise; lightsticks in hand and pickets proudly displaying their favourite groups. Excitement buzzed through the city, along with an unmistakable sense of community. Strangers would exchange subtle smiles simply because they knew they were there for the same reason: K-pop.
The walk towards the stadium was no different. Fans had travelled from all over the world, gathering in groups outside the venue and exchanging handmade freebies. People stopped to take photos with their lightsticks and pickets, proudly representing their ult (ultimate) groups. For a while, it felt like the whole city was on its way to the same place.
Things kicked off with an introduction from MC Park Bo-gum before ALPHA DRIVE ONE opened the show. Their set included ‘FREAK ALARM’, ‘BORN DIRE’, ‘Raw Flame’ and ‘Good Life’, immediately setting the tone for the evening. You’d never have guessed they were one of the newest acts on the line-up – that’s how comfortable they were on a stage of that size.
CORTIS followed, opening with ‘GO’ before performing ‘FaSHioN’, ‘REDRED’, ‘ACAI’ and ‘YOUNGCREATORCREW’. Considering this was their first European performance, they looked completely at home. Watching them live, it was easy to understand how they’d built so much hype in such a short time. During ‘REDRED’, every chorus seemed louder than the last.
Some of the evening’s biggest surprises came from special cover performances. NMIXX performed a Spanish version of Karol G’s ‘Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido’, which felt particularly fitting given the location. Even after dancing through the choreography, their vocals barely wavered and the group moved effortlessly between their own material and the Spanish-language performance.
Another unexpected highlight came from Park Bo-gum and ENHYPEN’s Jay, who performed Oasis’ ‘Let There Be Love’. I definitely wasn’t expecting to hear Oasis at a K-pop festival, but somehow it worked perfectly.
Xikers also took on a legendary K-pop track, performing BTS’ ‘DNA’. If there was any pressure in performing a BTS cover, they didn’t show it. They owned the stage from start to finish. They followed it with ‘ICONIC’, ‘SUPERPOWER’, ‘Sandcastle’ and ‘OKay’, bringing the same confidence and energy to their own music.
Before NCT WISH even appeared, you could already tell what was coming. The stadium turned neon green as lightsticks lit up across the stands. They performed ‘Ode to Love’, ‘poppop’, ‘Sticky’ and ‘COLOR’, while also reminiscing with the Barcelona crowd about their previous visit to the city during their debut album era when they filmed the music video for ‘WISH’. It was a particularly special moment for fans who had followed the group since that era, bringing a sense of history to their return.
NMIXX sounded every bit as good live as they do on record. Their set included ‘Heavy Serenade’, ‘See That?’, ‘Soñar (Spanish version)’, and ‘Blue Valentine’. Looking around the stadium, it felt impossible to find a single person who wasn’t singing.
The moment ENHYPEN walked on stage, the atmosphere changed. Coming straight from another Billboard 200 No.1 album, ENHYPEN had the confidence of a group at the top of their game. They performed ‘Bloody Paradise’, ‘Sleep Tight’, ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’, ‘Outside’, and ‘Knife’, with the entire stadium singing along from start to finish. The venue seemed to shake beneath the crowd’s volume, especially during some of their biggest moments. They ended their set with ‘Knife’, accompanied by bursts of fire across the stage for a dramatic conclusion.
Finally, ATEEZ took to the stage. From the first notes of ‘BAD’, the stadium exploded. They followed with ‘Adrenaline’, ‘WORK’, ‘BOUNCY’ and ‘Guerrilla’, and from that point on the energy never dropped.
One of my favourite moments came when the band climbed onto a cart and made their way around the floor, waving to fans who’d spent the evening watching from a distance. Suddenly, a stadium show felt surprisingly personal.
Perhaps that was what made the entire night so special. Looking around the stadium during ATEEZ’s set, there were thousands of people dancing, singing and cheering together. It was impossible not to smile watching so many people completely immersed in something they loved. For all the choreography, pyrotechnics, and huge production, that feeling of connection stayed with me most.
To close the show, every act returned to the stage to perform BTS’ ‘Dynamite’. Artists interacted with one another and the crowd while thousands of fans danced and sang along, huge smiles visible across the stage. Fireworks filled the sky above the stadium, concluding an evening centred around music, celebration and community.
If there was ever any doubt about how big K-pop has become in Europe, Music Bank Barcelona answered it with a sold-out Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, fans travelling from across the world, and an atmosphere unlike anything else.
As fans slowly filtered out of the stadium, one question was already being asked: where’s Music Bank going next? After a night like this, it’s hard not to hope we’ll be doing it all again next year.
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