(Top to bottom, left to right) NCT 127, NCT DREAM, WayV, aespa, RIIZE and NCT WISH at SMTOWN LIVE 2025 in Seoul. Courtesy of SM Entertainment)
Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome transformed into a wave of “Pink Blood” over the weekend for “SMTOWN LIVE 2025 [THE CULTURE, THE FUTURE] in SEOUL.” Celebrating SM Entertainment’s 30th anniversary, the sold-out event held on January 11 and 12 brought together a stellar lineup of SM artists – 98 in total – and attracted a total of 40,000 fans. The concerts were also live streamed via Beyond LIVE and Weverse, allowing fans across the world, including the U.S., Canada, UK, Mexico, France, Australia, Japan, Singapore and the Philippines, to join the celebration from their homes.
SMTOWN LIVE: Uniting Cross-generational Artists and Fans
The Seoul concert brought together SM artists spanning across generations, including KANGTA, BoA, TVXQ!, SUPER JUNIOR, HYOYEON of GIRLS’ GENERATION, SHINee’s KEY and MINHO, EXO’s SUHO and CHANYEOL, Red Velvet, NCT 127, NCT DREAM, WayV, aespa, RIIZE, NCT WISH, nævis, ZHOUMI and Raiden. Artists from SM’s sub-labels, in addition to SM trainees, SMTOWN Family and the SM-produced UK boy group dearALICE and trot idols MYTRO were also present.
The concert was historical in that it had the longest runtime in SMTOWN LIVE history, lasting over 6 hours and 30 minutes, including a 1.5-hour pre-show and 5+ hours of performances.
The production was optimized to provide a fully immersive concert experience and unforgettable musical spectacle by featuring massive screens, broadcasting performances from multiple angles and providing subtitles for all lyrics.
‘THE CULTURE’: Timeless Hits Cementing SM’s Robust Legacy
SM’s visionary legacy was on full display through iconic hits spanning generations. They included TVXQ!’s “Rising Sun”, SUPER JUNIOR’s “Sorry, Sorry”, SUPER JUNIOR M’s “At Least I Still Have You”, EXO’s “The First Snow”, Red Velvet’s “Red Flavor”, NCT 127’s “Sticker”, NCT DREAM’s “Smoothie”, WayV’s “FREQUENCY”, aespa’s “Whiplash”, RIIZE’s “Boom Boom Bass” and NCT WISH’s “Steady.” Solo performances included BoA’s “Only One”, HYOYEON’s “Retro Romance”, KEY’s “Gasoline” and MINHO’s “CALL BACK”.
The concert also showcased exciting collaborations – including KANGTA teaming up with JAEHEE of NCT and SM Jazz Trio for “Polaris”, and 20 SM artists coming together for “Show Me Your Love” – in addition to premiering unreleased tracks by nævis and dearALICE.
SM’s longstanding legacy especially shined through during the SMTOWN Family segment of the program, featuring veteran artists like H.O.T.’s Tony An, Bada of S.E.S. and Fly to the Sky’s Hwanhee. H.O.T.’s Tony An and KANGTA surprised the fans by joining NCT DREAM on stage during their performance of “Candy” (originally by H.O.T.), in addition to teaming up with NCT’s XIAOJUN, HENDERY, SION and YUSHI, and RIIZE’s WONBIN and ANTON for H.O.T.’s “Full of Happiness.” Bada of S.E.S. performed “Dreams Come True” with aespa’s KARINA and WINTER and “Cosmic” with SUPER JUNIOR’s Ryeowook and moved fans by reading out loud a handwritten letter. Fly to the Sky’s Hwanhee created an unforgettable harmony with RIIZE’s SOHEE, singing “Sea of Love.”
‘THE FUTURE’: Continuing SM’s Legacy and K-pop’s Bright Future
The concert not only celebrated SM’s 30-year legacy but also displayed SM’s vision for the future. A few of the exclusive remakes of SM’s iconic tracks by young and veteran artists, featured on the SMTOWN album, were unveiled for the first time, emphasizing SM’s commitment to remaining an integral part of daily life through music.
The performance by SMTR25, a group of 25 trainees, left a strong impression on the audience, while a teaser for SM’s new girl group, Hearts2Hearts, debuting on February 24 was unveiled, demonstrating SM’s ongoing impact on K-pop’s future.
The grand finale saw all performers singing the SMTOWN LIVE anthem “Hope”, closing the concert with a promise of brighter days ahead while expressing gratitude to the cheering audience.
Following the successful completion of the Seoul concert, “SMTOWN LIVE 2025” will embark on a global tour starting in May.
