SM Entertainment
There are concerts, and then there are once-in-a-lifetime moments. SMTOWN LIVE 2025 at The O2 was one of those moments, an amazing celebration of K-pop’s past, present, and future, all wrapped up into one electrifying night with the biggest names within the industry. For SM Entertainment’s 30th anniversary, nothing less than legendary would do, and that’s exactly what London got with a red carpet beforehand and an amazing show full of K-pop icons.
The night kicked off in the most legendary way possible: TVXQ! performed “Rising Sun”, which got the entire floor shook. To finally see a group live TVXQ live, especially knowing it was their UK debut after 20 years, is a surreal moment for many. They had this commanding presence that instantly reminded everyone why they’re OG’s in the K-pop industry. After that, the energy didn’t drop for a second. SM’s trainee group SMTR25 came out and did covers of the classics such as SHINee’s’ “LUCIFER” and EXO’s “Growl”, and these trainees absolutely nailed it. You could feel how hungry they were to prove themselves, and honestly? They did. We’ll be keeping an eye on them for sure because that was not normal trainee behaviour! A clear glimpse of SM’s future; and it’s looking bright.
The night really started with pure rookie power when Hearts2Hearts made their UK debut with “The Chase”, co-written by UK’s very own FLO. The girls looked thrilled to be there, and their B-side “Butterflies” followed with a softer vibe that showcased a different side of their charm. One standout moment was the crowd’s reaction; so loud, so supportive — proof that this group is already growing their own fanbase overseas, and they only just made their debut this February.
Following up was RIIZE, who exploded with energy on stage and was a true personal surprise. With their hits like “Boom Boom Bass” they did definitely know how to please the crowd. Then next up was dearALICE, the UK boy band trained under SM’s system. Performing “Ariana” and “Save Us”, the group’s pride in playing The O2 was written all over their faces. The set hit especially hard knowing it was a hometown milestone for these boys.
The girl group aespa returned to London stronger than ever after their OvO Wembley show earlier this year. “Whiplash” and “Next Level” hit with even more the note in a setting like The O2, we truly have missed these girls in the country! Following up was Red Velvet, another iconic girl group who performed songs as “Bad Boy”, and ‘Run Devil Run’. Red Velvet showcased why they are one of SM’s top artists with their cutesy yet sexy performance. They didn’t come to play with these nostalgic hits! – We sticked with the iconic women from SM Entertainment with an amazing performance from HYO of GIRLS’ GENERATION, which was another highlight to this amazing night.
The stage then transitioned into the NCT multiverse, starting with NCT WISH, who had the crowd singing “Happy Birthday” to member RIKU, who’s birthday was that day. It was a sweet and unexpected moment that instantly made the performance feel more intimate. Each unit that followed brought something distinct: NCT DREAM kept things playful with hits such as “Smoothie”. WayV delivered sleek energy with “FREQUENCY”, and NCT 127‘s performance of “Fact Check” absolutely stole the show. That stage had the whole arena in a trance.
Solo stages were scattered through the night and gave fans even more to scream about. SUHO, CHANYEOL, and KAI from EXO each had their moments to shine — and shine they did. KAI’s “Wait On Me” brought Afrobeat vibes to The O2, and his connection to the fans was felt even before he said, “Taking London into my heart today”. Then SHINEE’s MINHO, who got added onto the line-up very last minute was a personal favourite and a massive treat — it’s been over a decade since the SHINee member performed here solo, and “CALL BACK” had fans hanging onto every word. He showcased his true love for his fans by showcasing his English skills, which he taught himself over time and his love for his favourite football club, Arsenal. MINHO promised he would come back with his members to the UK and we truly take his word for that!
Near the end, a sentimental video played showing SM’s artists through the years, which led beautifully into SMTR25’s tribute stage. Hearing “Bonamana”, “Keep Your Head Down”, and “Sherlock” live again, even as covers, brought so many memories flooding back. Nostalgia hit hard right in our feels there. Then also the encore? It was hit after hit after hit. “Mirotic”, “Kick It”, “Red Flavor”, “Supernova” and “Fly Up”, it’s that kind of finale that made it impossible to sit down even for a second. And when the whole SM family came back together for “Hope from KWANGYA”, maybe a tear or two got shed.
From rookies to legends, every act gave their all. This wasn’t just a concert — it was a cultural moment for K-pop. London waited 14 years for SMTOWN to come back and it was worth every second.
2025 SMTOWN LIVE [THE CULTURE, THE FUTURE] IN LONDON Set List:
1. TVXQ! – “Rising Sun (순수)”
2. SMTR25 (7 members) – “Lucifer” (SHINee Cover)
3. SMTR25 (9 members) – “으르렁 (Growl)” (EXO Cover)
4. Hearts2Hearts – “The Chase”
5. Hearts2Hearts – “Butterflies”
6. dearALICE – “Ariana”
7. dearALICE – “Save Us”
8. RIIZE – “Boom Boom Bass”
9. RIIZE – “잉걸 (Ember to Solar)”
10. aespa – “Whiplash”
11. aespa – “Next Level”
12. Red Velvet – “Bad Boy”
13. Red Velvet – “Run Devil Run” (Originally by GIRLS’ GENERATION)
14. HYO of GIRLS’ GENERATION – “Retro Romance”
15. NCT WISH – “WISH”
16. NCT WISH – “Steady”
17. NCT DREAM – “When I’m With You”
18. NCT DREAM – “Smoothie”
19. WayV – “Give Me That (Korean Ver.)”
20. WayV – “FREQUENCY (Korean Ver.)”
21. NCT 127 – “삐그덕 (Walk)”
22. NCT 127 – “Fact Check (불가사의; 不可思議)”
23. SUHO of EXO – “점선면 (1 to 3)”
24. CHANYEOL of EXO – “Hasta La Vista”
25. KAI of EXO – “Wait On Me”
26. MINHO of SHINee – “CALL BACK”
27. MINHO of SHINee – “Something About U”
28. HYO x YANGYANG x GISELLE – “Dessert”
29. EXO – “투지 (鬪志, Git It Up!)” (Originally by H.O.T.)
30. TVXQ! – “Psycho” (Originally by Red Velvet)
31. SMTR25 (11 members) – SM 30th Tribute Performance
32. Hearts2Hearts – “STYLE”
33. NCT WISH – “poppop”
34. RIIZE – “Fly Up”
35. aespa – “Supernova”
36. NCT DREAM – “맛 (Hot Sauce)”
37. WayV – “Love Talk”
38. Red Velvet – “빨간 맛 (Red Flavor)”
39. NCT 127 – “영웅 (英雄; Kick It)”
40. TVXQ! – “주문-MIROTIC”
41. SMTOWN – “빛 (Hope from KWANGYA)”